News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-06-10
Prudence and Mercy
A Revolutionary Story
For independence Day
By F. A. Mitchell
By F. A. Mitchell

| Near the lily VI DIOlucliy LoNe, Gun
monty called Philadelphia, there lived
during the Revolutionary war Quak-
er merchant ycept Jonathan SUIT
| phen. Mr.. Sutphen was patriot and
would gladly have fought the British
who We're trying to reduce the Ameri-
cans to obedience had he not belonged
to the sect Of noncombatants. He so
| far went back on his principles as to re-
! frain from forbidding his son to enlist
In the American army, but his con-
science would not permit him to bear
| arms himself.
When General Howe and his red
| coats held possession of Philadelphia
| on stated days he would send detach-
ments out into the country to protect
The farmers who desired to bring their
produce into the city for market. Jon
hthan 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. l 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, 81, being Quaker.
cannot oppose you in combat; there
fore you have only to take what you
want" or there might be a reply such
as has been made to men demandingthe
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 tthe 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 a 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,
n OF ic+
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
except the pain he suffered,
ing what had been done, vowed they
would duck the girl in a pond on the
premises, giving her a 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 miscreantsr' he said, raising
a huge walking staff he held in his
hand. Thou minions of a tyrannical
king! will smite thee hip and thighv'
Down came the staff on the back Of
one of the men. Then it was raised
md fell again on the head of another. :
They had left their muskets outside.
to use both hands in drag
ying the girl to the pond, and were
without weapons. Pru-
1ence's sister, Mercy. seized a rolling
Din and brought it down on the skull
If one of the soldiers, who had stoop- +
ID to avoid a blow from her father.
rhe man, stunned lay on the floor.
Then the old man finished the other =
soldier with a blow of his staff on the
and Prudence, selling
coied on nail driven into :
he wall, assisted her father and her
lister to bind both the intruders.
"You old villainr' roared one of the
edcoats. II thought you were
quaker and wouldn't fight"
II have sinned in resisting thy i'm
replied the old man, 'but =
have been soreIy tempted. l would
ave turned my other cheek to thee.
ut could not see thee constitute thy ii
elf a judge in the case of my daugh- q
ar nor permit thee to smite her."
The door was darkened, and a Brit
III officer stood looking at his, men
Ound and guarded by an old man and
vo girls. He asked what it meant and %
yas told. He directed them to unbind =
he men, promising that they should I
OF be further annoyed.
81 am obliged to report this case to
he said. "Please give
lie your Names"
MY name is Jonathan Sutphen,"
lid the old man meekly. B
And yours?" TO one of the girls.