Year: 1877

$50 thee wants to hear thee grand
mothers tale once more? Aye, aye,
war talk brings up old memories that
have slumbered for many a year. Yes,
that is piece of the very gown wore
the day Abiel Wheeler went to fight so
gayly, and came back


"Wel, but grandmother, begin at the
uery beginning, won't you ?" %


patience, patience, children
An old woman must cen tell a story her
own way. This was how it all came
about:


"John Wheeler-Abiels father, thee
knows-was hard man and grasping.
His lands Joined ours, and he was for
ever finding some matter to make law
suit about, forever throwing hard words
at my father and doing all he could to
trouble and annoy him. HIS sons, too,
were always provoking my brothers,
Luke and Matthew, till it was all the
dear, patient lads could DO to forbear
shifting them. So thee may believe
when we grew up, and .Abiel all at once
took to joining me on the way home
from meeting, and leaning over the
fence to talk while I MIXED my COWS, I
was stirred to anger against him, and
turned him off pretty shortly, I promise
thee.


ssI was 16 when the war broke out,
and 1t was not many months before there
was fighting all around us. Jonathan
Shubrick, the Squire, as the worlds
people called him, of our township,
raised a troop that carried off half the
young men of the neighborhood, and,
scarcely month afterward, one bright
August morning, Abiel Wheeler galloped
up to our gate waving his bandanna, his
handsome face all in a glow Luke and
I were standing in the yard talking for
few moments before he started for the
rye field where my father and Matthew
were already at work. 1


Great news, Luke 7 Abiel shouted.
The redcoats are within six miles of us
at -. Major Shubrick expects them
to attack every hour. We got the news
by sure hand, and I and half a dozen
others are going to have crack at them,
too. Come, will you join ? I've fowl
ing piece I'll lend ye. Spur up your
courage, man, now's your time to show
yourself brave fellow, Quaker or no
Quaker


"'For shame. Abiel Wheelerp ? I
cried. L wonder thee dares taunt my
brother like that He is doing his coun-
try as much good, maybe, staying
quietly at home to garner up the food
for the fighting men, as with sword and
gun in hand, taking the lives God gave,
and doing the work of Beial in the
name of hbertyr And here I stopped
to draw breath, and I know my eyes
flashed with anger, for he laughed out
right-that merry, provoking laugh of
his.


Well done, pretty Ruth = he ex-
claimed. You have spirit enough hid
den away under that plain little kerchief
and cap OF yours But I like ye none
the worse for it, and so fare ye well.
Shall 1 bring We home the gayest flag
the redcoats are sporting now for First
Day handkerchief? Here, I'll give you
token that I'll keep my word and SO
saying the saucy fellow leaned from his
horse q was standing close by the gate)
and kissed mel 1 could have killed
him! And Luke darted forward with a
furious look, but he had galloped of,
waving his three-cornered hat as he
glanced gayly back at us. Twas like
Abiel I had known him since we were
babies, to be sure-but to dare!


"Well, all the long, hot, brigbt day,
mother and / were alone, for father and
the boys took their dinner with them to
the fields. Toward evening, neighbor
came and carried mother off There
was a sick child needing to be doctored,
and all the country round knew of
mothers herbs and simples. She was a
born doctor, and has cured many a one
In her day. So I was left all by myself
in the house, and sat lonesome enough
at my spinning, while far off over the
hills I could hear the dull, ominous,
booming sound of cannon. that told the
fight was raging six miles away. God
help the mothers and wives now, whose
sons and husbands were IN the midst of
the fray!


'' 1t was growing late, the shortAugust
twilight coming on, and the broad harvest
moon rising behind the quiet hills, and
still was alone. The distant sound OF
battle still rose and fell, making my
heart throb with the thoughts of what
was going on, when suddenly a strange
figure, as thought, came up the garden
path, with hasty and yet faltering steps.
I started up, scream just breaking