Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-08-08

C0SI6UO OTCU0EUSs Inc SOulu WIuUH O1
May scattered the apple blossoms like
snow over the emerald turf and filed
the air with fragrance. The earliest
bluebirds came to them, and there the
first robins built their nests. How
charming and airy it all was in May,
when the days were melting into sum-
mer, and how really beautiful and full
Of life were all of these venerable New
England homes!
After the old house was burned I Wis
tied the place and brought away a few
bricks as a souvenir of a home of hero
ic memories-of happy memories, too,
II we except a single tragedy of the In
dian war. The great orchards were
gone, the old barns and their swallows.
Only the we'll 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 a
stranger to look upon it with a kind of
superstitious awe. 1t had it's historic
lore, and, like all great colonial houses,
its ghost lore, but the most thrilling
legend associated with the old walls
was known as 1.-THE Two Brass Ket-
ties" The legend may have grown
with time, but it was we'll based OF
historic facts and was often told at the
ample f1resides Of three generations Of
Dorchester people.
The dinner, like Uncle Zebedee's
prayer, seemed never to end. After the
many courses of food there was an
~"and"-and pies and apples and nuts
and all sorts Of sweetmeats.
"Uncle Zebedee," I piped.
"Well, 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. Didn't you hear
it? I thought all little shavers knew
about that. The two brass k~ettles-yes.
They're in the old cupboard now.
Bring them out, and I will tell you all
about 'em. 1 shan't live to tell that
story many more years. Maybe I 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 floor
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.
It had a great, deep set easement.
Grapevines half %curtained it now on
the outside, and the slanting u shone
through them, its beams glimmering
on the old silver Of the table. II
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. 1t destroyed thirteen
towns of the old colony and for two
years filled every heart with terror
Philip struck here, there and every.
where. No one could tell where be
would strike next. The sight of an
Indian lurking about in the woods OF
looking out of the pines and bushes
usually meant a massacre.
zone Sunday in July, in 1875, the
family went to meeting, leaving two
small children. a boy and a girl, al
home in the charge Of a 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.
at was a blazing July day. The
hayfelds were silent. There was ar
odor of hayricks in the air, and the
bobolinks, I suppose, toppled about IL
the grass and red winged blackbirds
piped among the wild wayside roses
just as they do now. I wish that yor
could have seen the old hayfelds IL
the long July afternoons, all scent ant
sunshine. 1t makes me long for my
boyhood again just to think Of them
But I shall never NOW again.
"Let me see. The two children were
sitting on the floor neal the two ket
ties. Experience was preparing dinner
and had made a fire in the great bricl
oven, which heated the bricks, but die
not heat the room.
"Well, on passing between the ove1
and the window she CHANGED to lool
toward the road, when she saw a sigh
that fixed her eyes and caused her tt
throw up her hands with horror, jus
like that"
Uncle Zebedee threw up both hands
like exclamation points, and let hi
crutch drop into his lap.
well, the maid only lost her wits
for a few moments. She flew to thu
window and closed it and bolted tn,
door. Then she put one Of the children
under n Of the brass kettles and tn.
other child under the other kettle ant
took the iron shovel and lifted It so an,
waited to see what would happen
and"-
Uncle Zebedee lifted his crutch, lik,
an interrogation point, and we coult
easily imagine the attitude Of the ex
: cited maid.