The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-07-05
Prudence and Mercy
A Revolutionary Story
For independence Day
BY F. A. mitchell

Near the City of Brotherly Love, com
monty called Philadelphia, there livet
during the Revolutionary war Quak
er merchant yclept Jonathan SUIT
phen. Mr. Sutphen was patriot ant
would gladly have fought the British
who were trying to reduce the Ameri
cans to obedience had he not belonged
10 the sect Of noncombatants. He 81
far went back on his principles as to re
frain from forbidding his son to enlis
in the American army. but his con
science would not permit him to beal
arms himself.
When General Howe and his red
on stated days he would send detach
ments out into the country 10 protect
the farmers who desired TO bring their
produce into the city for market Jon
athan Sutphen was too patriotic to sell
anything to a redcoat, and since it was
the practice of the British commanders
to avoid doing anything to irritate the
people against the kings authority
they gave orders that no one need sell
unless he chose to do so.
Sutphen, on being asked to sell his
butter and eggs, would say:
Friend, / do not desire to sell thee
my products. If thee take them with
out my consent thee have only to
do so'
Now, these words might be inter
preted to mean, II, being a Quaker.
cannot oppose you in combat there
fore you have only to take what you
want" or there might be reply such
as has been made to men demanding the
surrender of a fort, IF you want it
come and take it, The soldiers could
not tell which of these two interpreta-
ton to put upon the old mans word
and had some curiosity in the matter
Jonathan. having winked at his son
entering the rebel army. was left with
his two daughters. They had been
brought up Quakeresses. but the non
combatant principle was not as solid in
them as it was in their father. One
day when British sergeant and sew
eral privates asked the old man If he
didn't wish to sell his butter and eggs
he received the reply. Those products
of the COW and the hen are the prop
erty of my daughters" The sergeant
then applied to Prudence, one of the
daughters, who said, mo redcoat is
welcome to our property even by pay
ing for it."
But suppose we take it. Surely you,
a Quakeress. would not resist u.s."
Surely thee as a soldier would not
take from a woman what she would
deny thee"
I'VE would take from any rebel
against the authority of the sovereign
what we need to sustain us in the
kings service"
With that he went to the henhouse |
near by and began to look for eggs. |
Having gathered what he found there,
he was passing the kitchen door when
he received douche of scalding wa
ter all over him.
He was too badly burned to think of |
anything except the pain he suffered,
but the men who were with him, see
ing what had been done, vowed they
would duck the girl in pond on the
premises, giving her cold bath to pay
her for the hot water she had given
the sergeant Rushing to the kitchen,
they were endeavoring to drag her
out when there appeared in the door
way the towering form Of the old
Quaker, her father.
"Thou miscreants!" he said, raising
a huge walking staff he held in his
hand. "Thou minions OF tyrannical
king! will smite thee hip and thigh"
Down came the staff on the back OF
and fell again on the head Of another.
They had left their muskets outside,
to use both hands in drag
cling the girl to the pond, and were
without weapons. Pru-
ience's sister, Mercy. seized rolling /,
pin and brought 1t down on the skull !
If one Of the soldiers, who had stoop- ,
ID to avoid blow from her father. /
rhe man, stunned, lay on the floor. /
rhen the old man finished the other I
oldier with blow Of his staff on the
tomach, and Prudence, selling a
lothesline coiled on a nail driven into
he wall, assisted her father and her =
lister to bind both the intruders. !
"You old villainr' roared one Of the S
edcoats. ~ thought you were a c
quaker and wouldn't fight" s
81 have sinned in resisting thy i'm
replied the old man, but =
have been sorely tempted. ! would !,
ave turned my other cheek to thee, !,
ut could not see thee constitute thy =
elf judge in the case Of my daugh- :
,r nor permit thee to smite her." h
The door was darkened, and Brit "
ID officer stood looking at his men n
ound and guarded by an old man and k
vo girls. He asked what it meant and =
ras told. He directed them to unbind :
ne men, promising that they should
OF be further annoyed.
81 am obliged to report this case to
he said. please give
lie your Names"
tATy name is Jonathan Sutphen,"
lid the old man meekly. ri
And yours?" to one of the girls.
Prudence" The officer could not