The Monitor-register., 1896-04-24


day!"
1t was still dark, but it was near the
| dawn of the nineteenth of April, 1775.
A New England April is too early for
| flowers to bloom, and yet there was a
| fresh sweetness about the morning win
as it blew across the quiet Concord mead
ow, and through the boughs of the tall
elm trees of the old Fox homestead,
which stood not far from the road that
ran from Concord to Lexington, and on
to Charlestown and Boston. Jabez had
| lust wakened from a dream of finding
cowslips in full bloom down by the
spring. There was not a glimmer OF
light from the windows; there was not a
sound-yes, what was that he heard on
the hard road? Hoof.beats. rapid,
steady, coming this way-then some one
knocked at the door, quick, defiant
strokes that seemed to go vibrating and
reverberating through the old house from
, floor to rafter. Every one was sitting
straight up in bed, with a tingling atten-
tion to what was coming next; and Jabez
could hear his father opening the front
window and calling to ask what the
matter was?
''The British regulars are comingV
answered a voice out of the dark below.
1t sent a sort of thrill through Jabez like
the notes of a bugle when it begins to
sound a reveille. "'They want Hancock
and Adams, and the Concord powder.
Shall they get Them ?"
"Neyerr' answered his father, in a
stern tone. AS he let the window down
heavily the rider was again on the road,
galloping toward Concord.
There was no more sleep for the little
household. Grandmother was an early
riser in ordinary times, and now she was
up, and had the fire burning brightly,
and breakfast we'll started by the time
the men were downstairs. The father
took a lantern and got his ammunition
together while she was cooking. Some
times he stopped to say a sentence or two
when he was near her.
1.-THE London papers boast that they
will soon nave the heads of the rebels,
Hancock and Adams, on exhibition in
their city; but l think not;" and he
smiled grimly.
"Father!" cried little Jabez, suddenly
appearing at the foot of the dark stairs
with his jacket half on, "Father, let me
go with you"
mo" said his father-"no. You are
to stay with your grandmother and see to
her comfort and safety"
"But Reuben (Reuben was the hired
MANI
"ReuDen had a cousin killed by Cages
soldiers on King Street. He has two
brothers in the Lexington militia. HI
. will feed all the stock, and then he will
give you the keys and go to Lexington
a himself. We need every man who care'
, for freedom to day"
Jabez was a little comforted to thinl
4 that he was to take care of his grand
- mother.
Breakfast was ready now, and hi
q father put down his gun, and all stool
around the table while Grandmothe
lifted her hand and prayed for a blessing
r npapIal t5atlthey @aiugAlte do that 6dRa5Hiteu
a Presently, seeing his father was about t
rise, he laid down his knife and for
m solemnly.
m "If the regulars should stop here"-
"a and then he looked at his father.
If They'll likely not stop here" said hi
father, smiling a little. "But l won
give you any directions. / don't kno,
what the circumstances will be, and
-. might tell you just the wrong thing. D
=. what you believe is right"
A few minutes later he was ridin
away toward Concord and the day wa
- breaking. 1t was not long before Reube
: was gone too. The house was SO auit
that it seemed like Sunday. Present.
:. Jabez heard his grandmother call him j
a low voice, "Jabez, tho British are pas
ing by"
H. Jabez threw down his Ratchet and I'll
wood he was %chopping, and ran into I'll
house and up stairs to the front windo'
b. where he could look over the hedges an
= walls and see the whole stretch of roa
~ clearly. There were several hundred nj
in red uniforms marching steadily and j
,w unbroken order. The ringing sound
49, their steps and the clank of their acco,
terments came to Jsbez with a rough 80
ID of rhythm and seemed to beat time in h
ear. One of the soldiers whistle
70 yankee Doodle" and another laught
derisively, or Jabez thought so.
His blood famed with anger.
oh They'll get all the Yankee they wa
of to-day" he thought, remembering no
his father and Reuben looked as tn,
rn went away. He longed to be a man
h fight them-tliese soldiers that came oyl
- seas to take away their freedom and il
prison, yes, and kill their menl For !
remembered the 'Boston Massacre, al
,os the blood stains on the snow in the sire
). where Reuben's cousin was killed,
IN When the last CLINT of red was out
I'd sight he ran downstairs. His gran
mother was sitting beside the windo,
but she was not looking out. She h;
her hand over her eyes an if she had be,
"a praying.
Reuben put his arm around her an
said: "FU take care of you, Gran
mother"
"I'm not afraid, deary," she answere
,ot smiling, and looking up at him wi
10 clear, bright eyes.
Grandmother, you don't think {
os+ whole British army could conquer us
~ "No, no. The God of Israel will ia
care of the seed he has sown. He b
brought us through many dangers"
Jabez's memory went back to the tai,
she had SO often told him of the persec
70 tions abroad, and the struggles of Il
gn little handful of men here in the cal
US days when the Indians lurked behind 70