Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-08-03
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A Romance of Concord
and Lexington.
BY L. G. Woodberry.

Well, as I was saying, this is the
way it came about: | was a young
thing then, just turned 1S. Your grand
father had been my playmate, hero
and protector from the time that was
old enough to go to school. / had new
er thought of marrying any one but
him, and so when he asked me to be
his wife, why, of course, l said YES"
Well, 1t was in the spring Of 1775
that we were to be married. Mother
and l spent the winter getting my
things made up, and | had as fine an
outfit as girl could possibly have in
those days. The day set for the we'd
ding was the 10th of April-yes, the
very day on which the battle of Lex
ington occurred, as have good reason
to remember.
Those were anxious days for us. l
remember how serious my father and
brothers used to look as they discussed
the events which We're then taking
place. Their only conversation was
about rights, stamps and taxes
When the towns began to raise "min-
utemen," why, of course, we raised a
company in our town, and your grand
father and my brothers were members
of it. We girls could not stand guard,
of course, so in order to show our pa
triotism we all signed paper In which
we agreed not to have anything to do
with the men of the town who refused
to join the company.
The 10Th of April was beautiful
day. though a warm one for the sea-
son. We were all up early that morn
ing, for there was great deal to be
done. 1t was about 8 o'clock in the
forenoon when my mother, who had
been looking over some linen, suddenly
raised her head, exclaiming as she did
so, "Why, Mary, was that the meeting
house bellY'
what can it mean?" l cried, and,
running to the window, | caught sight
of our neighbor's sons, Joe and John
Eaton, running down the road with
Wright was plowing the field The
boys called out to him as they passed,
and, without stopping to unhitch the
horse, he seized his gun and was off
across the fields.
at is an alarm, motherr' | cried.
"The boys are down by the brook, "
she said. "The sound will not reach
them. Run and tell them"
Without delay l hurried to the kitch-
en-, and, seizing the horn, ran out of
the house and started for the brook,
which was some distance from the
house. | blew a blast on the horn as |
ran, and as the boys caught sight of
me | pointed toward the road, where
several men could be seen running
with their guns. The boys understood,
and, waving their hands to me, they
were off across the field to the road.
What do you suppose the matter
is?' asked mother when | returned to
the house.
81 do not know" was my reply, "but
of the house and took n short cut across
the fields to the meeting house, which
was to be the gathering place If the
alarm should ever be sounded. |, for
one, had never expected to hear any
alarm, for at home we hoped for q
peaceful settlement of the difficulties
But when | reached the church and
saw the whole town gathered on the
green the mems stern air and the wo.
mems pale faces frightened me, and !
began to fear that something serious
was the matter.
"V. hat is it? Where are they go.
ing?' | asked. And as l spoke the men
came hurrying out of the meeting
house, where they had heard few
words from Parson Smith, and mount
| Ing their horses, rode off as fast as
they could go. | looked for your grand
father, but he was not there. Catch
| Ing sight of my father, | ran to him
Have you seen Henry" Chats youl
grandfather) | asked.
''Henry was at the tavern when the
messenger rode through here" replied
my father, land, as he had his horse
with him, he rode away without wait
ing for the company to assemble"
You may imagine my feelings as
turned to go home. This was my we'd
ding day. and the man who was to
marry me had ridden off without O
word, knowing, too, that he might new
er return, if all they We're saying about
fights and resistance was true,
My father had reached home before
me, and as l opened the door heard
mother ask, "Do you think 1t is any
thing serious, father?"
81 am afraid it may be, wife," he
said. "The messenger said that Gov
| ernor Gage has sent some of the kings