The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-04-16

Eenough to spend the morning in pointing
out this and that memorial 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 day before as the presidents. On
the sidewalk and even in the street, quite
a crowd Of the people who had most Curl
osity and least occupation was standing,
and Harry was not displeased to see this.
For it showedhim thathe had been rightly
Informed, 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 at the same moment. An usher
led him to 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 de-
termination, and by the miracle of his own
success thus far, young Master Harry
Curwen noticed a certain shyness of man
ner, which never deserted George Wash
ington on occasions of ceremony. If he
had poacher to thrash, a servant to scold,
a regiment to lead, IN army to rally, or
an enemy to send packing, Washington
was in no sort shy. But when he was in
the midst of the etiquittes of elegant
social life, even to the end of his career,
there would appear just a shade Of the
not unbecoming difidence with which
the fatherless Vlrginian boy, trained in
the field sports of the Rappahannock farm,
may nave first met Lord Fairfax in his
L~ordship's drawing-room. Harry Curwen
had found himself sufficiently bold in
Governor Bowdoin's drawing-room, Oh
in Mr.. Cr~owninshield's. Still his audacity
was not so great but that his voice quiv-
cred a little, as he said to the man whom
he believed to be the greatest in the
world:
"Let me introduce myself, Mr.. Presi-
dent. Ny name is Curwen. I come
from Salem, in Massachusetts, Bay"
az thought I was not wrong" said the
president, who did not, however, take the
outstretched hand, which Curwen had
half presented, a little awkwardly. "You
were one of the marshals last summer
when we rode out to see the new bridge
the bridge to Beverly"
CWwen was surprised now, and of
course was 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 remem-
bered him.
81 believe [ remember you, sir, because
I remember your father. Indeed, sir, I
do not forget how he died" And after
conquering his own shynesS then, as
Washington could do sometimes, under
strong emotion, he asked how long the
young man had been in New York, and
if he were travelling to the southwark.
But of ours Harry's luck could not
last forever. Before he could answer,
other visitors swept in, and it was impos-
sible for him to keep a place which would
arrest their passage.
The etiquitte, however, did not require
that he should leave the room. He was
able to speak to Colonel Pickering and
General Knox, he joined a party of his
friends of the evening 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
ebbing; for a moment the president was
disengaged, and even turned to speak to
a friend, who left him, as if on a commits
sion. With the audacity of youth, Harry
crossed the room, and said at once:
"Mr. President, you are kind to young
men-I want to ask you what General
Knox refuses me-"
Washington was amazed, but amused.
General Knox and / are good friends,
Mr.. Curwen," he said, laughing. "We
have fought a great many battles together
we are apt to be On one SIDE"
The young man smiled and bowed, but
persisted. "I asked General Knox to let
me go to the Ohio, and he does not want
me-"
Again the great man laughed. at is
the Congress which does not want you.
l believe my poor General Harmer would
be glad of a thousand as good as you"
"Mr. President" said the boy, ct am
more in earnest than you think. General
Knox showed me a thousand begging
letters from young men who would be
ensigns. General Washington, tell me, is
there one of them who rants to serve as
I do-for the honor of serving my country
and you? I.want to see service. Iwant
to serve as you served. 1 want to serve
as a volunteer. And General Knox thinks
there is not room for me in the Northwest
Territory; this almost proudly. "I do
not ask for a penny. / do not ask for a
a horse. l do not ask even for a chance
for promotion. Tonly ask to serve my
country under such an officer as George
Washington puts over me-"
The boy had lost all shyness, as the
reader. sees. TIE man looked on his
glowing face, and remembered his own
Light Horse Harry, and the boy John
Curtis who died at Yorktown. He turned
and looked for Knox, who had left the