The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-06-27

THE SENIOR WASHINGTON BESTOWED UPON
HIS OFFSPRING \ TOY RATCHET.
store for the mailbag he loftily inform
ed the crowd of loungers that Ridge
vale was preparing an intellectual treat
that would cause such a commonplace
thing rs 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 Seths youngest son. was to
imperSonate the Father of His Country,
while Dan Smith was to be the elder
Washington.
For this reason they We're 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 shoveled from the frozen earth.
forming a sort Of stage. Branches of
Ut < 81 ~ NtllS ll4siShtQ Nllt btlt blON II
fence boards. and in the geometrical
center Of the cleared rectaugle a single
small evergreen was firmly planted.
Around the lover 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 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
pAtS ONAA III l1sA 4Splls bltANu A4lt
proceedings with an GRAFTON which had
originally appeared as an editorial in
"a New York paper two years before.
~Silas Hopkins followed with an extern
poraneous address punctuated by "er"
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 Il child elocutionist, recited poem
on Washington from Spellman's Fourth
Reader. There was a quartet by the
choir of the First NJ. L. church, and
then the stage was cleared for the
event Of the afternoon.
Around the corner of the voodshed
strolled Master Haskins in 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 he wore the patent leather
pumps that the previous June had been
the admiration of all on the occasion
VI luE ANNUAL StAODl NOlullGllGclltDk
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 in that he valued the intrinsic
worth 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 a costume that
was startling, if not historically cor
rect
Under his black cutaway coat he
sported yellow vest, cut into squares
by red and green stripes and set off by
a massive brass watch chain and a
flaming red necktie. His legs were in
cased in pair of blue bicycle knicker-
bockers, the extremities being clothed
with a pair of white stockings, which