Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-14


father knew Cambridge and Boston, and
what could say more? Then at Morris
town-why, Harry, where did. 1 not know
him? No, indeed, his boy needs no letters
to me-" This was all very nice and hstter-
ing, and Harry went bravely on to tell his
business. But instantly General Knox's
smile died away, his forehead wrinkled
itself, and he could hardly let the young
man finish his appeal
80, dear Mr.. Curwen, ask for anything
but a commission. Everyone wants COM
mission-and there is no commission to give
anyone. See here-and here-and here
each of these is file of applications for
commissions. Each separate paper is an
application. The recommendations are
yonder-" and be pointed across the room.
eff were our august ally, King Louis
himself" and now he laughed again, II
should not have commissions enough for the
young men who want them.
"But these Young men," said Curwen
boldly. s.want to kick their heels here in
garrison. 1 do not want to see service;
1 want to see life. General, want to do
what you did, and my tather-I want to be-
gin. Remember, you showed me how"
THAT is prettily said, my boy, said the
veteran, who was himself not 40 years old;
"and if these days were those days, you
should nave had your commission, and
should have been in your regimentsls before
now. We did not wait long then for papers
or for service. But these are days of peace,
alas; so much the worse for you and me.
''No, my lad, if it is to the Ohio or the
Kentucky you would go, you must go and
talk with Parson Cutler, by your own home,
or to Mr.. Symmes here. For me, 1 have not
power to send one enlisted man there, far
less an ensign, hate to say no to you, but
truly there is nothing else to say"
So Harry Curwen experienced the second
sharp rebuff be had received within week.
AS he passed out through the door, which
was held open for him by a eourtIy black
man, and in the raw northeast wind stepped
out upon the 'stoop, he remembered, bitterly
enough, that it was just at that hour, that
day week, that he had heard in Salem of
Sarah Paris intention.
Slowly enough he returned to Francis,
and with little enough interest entered on
the business which came next his hand,
which was the eating of his supper. Then,
with group Of young Virginians, who had
come on to see the Congress, he went to the
theater, and tried to amuse himself with the
remorse and punishment of George Barn.
we'll and afterward with the humor and
music of the Beggar's opera But these
things, which would have seemed to him
very brilliant ten days ago, seemed very
stupid now, and the young Southerners
found him poor companion. He left them
early, and went back to the inn and to his
bed.
Morning brought courage and counsel
He made his plans, and from that moment,
life seemed tolerable to him. He could not
follow it out until afternoon, but he was
sure it would succeed then. So he hired a
boat, and bade the man take him to Brook
lyn, and up the river to Harlem, and across
to the Jersey side. He found the man was
an old veteran, willing enough to spend the
morning in pointing out this and that me
mortal of the war. As they walked and
talked, the morning passed by, and Harry
Curwen knew that he was nearer and nearer
the issue which he waited.
Two o'clock came, and he walked boldly
to the house which had been shown to him
the dav before as the Presidents. On the
sidewalk and even in the street quite a
crowd of the people who had most curiosity
and least occupation was standing, and
Harry was not displeased to see this. For
it showed him that he had been rightly in
formed, and that this was the Presidents
reception day.
The young fellows good fortune had not
deserted him. This means that he came
alone-as it happened, no one else appeared
d
the door of the large drawing room, where
the President was standing, whom Harry
recognized at the moment-he had seen him
the year before, when he made his progress"
through the Eastern States. General Knox
and Colonel Pickering, as it happened, were
both standing near Washington.
Even at that moment, all strung up as he
was by the audacity Of his own determine
tion, and by the miracle of his own success
thus far, young Master Harry Curwen no.
ticed a certain shyness of manner which
never deserted George Washington on occa-
sions of ceremony. If he had a poacher 10
thrash, a servant to scold, a regiment to
lead, an army to rally, or an enemy to send
packing, Washington was in no sort shy.
Bat when he was in the midst of the eti-
ouettes of elegant social life, even to the end
of his career, there would appear Just
shade of the not unbecoming difidence with
which the fatherless Virginian boy. trained
in the field sports of the Rappahannock
farm, NAV have first met Lord Fairfax in
his Lordship's drawing room. Harry Cur
wen had found himself sufficiently bold in
Governor Bowdoin's drawing room, or in
Mr.. Crowninshield's. Still his audacity
was not SO great but that his voice guivered
a little as he said to the man whom he be-
lieved to be the greatest in the world:
.
Nv name is 0urwen. I come from Salem,
in Massachusetts Bay"
'I thought I was not wrong" said the
President, who did not, however, take the
outstretched hand, which Curwen had half
presented, little awkwardly. "You were
one of the Marshals last summer when we
rode out to see the new bridge-the bridge to
Beverly"
Curwen was surprised now, and, of course,
fattered. He was at his best-one always
is when he speaks to a great man-and
frankly expressed his surprise that the
President should have remembered him.
'I believe remember you, sir, because 1
remember YOUR father. Indeed, sir, I do
not forget how he died." And, after con-
ouering his own shyness thus, as Washing
ton could do sometimes, under strong emo
tion, he asked how long the young man had
been in New York, and if he were travelling
to the southwark.
But, OF course, Harry's luck could not
last forever. Before he could answer, other
visitors swept in, and it was impossible for
him to keep place which would arrest
their passage.
The etiquette, however, did not require
that he should leave the room. He was
able to speak to Colonel Pickering and Gen.
eral Knox, and joined party of his friends of
the evening before who were chatting in a
corner. All the time he watched the great.
man-as, indeed, they all did. And, at
last, Harry's moment came again.
He saw that the tide of visitors was ebb-
ing; for moment the President was disen-
gagged. and even turned to speak to friend,
who lett him, as if on a commission. With
the audacitY of youth, Harry crossed the
room, and said at once:
''Mr. President, you are kind to young