Evening star., 1928-04-26

born in Salem Mass. His writings during
mt now are given q place among tho great
| est OF American hterature,l
There was once time. before the
American Revolution. when New Eng
land and Its capital, Boston, groaned
under the actual pressure OF heavier
| wrongs than those threatened once
which brought on the Revolution. James
| II had sent a harsh and unprincipled
soldier. Sir Edmund Andres as governor
| to take away the liberties of the colo
| nistS and endanger their religion. But
a rumor came that William Of Orange
had ventured to gain the throne of Eng
| land, and II he did this would relieve
| the colonists of the scourge OF Andros
and his merCenary troops
One afternoon In April, 1889, Sir
Andres and his favorite councillors. be-
| ing warm with wine. assembled the red
coats of the governors guard and made
| their appearance in the streets OF Bos-
ton The sun was near setting When
the march commenced.
The roll of the drum, at that unquiet
crisis. seemed to go through the streets
less as the martial music of the soldiers
than as a muster call TO the inhabl-
tants themselves A multitude, by vari-
Gus avenues, assembled In King street,
to find out what IL was all about. Some
thought a massacre was impending,
though others figured that 1t might be
only a display OF power to tntimidate
them. They stood undecided, ana
might have done some rash thing which
would have brought gunfire upon them
and stained the street with blood-had
1t not been for a strange occurrence.
All this time the roll Of the drum had
been approaching. louder and deeper. Till
with reverberations from house To house.
and the regular tramp of martial foot
steps. 1t burst into the street. A double
rank Of soldiers made their appearance.
occupying the whole breadth of the
passage. Their steady march was like
the progress of machine that would
roll irresistibly over everything in It's
way
"oh. Lord of Hosts?" cried voice
among the crowd, provide a cham
pton for thy peopleH
This ejaculation was loudly Uttered
and served as a herald's cry TO intro
duce remarkable parsonage The
crowd rolled back, and were now hud-
died together nearly at the end Of the
street. while the soldiers had advanced
no more than third Of It's length. The
intervening space was empty--a paved
solitude between lofty edif1ces, which
threw almost twilight shadow over 1t.
Suddenly there was seen the figure
of an ancient .man, who seemed to
have emerged from among the people,
and was walking by himself along the
center of the street, to confront the
armed band. He wore the old Puritan
dress, a dark cloak and a steeple-
crowned hat. In the fashion Of at least
SO years before, with a heavy sword
upon his thigh but staff in his hand,
10 assist the trembling gait OF age.
When at some distance from the
multitude. the old man turned slowly
round and waved a benediction over
them. No one recognized him. none
could remember having seen him be-
fore. The old wondered how they could
have overlooked him among themselves:
the young wondered why they had never
paid him any respect.
Whence did he Gomez What was his
purpose? No one knew.
AS the venerable stranger drew near
the advancing soldiers, and as the roll
OF the drum came fun upon his ear. he
raised himself TO a loftier carriage
while the weakness OF age seemed 70
fall from his shoulders. leaving him In
gray but unbroken dignity. Now he
marched onward with warriors step
keeping time To the military music
When scarcely 30 yards remained be-
tween himself and the soldiers the old
man grasped his stan by the middle
and held 1t before him like q leaders
baton.
stand" cried he.
The eye. the face and attitude oi
command. the solemn yet warlike peal
Of that voice. fit either 10 rule a host In
the battlefield or be raised to God In
| prayer. were irresistible AT the ole
| mans word and outstretched arm ths
/ roll of the drum was huShed at once
| and the advancing line stood still. A
tremulous enthusiasm seized upon thu
multitude. That stately form, combin.
ing the leader and the saint, so gray, sc
dimly seen, in such an ancient garb
could only belong to some old champion
| OF the righteous cause whom the op.
| pregsor's drum had summoned from hi
grave. They raised shout Of awe anc
exuitation, and looked for the deliver,
ance Of New England.
! The governor rode hastily forwarc