The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-10-03
ROMANCE Of OLD St. DAvID'S

Prudence Jones was the fairest of al
the maids in Radnor.
Indeed twas said her beauty was
greater than that of many a fine lady III
Philadelphia. Thither she had just been,
having gone chiefly to buy material for
Il gown to wear when Gerald Harper
would presently lead her to the altar Of
st. David's.
The buxom country lass, with COM
plexion not made before the mirror. I'M
Willingly captured heart that had been
proof against Cupid's arrows Rowland
Burgess. whom many a city girl would
have been glad to wed, had asked her to
be his wife. When she heSltated, the
petted child of fortune was annoyed.
When, with becoming candor, she con-
feSsed she was TO marry another. he
vowed his sword would settle the right
to her hand
Not a little fearful, Prudence broke
her engagement with Gerald.
''Ye will never see me again. I'm go
ing to drown myself" the young farmer
declared. But on reflection he did moth
ing of the sort He dug his corntield
with redoubled vlgOr and resolved to
marry the first comedy girl who would
have him
Gossips whisper unkind things about
L y
the bottom of their talk. She paid no
heed to them.
Young Burgess gave her little time to
change her mind again. He began at
once to build house near st. DavldS
and scarce six months hard gone by ere
wedding.
Twas day long to be remembered.
None who could go stayed away. Fen
Gerald was there.
Its an i'll wind that blows no good
observed the honest farmer. To him ETH
Quette was an unknown art.
Prudence, upon the arm of her lord and
master, smiled indulgently. She could
scarce have been expected to regret her
choice
Ere many months of the honeymoon
had sped there came into the quiet vii
lage news that the war cloud had at last
burst. Far though it seemed from the
to talk of enlisting. The first to pro-
claim himself as anxious to bear arms
against the mother country was Gerald
Harper.
''No maid wants me; | may as we'll go
to the war;" was his decision.
| Prudence gave him godspeed as he set
| off for Philadelphia to join Proctors ar
| tillery.
Her husband looked on smilingly
| ''There will be enough single men to sat
| lSfy British bullets, he declared.
| And as the days went by he kept say
ing so, though it became more and more
evident if the colonies were to win there
| could not be too many men in the field.
| But it is hard for a man to leave an
apparently never-ending honeymoon to
| face the common enemy-death.
Twas now more than a year since in
| dependence had been proclaimed, and the
word was yet a mockery, sounding hope
lessly as it did amid the din of battle.
! st. David's had been closed as a place
of worship. William Currie, the rector,
| having deemed it his duty to read the
| English liturgy, had been driven out as
a Tory. The church was a barracks for
| a company of Continental soldiers. A
communion set given by Queen Anne and
the lead of the windows had been nodded
into bullets. Such was the loyalty of
these sturdy Welsh settlers to their
adopted country.
And still Rowland Burgess remained
| by his wife's side.
One day Prudence received letter.
"'Tis from Uncle Davy,' she said. HE
is with Gen. Wayne near Chadd's Ford,
and he's coming here to preach"
Next Sunday morning MAD An
thongs" chaplain arrived. He was COW
cred with dust. his left arm was band
| aged but he sprang from his jaded horse
with the agility of lad.
| He we'll deserved the title of Fighting