Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-04-28
DUB Yousa Folks.
The Beginning Of Liberty.

There wasn't soul at home but Pa
tience. She had the large bake. kettle be-
fore the fire, and was stirring the mixture
in it with great care, and thinking. mean
time. how she should celebrate. She felt
just as glad as anybody could. and it
seemed pity that she should stay at home
and get supper and leave all the rest to
have the fun. Every time bell pealed
out she felt as though she should let the
bake.kett take care of itself and run.
Never such day had been known in Bos-
ton It seemed to Patience that every
time she looked out at the door another
flag was to be seen. As for Liberty Tree,
which she could see from the back window,
the boys were at work hanging lanterns
all over it, and once she really did forget
the biscuit while she stood trying to i'm.
agine how it would look at night when they
were all lighted.
What was going on? Why, the horrid
Stamp Act had been repealed, and now
the people of Boston and elsewhere
could write the receipts on any kind Of
paper they chose. Patience knew all
about it; such an uproar as there had been
In the house over the stamped paper? Her
father declared that il he had to 60 with
out deed for his land until his baby son
was gray, he would never receive one writ
ten on the hated paper, and once he had
torn up receipt for money that was paid,
because it was written on stamped paper.
II you don't know what was the matter
with. the paper that made the New Eng
landers detest it 80, you must hunt up your
histories and learn or if you are too young
vet to study history, ask those older broth.
ers and sisters who are always so wise. Pa.
thence could have told you all about it.
She never forgot about the paper, but then
she was there, and saw and heard the talk,
and the bells. and saw the flags, and that
makes q difference. The question was,
What should she do to celebrate Sud.
denly she clapped her hands; she knew
| what to do.
Shut away between the leaves of her
writing. book was piece of stamped paper
she had been keeping it for a long time,
intending to do something dreadful with
it, and at last she had thought what it
should be. For the rest of the afternoon
Patience was very busy. When just at
dusk her father and the boys came in, tired
and happy, eager for their supper, Patience
was ready for them. An extra supper, for
none of them had been at home to dinner.
In the middle of the table was Patiencs's
celebration. A large round cake, beauti-
fully Drowned, and standing in the center
of it, one arm off, one foot sadly mutilated,
and q huge slice taken right out of his
head, was paper man, baked very brown,
while out of his mouth were issuing two
doleful words, I'm Ruined" A piece Of
paper was pinned at his breast which said
on it, "I'm Andrew Oliver" You should
have heard the boys shout. They
gathered around the ruined man and
discovered that his broken limbs
were made of that part of the
paper which had the Kings stamp on it
Battered and bruised and burned was An.
drew Oliver, and the boys, and even their
father, laughed over it. and agreed that
Patience had made funny use of the
stamped paper. Sand that's the end of
/ it." said Patience, decidedly. "There
won't be another bit of it in this place,
will there father ?" and the father thought
! not After supper they went out to Lib
erty Tree and counted the lanterns, and
laughed and cheered with the rest, and
William, the youngest boy, wore the ruined
| figure of Andrew Oliver in his hat. Pa
thence could not go out to the tree, for she
had to stay at home to see to the little
pieces Of lighted candle that were fastened
to every light of glass in the front windows /;
this she enjoyed. 81 made some lighters
of the ends of the stamped papers to light
my candles WITH" she told her father.
And that was the way that in one house in
Boston the beginning of liberty for Amer.
lea was celebrated. PANsY.
What is meant by the sStamp Act,
and why was the stamped paper so
hated by the New Englanders? Also, who
was Andrew Oliver, aud why was he SO
disliked as to be treated in the manner
above described? Will some of our young
readers send answers to the RECORD UNION
by May Ssh, written upon one page of let
ter paper?