Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-03-19

by It's contents.
He was sitting in the calm evening.
with unloosened buckles, In a cloud
of fragrant tobacco, talking of these
things. Then he put on his hat and
walked down his garden. He was
standing on the river bank, and the
meadows over 1t were green and fair
to see, and the fresh wind blew into
his soul thought of its own un-
trammeled liberty. He looked up and
down the river. and lifted his face to
the clear sky, and said aloud. "Beauti.
full land! To be thy children we
should not deserve, If one inch Of thy
soil We yielded to a tyrant. Truly a
vaderland to me and to mine thou
hast been. Truly do love thee
Then, with his mind made up, he
went into the house.
In few minutes Elder Semple came
In. He looked exceedingly worried,
and. although Joris and he avoided
politics by kind Of tacit agreement,
he could not keep to kirk and COM
mercial matters, but constantly re-
turned to one subject-a vessel lying
at Murray's wharf, which had sold
her cargo of molasses and rum to the
Committee of Safety"
Joris let the elder drift from one
grievance to another, and he was just
in the middle Of sentence contain
ing the opinion of Sears and Willet,
when Bram's entrance arrested it. He
walked straight to the side of Joris:
Father, we have closed his males.
tvs custom house forever"
We! Who, then, Bram?"
"The Committee of Safety and the
Sons of Liberty"
Semple rose to his feet, trembling
with passion. Let me tell you, then,
Bran, you are parcel O. rogues and
rebels; and, if were his majesty, I'd
gibbet the last ane O. YOU"
Patience. elder. Sit down, I'll
speak,
mo, councillor, I'll no sit down un-
til l ken what kind O. men I'm sitting
WI. Dot wi your maist secret thoughts.
Wha are you for?"
For the people and for freedom, am
l." said Joris, calmly rising to his
feet. "Too long have we borne injus-
tice. Bran, my son, am your COM
rade in this quarrel" He spoke with
fervent, but not rapid speech, and with
a Arm, round voice, full of magical
sympathies.
"I'll hear nae mair o. such folly.
Gle me my bonnet and plaid, madam,
and I'll be going. hope the morn
sense" He was at the door as he
spoke; but, ere he passed 1t, he lifted
his bonnet above his head and said,
God save the king! God save his
gracious majesty, George of Eng
land!" I $3.50. ..
Joris turned to his son. To shut up
the kings customs was an overt act of
treason. Bran, then. had fully COM
mitted himself, and, following out his
own thoughts, he asked abruptly,
What will come of it, Bram?"
War will come, and liberty-a
great commonwealth, a great coun-
try"
In the meantime Semple, tuning
and calculating, was making his way
slowly home. However, before he had
gone very far, he was overtaken by
his son Neil, now a very staid and
stately gentleman, holding under the
government high legal position in
the investigation of the disputed New
Hampshire grants.
He listened respectfully to his faith
er's animadversions on the folly of
the Van Heemskirks; but he was
thinking mainly of the first news told
him-the early return of Katherine.
He was conscious that he still loved
Katherine, and that he still hated
Hyde. So Neil was somber and silent.
His father was uncertain as to his
views, and he did not want to force or
hurry a decision.
Next morning, when the elder
reached the store, the clerks and por-
tiers were all standing together talk
ing. He knew quite well what topic
they were discussing with such eager
movements and excited speech. But
they dispersed to their work at the
sight of his sour, stern face, and he
did not intend to open fresh dispute
by any question.
Apprentices and clerks then showed
a great deal of Difference to their mas
ters, and Elder Semple demanded the
full measure due to him. Something,
however, in the carriage, in the faces,
in the very tones of his servants
voices, offended him; and he soon
discovered that various small duties
had been neglected. --..,
Listen to me, lads" he said angrily,
"I'll have nae politics mixed up wi
my exports and imports. Neither king
nor Congress has aught to do wi my
business; and If there is among you
ane o. them fools that ca themselves
the Sons Liberty I'll pay him what
ever owe him now, and he can
gang to Madam Liberty for his future
wage"
He was standing on the step Of his
high counting desk as he spoke, and
he peered over the little wooden rail-
ing at the men scattered about with
pens or hammers or goods in their
hands. There was moments silence,
then a middle-aged man quietly laid
down the tools with which he was
closing a box, and walked up to the
desk. The next moment, every one
in the place had followed him. Sem
pie was amazed and angry, but he
made no sign of either emotion. He
counted to the most accurate fraction
every ones due, and let them go with
out one word OF remonstrance.
But, as soon as he was alone, he felt
the full bitterness of their desertion,