The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1890-06-28

|
and the hand of the oppressor is heavy
in the land! Who would know our peace
| full Philadelphia with the red-coats
turning every thing topsyturvy! pray
we may soon throw off this British rule!
BY the way, the Continental Con-
! gress has been considering the question
for the past two days, and tomorrow
their decision is to be made known.
| Wilt thee be at the State-House, Nell
son Harding, to receive the first news
from the door-keeper and give me the
signal whether to ring the great bell or
no? will pay thee shilling for the
job" ...' .a@..
"Gladly will I be on hand, Grandpa
Darrah. You think they will really
| dare to declare our Independence"
"Many say not, but I believe they
will. There are great and wise men in
| the Council, and then the motto on the
old bell l have rung so many years
seems verify prophetic-'P Proclaim lib
erty throughout all the land to all the
inhabitants thereof The Lord grant it
may do it, and the aged Friends Sc
rene countenance glowed with enthusi-
asm. ,
ooh, I hope, hope twill, Responded
Nelson; 'sbut now I must away home at
once. Good day, grandpa. Come, Penn"
and off he scampered with the huge
mastif at his heels The little home of
the Hardings in Letitia Court was plain
| and modest in the extreme, and, as the
! pale, fragile bonneville set the frugal
| dinner on the table, Nelson thought she
seemed more downcast than usual.
''What is it, mother?" he asked.
elias any thing gone wrong?'
| Nothing new only the landlord. has
been for the rent, and I have had to
draw on the debt-box again, and each
time it seems like step further away
from your father oh, wonder if we
shall ever, ever accomplish his free
domp'
"Of course we shallv' cried Nelson,
more hopefully than he felt 'Cheer
up, nanny! I am growing larger every
day, SO can soon earn more; and only
just now Grandpa Darrah, the bell-man,
promised me shilling if I will wait at
the State House door tomorrow and
give him the signal if independence be
declared"
"And if it is, how your poor father
will fret and fume at being shut up and
unable to fight for his country. He was
always such true patriot!' And the
unhappy woman turned away to her
sewing with heavy sign. A lump, too,
arose in Nelson's throat, and he ate but
a sm all portion of his savory stew, CIV
| n oh RI ho
joyed it with hearty gusto.
AS he finished the last morsel Mrs.
Nelson looked up. ''That dog eats as
much as two men," she said.
"But hei such a grand, noble fellow,
mother, and love him So"
$50 he is, dear, but wish his appe-
tite was less;" while into Nelson's mind
darted the young Britisher's words:
''Such as you have no business with
valuable thoroughbred. ..... is
| Was it true? Ought he to sacrifice
his dear companion and playmate for
the sake of the father lang uishing be-
meath the shadow of the law? He tried
to put the thought away, but the idea
haunted him and made him wretched
whenever Penn looked up in his face
with his soft, brown eyes or licked his
| cheek with his warm, red tongue, as
though to ask: "What ails you, little
| master?' -.- ...
But when, in the dead of night, Nell
son awoke and heard his mother cob
bling in the next room and felt sure the
four guineas would appear to her like
four seven-league strides toward her
husbands freedom, he determined that,
although he could not put up with Regi-
maids overbearing manner, he would go
to Captain Cathcart, who, in the phrase
ology of that day was said to be ssge-
NAL, whole-souled Old England man.
and offer him the mastif on his sons
! terms.
| The next morning, however, he had
| little time to consider his resolution.
for he had to be off early to the State
House, and already the streets were
filled with eager, excited groups, while
a feeling of hushed expectancy seemed
brooding over the quiet city of brother
~ love.
No fairer day ever dawned than the
4th of July, 1776, while, prompt as
Nelson was, the old bellman was before
him and ready enough to welcome the
boy to his little belfry and to point out
the Congressman as they arrived one by
one at the State House; for the old
Friends Quaker garb covered truly
patriotic heart, while his genial nature
made him a general favorite, and he
was dubbed Grandpa by half the
| town.
| ~ ~ & Z ]
First come Richard Henry Lee, the
Virginia member who first brought for
ward the resolution to proclaim the
| American colonies free and independ-
ent States. Next young Thomas Jeffer-
son, carrying roll of manuscript, the
draft no doubt, which he had drawn up
of the famous declaration. Then Samuel
I Adams, the Father Of the Revolution y
in his customary suit of reddish brown;
John Hancock, the president of the
Congress-; Charles Thomson, the secre-
tary, who held the position for fifteen
years. and plain, sensible Benjamin
franklin; while, following in rapid
succession came Roger Sherman, Will
lam Ellery, Charles Carroll and the rest
OF the illustrious ffty-six.
"a vastly fine, thoughtful set Of men.
are they not, Nelson Harding?D asked
the bellman.
Eyes, yes,"' cried the boy, flushed BY
the excitement of the moment; and I
feel sure they will do whatever is best