The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-05-20

store for the mailbag he loftily inform
ed the crowd of loungers that Rid lee
vale was preparing an intellectual treat
that would cause such a commonplace
| thing as circus parade to resemble a
stranded minstrel troupe counting the
ties toward home.
The secret was pretty well kept. but
toward the end all Harrison knew that
Gregory Kinsman. the schoolmaster.
| had written a little play to be perform
ed in the schoolhouse yard George
Haskins, Seth's youngest son. was TO
impersonate the Father of His Country,
while Dan Smith was to be the elder
Washington.
For this reason they were not surpris-
ed on the morning of the 22d when they
trooped into the schoolhouse yard to
| find the benches and some extra chairs
arranged in rows in front of the build
ing. At the farther end the snow had
been shoyeled from the frozen earth.
| forming sort of stage Branches of
cut evergreens masked the bare brown
fence boards. and in the geometrical
center of the cleared rectangle single
small evergreen was firmly planted.
Around the lower part of the tree a
band of bark. wired ON, showed where
the shrub had been nearly chopped
through. 1t had been demonstrated
when the boys were over in. Haskins'
lot for the evergreens that. with the toy
Ratchet furnished young Haskins, the
demolition of the tree would require
something like an hour and a half
This would have greatly retarded the
crispness of the performance. piece
of white cloth fastened on the side far
thest from the audience showed the
little fellow where to make the initial
attack.
Most of the Ridgevale people had al
ready gathered in the Enclosure when
the guests from Harrison began to ar
rive. But seats had been saved for the
visitors When the last sleighload had
driven up, Kinsman, who was called
professor in Ridgevale and plain
Greg over in Harrison. opened the
proceedings with an grafton which had
originally appeared as an editorial in
New York paper two years before.
Silas Hopkins followed with an extern
poraneous address punctuated by 'ter'
and las was saying" The First
Reader class sang an ode to Washing
ton composed by Kinsman and set to
the tune of bringing In the Sheaves."
Ella Garrison. who was known to fame
as child elocutionist. recited a poem
on Washington from Spellman's Fourth
Reader. There was quartet by the
choir of the First NJ. e. church. and
event of the afternoon.
Around the corner of the woodshed
strolled Master Haskins in a gorgeous
Continental costume. bag wig of
cotton batting was surmonted by his
Sunday hat of black felt. carefully pin
ned into an imitation of cooked head
gear. while be wore the patent leather
pumps that the previous June had been
the admiration of all on the occasion
of the annual school commencement
and exhibition"
Fully conscious of his Importance as
a historical parsonage Master George
strutted forward and in a childish
treble informed the audience that this
was his birthday and that great joy
had been brought to his heart through
the bestowal of many gifts. His joy
was not III that be valued the intrinsic
Horth of the offerings, but in the kindly
sentiments of the givers. This view of
the matter was heartily applauded, and
then through the gate came Dan Smith,
who had scorned the use of paper cam
brio and had devised costume that
was startling. if not historically cor
rect.
Under his black cutaway coat he
sported a yellow vest, cut into squares
by red and green stripes and set off by
massive brass watch chain and a
flaming red necktie. His legs were in
cased in a pair of blue bicycle knicker-
bockers, the extremities being clothed
with pair of white stockings. which
Danny McKeever of Harrison prompt
ly declared belonged to Dams Aunt
Mary In default of patent leather
pumps a pair of brand new rubbers
glistened almost as effectively.
Pausing moment to allow the rude
Harrisonian laughter to subside, the
senior Washington approached his son
and in a copy book speech bestowed up
on his hopeful offspring a toy Ratchet.
After this he retired to enable the
youngster to chop down the evergreen,
which by courtesy was supposed to be
a fruit bearing tree.
All Ridgevale and the most of Har-
rison held It's breath as the future hero
of the American people raised his ak
on high. With a swinging stroke he
brought 1t down on the carefully mark
ed patch of bark, quite in accordance
with instructions. There was a ring
ing crash. with louder howl. and the
hope of the Washingtons executed with
great spirit an unrehearsed war dance
upon his left foot only while he nursed
with one hand a bruised foot and
brandished with his other the remains
of his Ratchet.
Harrison shouted and Ridgevale