The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-04-30

ed before he turned traitor and de-
livered 1t to the governor of Quebec. }
"Yee,o | said, "if General Arnold
letters to G. neral Schuyler and to
others had been safely delivered by
this Indian runner there is little doubt
but that General Arnold, even with
his reduced army, would have captur-
ed Quebec and great Britain would
have lost her Canadian colony. 81
wish in the name OF the Lord it had y
said my friend" Every inch of the
soil of North America ought to be I'm
der this glorious flag" he exclaimed
as he took beautiful little silk flag
out of his pocket and held it up.
what beautiful flag it is said he,
land how bravely Arnold fought for
1t around the walled city of Quebec y
"Yes,' said |, no officer ever drew
his sword and fought more courage
ously for our flag than Benedict Ar
mold, before he turned traitor to his
country; but do you fully realize how
powerful that flag for which Arnold
and his suffering army fought 30
bravely has become" asked. eyes,
do replied my friend with earnest
ness. "Well, trust you do" said I,
"but that fact was very forcibly i'm
pressed upon my mind while travel
ing in Europe, | saw no banner in
foreign lands that was so respected,
honored and feared as that glorious
banner of the Stars and Stripes" At
that my friend jumped to his feet and
waved the flag above his head and
gave three cheers and tiger for our
national standard, in which | Joined
with will, as did our Canadian
guides. After walking some distance
farther on, our guides held up their
hands for us to stop and then point
ing to the bright waters of the lake,
said, "this is Long Pond and the last
of these chain of ponds in the State of
Maine and in the United States" We
had gone but short distance after
this when one of our guides shot a
partridge and tucked it in his knap-
sack and we also ran on to a deer,
and soon after our guides held up
their hands again for us to listen and
we heard rumbling noise not far
away, which our guides said was a
herd OF deer stamping as a warning
of our approach. A mile or more
farther on we came to Round Pond
and stood on the soil of the Dominion
my friend and further discussed Ar
nold's march and the subsequent dis
asters which overlook our American
army and finally drove it from Cana
dian soil. The sun was now sinking
behind the great mountains and its
beams flooded the lake and forest
with brilliant colors No sound woke
the deep solitude, save the signing OF
the wind through the tall trees, or the
cry of the loon on the waters of the
lake.
Resuming our walk we passed
Horse Shoe pond and came to AR
nold's pond, named i'll honor of the
bold leader of this ill fated expedi-
ton. Here we built a rough camp
for the night, after which our guides
started good fire and prepared sup
per. 1t was now the 25th of August
and the nights were getting quite
cool. After eating a hearty meal we
sat around the camp fire whose
cracking flames illumined the dark
forest, the guides enjoying their pipes
while my friend and | discussed the
character of Arnold. off General Ar
nold's character had been dominated
by the same faith as that of v ashing
ton" said my friend, che would never
have turned traitor" THAT is true"
] replied. "He lacked that faith so
conspicuous in Washington and in
Stark and General Schuyler No
neglect or wrong by our early Con
gress could swerve these noble men
from being true to their country
Yet Arnold had traits of manhood
and honor within him. Did you ever
know that he cared for the orphan
children of General Warren who fell
at Bunker Hip" NO" replied my
friend, Il was not aware OF that be-
fore" "Well, it is true" | said.
"After the State of Massachusetts
neglected to provide for them Gener
al Arnold did this out of his own purse
and finally prevailed upon Congress
to make provision for them. Then
we are told that he saved the life of
the British soldier who shot him at
Saratoga. Was it not good trait in
his character when he left nearly all
his provisions for his starving army
in his march through this wilderness;
that is before he pushed on for the
Chaudiere Canada with Captain Nor
gan and his picked men to gather
food and send back to his famished
soldiers?" "Yes, it was" said my
friend, "and tell you that our early
Congress and the enemies of Arnold
have heavy account to render for
their injustice to him." 81 have al
ways thought So" said, ''but as you
have said he lacked the faith of
Washington. You know that Thack-
cray tells us in Henry Esmond, "Tis
not the dying for faith that's so
hard, tits the living up to it that is
difficult" "How true" said my
friend. care you fond of Thack
eray?" l asked. "A little at time"
he replied; che is so sarcastic"
"Well," l said, chad General Arnold,
like " ashington, put all his faith in
the great cause OF liberty, which at
times must have seemed even to the
father of our country as far away;
had be like him moved forward for
accomplishment with faith that
could not have been shaken, his name
would stand out in history today as
one of the most brilliant Of military
leaders. Faith like the word of God
endureth forever, and the poet las
we'll said in these beautiful lines:
The proudest work of Genius shall decay,
\ nd Reasons brlgh est iuslre fade away.
The Sophist's art. the Poet ; buldest Hight
Shall sink IN darkness, and conclude in
night
But Faith Triumphant over Time shall stand,
shall grasp The Sacred Volume in her hand
Back IL its source the eaNenly gift convey,
Then in the hood of Glory melt away.
Director Chapman announces that
the pIima donna of the next festival
for Maine will be Ellen Beach Yaw,