The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-03
DAUGHTERS OF THE
 AMERICAN REVOL U7ION

mMmIHmRmEmHwHmEmEmmmmmHMls one & of its most gifted members Mrs
 It is promised that later we shan have Frontier Life" and "The Ameri. can Abroad" which will be awaited with much interest.
 The Masque of the Governors It was during the seige of Boston. ana the royal governor Howe desnl- ing 1t wise to hide real danger under an ostentation of festivity, had Issued invitations to the British officers and loyal gentry for splendid masked ball at Province House. A myriad of lights gieamed from the polished sconces and magnificent lustres. and the stately apartments glittered with the gorgeous apparel of brilliant company. As if In mockery. there mingled with these peJeweied votaries of pleasure, a ragged crew of continentals mar shalled by 6 gaunt commander coun- terfeiting the rebel general. Washing ton, while Gates. Lee. Putnam and Schuyler. shared with him the Tory Jeers. In the midst of this scornful merriment the hour of midnight sound ed. like some funeral knell, the last solemn boom loosing itself in the woe- ful wailing of a dead march that swept out all the gay music. AnRrily Sir William protested but the drum major declared that his men could neve= have rendered such majestic measures as these that welled up from the darkness and smote every heart with dread. A sable clad figure now appeared. flung wide the massive portals of Province House and made way for weird pro- cession that descended the grand stair to disappear in the night, beyond fhe heavily wrought ironss of the great portico.
 The foremost. stern of visage. wore a steeple crowned hat a skull cap dark dress and high wrinkled boots. This was mighty Endlcott. first of the Massachusetts governors: and he bore under his arm the English ban- ner. out of which he had wrathfuliy cut the red cross with his sword. Win- throp followed him, niilder of mien, ap- parelled magnificently in velvet, with satin doublet and hose, and after him came eager eyed Sir Henry vane. whose white ruffs showed the ominous stain of his blood that flowed when his noble head lay upon the block of Tower Hill.
 Other splendid figures strode after these. still wearing the air of absolute command, which had been theirs when they had been the governors or tne royal province of New England. In cold silence. after them. came | A bearded patriarch--a soldier clad Tn steel--a stout gentleman in courtly at- | tire but of common demeanor ana an-
  | magnificent dress with the glittering | star of some order upon his breast. | There were yet other governorH-~Vener- | able Bradley. knightly Sir Edmond An | dros. Sir William Phlpps, shepherd ana | sea captain as well as governor, anu hhe I gracious Earl of Bellanont.
 | Stil another solemn train advanced i into view. as if all the ancient gov ! ernors had been summoned in mourn
 fui cortege. for the putting off of royal
 rule in New EnEland--Dudley. Snute. l Hnrnef Relcher Shirley Pownai, Befs
 nara. Hutchinson. Gage--each spectral | naure disappearing with some motion | expresslve of despair. As the last dim | form. accoutored like a soldier made hla booted way toward the yawninE
 door, the awe stricken guests gianesu fearfully at their host, comparing nisn
 with this martial figure that so exactly
 resembled his own. Sir William Howe
 vrathfully drew hls sword, ana
 stepped forward to demand the intrud- I CTS name The stranger halted anu | for one solemn moment lowered tHe
 cloak that had muffled his face from | view. Governor Howe fell back with | n Ioo, of wild amazement and tne
 figure strode out. pausing at the tnhns-
 hold to stamp his foot and shake ms | clenched hands in the air. me hoEns
 waa Sir William Howe's own ana
 ierend asserts that afterwards he re- l heated that same frantic gesture or 1 anruish and rage, when for the last
 time he himself passed through tns
 portals of Province House. the last oA
 the royal governors. ,.
 The stately old mansion long hfted
 it's imposing facade of imported brick
 and it's antique cupola above the com
 monplace of fast flourishfng Boston
 and the lordly old rooms with tnsir
 cleaning brasses beneath the oAue
 mantei tiling, their gilded mirrors and their rich furnishings kept melan- choly state long after the years had brought them to pitifully common
 uses, while once year. IL IS cialmsas
 the great salon re-echoed at midnight with funeral music and the phantom parade of the royal governors made
 It's spectral procession down the great
 stairway to disappear into the dark : ness with fantastic expresisons ox wrath and woe.
 Lucia M. Robbins ' Transcribed from Hawthorne.