The Washington critic., 1888-03-03
The POWER OF A NAME.
A Story In Which All Patriotic Boys
and Girls Will be Interested.

story in which All Patriotic BOYS
and Girls Will be Interested.
beSEs Cam SAGE in "Harper's Young People"
II was the 22d of February, the
birthday of the Father of his Coun-
try" and also the birthday Of George
Washington Biggs, although this last
named little American did not look as
happy as he should on such an auspi-
cious occasion, as he strobe up and
down the floor of his attic bedroom,
running his fingers through his hair.
and declaiming in manner that would
surely have raised the ghosts of Daniel
Webster and Patrick Henry in horror
had they been doomed to listen to him.
The fact was, George Washington
Biggs was a boy completely over
powered by his name, and like the
esthetic owner of the Japanese tea
! pot, realized the difficulty of liv-
ing up to it, for while he had the deep
est reverence and affection for the hero
of the Revolution, longed to be like
him, and knew that he ought to be
proud to bear his name, yet, being
rather weak and understood lad, and
withal possessed of an extremely timid
naturer 1t was an aggravation to be
dubbed by the school boys General
Fraidy Wash" and when his cowardly
heels had, in spite of his strongest reso-
lutions, carried him away from some
fray or threatened danger, it was per-
fectly narrowing to bear them sing out,
tauntingly, "1Ial hal look at George
Washington So he often was in
clined to wish that he had been born
on some other day, and called plain
John or Tom or Charley.
To-day he wished it more than ever,
for though he knew no more of elo-
<cution than bullfrog, he was forced
TO give an address of welcome at an
entertainment gotten up by the pupils
OF the Cedarville Academy, because, as
Horace ,Newcombe said, "It would
look so very well on the programme to
have "A grand Washington celebra.
tion The salutatory to be delivered
by George Washington Biggs,' the
first two names printed in the largest
capitals, and the Biggs almost micro
scopic."
This holiday performance was for
most worthy if homely object, its
purpose being no other than to raise
sufficient money to purchase q pig for
the widow Chinook, who was the
Church mouse" of the little mountain
town and the mother of five small
children, and who had lately suffered
the, to her. serious loss of fine fat
porker, which had been stolen by
band of thieves who for some time had
been committing robberies in the neigh
borhood. Numerous hen-roosts had
also been entered, cows and sheep had
disappeared mysteriously, and the pretty
tleet-footed pony belonging to Judge Ap-
plegate's only daughter had been car
ried off; while, strangest of all, no trace
could be found of the desperadoes or
their hiding place. The whole country
side was excited, a hundred dollars re-
ward was offered for the capture of the
miscreants and u vigilance committee
was on the alert for fortnight, but
they gradually abandoned the search
rs hopeless, and decided that the men
must have managed to smuggle the
horse and cows over the ridge and out
of the State, particularly as the rob
berries in that vicinity suddenly ceased.
You must do your best, George"
said Mrs, Biggs TO her son, ''for every
one will be at the entertainment, IL
only to help poor Mrs. Chinook. The
pig is a greater loss to her than the
pony to rich Judge APPLICABLE
George looked forlorn, but he did
Try to brace himself up, and after
awhile found he could reel off quite
glibly to the empty table and chairs the
address composed by Hezekiah Wilcox,
the head scholar of the school. 1t com.
menced: Ladies' and gentlemen,
friends and fellow citizens. 1t Is with
deep and heartfelt pleasure, and in the
name of my famous namesake, George
Washington, whose natal day we are
now called upon to celebrate, that l bid
you welcome. For when in the course
of human events IL becomes necessary
for one neighbor to assist another" and
so on for some half-dozen pages, plenti-
fully besprinkled with hackneyed
quotations and spread eagle phrases,
which the Juvenile portion of Cedar
vile considered the very essence of clo-
quence.
1t was with difficulty, however, that
the young orator swallowed his birth
day dinner, and then donncd his Sun
day clothes, and started off on his
skates down the frozen stream which
divided the village in two parts, for
the charitable performance was to take
place in the afternoon in the New
combe's large barn which stood di-
rectly on the bank of the Rocky River.
The carriage-house had been cleared
out, heated by huge stove, decked
with flags and cvergrcens, and stage
erected at one end; so it presented
quite a festal appearance as George
entered and joined the group of boys
and girls clustered together behind the
curtain, formed of Il star-spangled ban
ner.
"Come and look, George" called
Jennie Nelson, who was peering out at
the audience, and he placed his eye to
the crack to see that the barn was
crowded to the very doors, and near
the front sat pretty Edith Applegate,
looking like picture In her dark vel |
vet suit and large Gainsborough hat, |
with bunch of rare Jacmeminot roses |
pinned al her waist.
''lt was nice in Edith to come and |
help toward the pig, when she feels so
badly about her pony" whispered Jen-
whole ni9ft through after Eife was
stolen, and says She can never bear to
have another riding horse"
These robbers ought to be tarred
and fealhered p exclaimed George,
angrily; but just then Mr., Cotton, the /
school. .master ordered the stage
cleared and gave the signal for the /
opening chorus, and five minutes later
the children were making the rafters
ring with the stirring patriotic air of
America. -
They sang Justify and WELL and were
encored again and again, but 70 one Of