The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-09-05

first robins built their nests. How
charming and airy il all was in May,
when the days were melting into sum
meg, and how really beautiful and full
OF life were all of these venerable New
England homes!
After the old house was burned | Wis
tied the place and brought away few
bricks as a souvenir Of a home Of hero
ic memories-of happy memories, too
if We except a single tragedy CT the In
dian war The great orchards We're
gone. the old barns and their swallows
Only the well remained and a heap of
burned bricks and the blackened out
line Of the cellar wall.
1t was a house full OF legends and
stories wonder stories that once led Il
stranger to look upon it with kind OF
superstitious awe. 1t has: its historic
lore, and, like all great colonial houses,
its ghost lore, but the most thrilling
legend associated with the oh walls
was known as "Thp Two Rrass Kct-
ties" The legend may have grown
with time, but it was w based on
historic facts and was often told ut the
ample firesides of three generations IF
Dorchester people.
The dinner. like Uncle Hebe,lea's
prayer, seemed never to end After the
many courses of food there was an
'and'-and pies and apples and nuts
and AL sorts of sweetmeats
Uncle Zebedee," I piped.
We'll, dearie"
Aunt said that you would tell us the
story of the two brass kettles after din
ner."
"Why, dearie yes, yes I've been
telling that story these eighty years,
come October DiCa't you never hear
it? l thought all little shavers knew
about that The two brass kettles
They're in the old cupboard now
Bring them out, and l will tell you al
about en-. | shan't live to tell thot
story many more years, Maybe shall
never tell it again"
The servants brought out the two
kettles into the kitchen where we
could see them through the wide din
ing room door
Put 'em in the middle Of the foo
before the window" said Uncle Zebe-
dee. There, that will do, That Is
just where they were when the Indian
came. You see the window" he
added.
1t had u great deep set easement
4 hoI y Won ~,
the outside, and the slanting sun shone
through them. its beams glimmerin2
on the cd silver of the table 1t
was past the middle of the afternoon
Of the shortening days of autumn.
You have all heard of Philips
war" continued Uncle Zebedee. leaning
forward from his chair on his crutch
Everybody has It destroyed thirteen
towns of the old colony and for two
years filed every heart with terror.
Philip struck here, there and ever
where No one could tell where he
would strike next The sight Of an
Indian lurking about in the woods or
looking out of the pines and bushes
usually meant massacre.
One Sunday in July. in 1919. the
family went to meeting. leaving two
small children. a boy and girl, at
home In the charge Of maid named
Experience The kitchen then was
as you see It now. The window was
open; the two brass kettles had been
secured on Saturday and placed bot
tom upward on the floor Just as you
see them there
1T was a blazing July day The
hayfeids were silent There was an
oder Of hayricks in the air. and the
bohoiinks. I suppose, toppled about in
the grass and red winged blaCkbirds
pipcd among the wild wayside roses
just as they DO now l wish that you
could have seen the old hayfelds f.
the long July afternoons, all scent and
sunshine. It makes me long for M
hoyhood again just to think Of them.
But | shall never NOV again
Let me see. The two children were
sitting on the floor near the two Eet-
ties Experience was preparing dinner
and had made a fire in the great bricl;
oven which heated the bricks. but id
no, heat the room
Well. on passing between the oven
and the window she CHANGED to look
toward the road, when she saw q sight
1Aat fixed her eyes and caused her to
throw up her hands with horror, Just
like that"
Incle Zebedee threw up both hands.
like exclamation points, and LET his
crutch drop into his lap.
Well, the maid only lost her wits
for few moments. She few to the
window and closed it and boltnd the
door. Then she put one Of the children
under one Of the brass kettles and the
other child under the other kettle and
took The iron shovel and lifted it so and
waited to see what would happen.
and
Uncle Zebedee lifted his crutch, like
an interrogation point, and we could
easily imagine the attitude of the ex
cited maid
'And-wheTe was ~
The children were under the two
brass kettles, and the maid was stand
ing with the fire shovel in her hand
So said aunt ia. rye heard that
..4o,.,. ,.-a,. -F,,oo 7 ,..,s, 4, I;A.t.