Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-02-18
see whence the boy and his mother inn
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Mother, it is not our doubt" ex-
planned Mrs. Granger, gently. "lts
the present suffering, and we are talk
ing of trying to help our poor soldiers. !"
''Oh, that's it, replied grandmoth
well, if you really want to, 1 don't
think the Lord stands in the way
Father and John won't be back till
tomorrow, observed Gideon, who had
pulled off his heavy shoes, and was
warming his feet on the hearth, land
if you are willing viii go over and
see Bert, after I've done all the chores.
Because if we go up to the valley to-
day we ought TO start in couple OF
hours"
ut will be pretty cold," said his
mother, hesitatingly. However, let's
sit up and eat breakfast, and we'll
think the matter over am certain
you will need hearty meal whatever
you do this cold day"
1t was the 22d day of February,
though they did not think of the mat
ter then in that gloomy year of the
Revolution, 1777. The American army,
encamped at Valley Forge, on the
IL.
The men were sheltered in cold, COM
FORTRESS huts, with little food or cloth
ing. Barefooted, they left on the
frozen ground their tracks in blood.
Few had blankets, and straw could
not be obtained. Soldiers, who were
enfeebled by hunger and benumbed by
cold, slept on the bare earth. Wash
ington did all that he could for his
men encamped amid the snowdrifts,
but that was little enough. The con-
tinental paper was SO deprecated in
value that an officers pay would not
keep him in clothes. The surrounding
farmers, many of whom were of Troy
proclivities, preferred British gold to
colonial scrip, and even with the gold
it is doubtful if Washington could have
made his soldiers comfortable. How
ever, there were patriotic hearts
around them, and the great leader did
not lose faith in his cause.
The Granger family lived at Paol,
only few miles from the American
encampment, and were familiar with
the restitution and suffering of their
heroic defenders. The elder Granger
guessed, was not an ardent patriot,
nor was he exactly a tory. He be-
lieved the Americans ought to accept
the proposals of the mother country,
which had been offered by the English
commissioners through Lord Howe,
and close the war at once. He had
steadily refused to give any aid to the
army, and would not sell stock or prod.
uce even when offered gold by the
Americans. The previous day the
farmer and his hired man had started
for Philadelphia with herd of ten fat
cattle, leaving Gideon to care for the
barn and the house during their alb
sence That he would be Toasted by
the British and bring back bag full
of English guineas they all knew
Meanwhile, why should they not of
their abundance render aid to the sui.
fering Americans? Mrs. Granger
thought the matter over with all the
natural diffidence of a faithful wife and
devout woman, and, although she did
not forget the Scri plural prediction
that a house divided against itself can.
not stand, the fires of patriotism
Jul ACSA wv uOGIy Ill I1CI 1CdlC lOI lcT 10
resist Gideon's earnest entreaty. Nay,
more, she had determined to do her
part, and send housewives token to
the American camp. So when Gideon
sat back from the table and looked at
his mother, inquiringly, she answered.:
eyes, Gideon, you may go, and while
we are about it you might as we'll
catch half a dozen of the best chickens.
l will have time to pick and dress them
while you are getting ready
Gideon kissed her and ran out to the
barn, where the outcries among the
poultry proclaimed the inroad that was
being made in that department
Ia something more than an hour the
two boys had their team ready, and,
warmly wrapped in thick overcoats,
muff1ers and mittens, stood in front of
farmhouse door. They had yoked their
great yearlings to small sled, and, as
they were well broken to the yoke,
they calculated to reach Valley Forge
by little after noon.
''Well, mother!'' shouted Gideon
Mrs. Granger appeared at the door.
her hands full of baskets and bundles.