The Coolidge examiner., 1933-06-30
CHAPTER X-Continued
IL

Many kinds OF failure" the doc
tor answered. An idler in his
youth. Loved fishing and hunting
better than study. A bit wild.
Worked in country store Married
at eighteen. Failed twice in busi-
ness. Tended bar for while 10
earn a living. Took TO the flute and
violin. A hopeless bankrupt he be-
gan 10 study law. In practice at
twenty-four ne found himself. A
master persuader. lie can forge
and fling aphorisms that are like
thunderbolis The spirit of Amer
ica is in him"
Richard Henry Lee with his
Caesarian head. perfectly nodded
features. erect figure and courtly
manners. was the most attractive
man in that large group who. were
helping 10 make a new nation. He
was a delight 10 the eye and ear
when he arose 10 speak.
Mr.. Thomas Jefferson. fastidious
in his dress. sat quietly reading a
book. while prosy man from the
far South was making an unneces-
sary display of his opinions Jeffer-
son was a tall bony man. lie had
the face Of a scholar and arms alb.
normally long with large wrists and
hands. He was then thirty-three
years old. There was n little sparkle
of white in the wavy. reddish-brown
hair that crowned his head.
OF John Adams the doctor said:
Always an honest man. sometimes
grea; man. but now and then his
Indignation mounts TO madness"
"What do you think of Simeon
Bottsf" Colin asked
His mind reminds me of
horses belly" the good doctor an
Swered. "Often troubled with intel
lectual collie He is like the holes
In that curions duel of yours-load.
ed with black sand. Nothing 10
do here but wear out the seat of
his trousers. He and others have
been caught speculating on the
necessities OF the army"
The young man sat through much
of the noisy contention that fol
lowed the resolution of Richard
Henry Lee. Al last he saw the
spirit of America. defying the gal
lows and the firing squads. and lift
ing its voice in courageous dec
laration of human rights. II was
a quiet scene ending in a deep
solemn silence. Yet Colin knew
that the right hand of God was
shaking the world. The Colonies
had broken their moorings. A new
nation was born. A sense of the
greatness OF that moment spread
through the hall. Then suddenly,
a mighty tumult of voicesl The
bell in the tower was ringing. Other
bells were shouting the news. For
more than a hundred years of peace
and prayer and plenty the soul of
people had been meditating. In
this deep had been the throbbing
fetus OF an aspiration.
These thoughts were in the mind
Of Colin Cabot as he witnessed the
wild enthusiasm in the hall
He came out of the hall with Mr..
Adams, who said to him: Now we
are committed and the gates of hell
cannot prevail against u.s."
The young man was pleased with
the thought that in this accom-
plishment he had exerted an influ-
ence sufficient 10 convict him of
treason if he were captured. There
was no great enthusiasm in the
streets Many were stunned by this
act of congress and doubted its wis
dom.
Immediately Colin set out for
New York TO take the good news to
the Chief. He rode as rapidly as
his mare could carry him and was
less than two days on the road.
General Washington read the re-
port from Mr.. Adams with deep in
terest. Solemnly but calmly he lis
tened to Collins account of the pro-
ceedings in congress. he said with
a smile: my boy. this news is well
come. and | am much pleased that
Mr.. and Mrs. Adams have a good
opinion of you. We have now TO
resolve TO conquer or die relying
on the goodness of our cause and
the Supreme Being"
At one time and another Colin
had observed like note OF faith
IN the talk and conduct of the Gen.
eral He was always at sermon
and prayers and once in an anxious
time at Cambridge when Colin went
10 find the Commander in Chief
with an important dispatch he dis
covered the General kneeling in
prayer az his beside Once the
young man had heard him say that
If the cause was not worthy of the
help of Providence it ought not to
succeed.
Colin thought of the great down
pour of rain in Boston which had
prevented the charge of HOwe's for
midable force until the defenses of
Washington were finished. Here
was an evidence of intervention.