Amy E Blanchard

“ It was late one rainy evening that Rhoda and Lettice were sitting in the open doorway, listening to the patter of the rain on the leaves. “I feel very dreary, and full of forebodings,” said Lettice. “I suppose it is because the autumn is so near. I always hate to see the summer go, and I believe that somehow Aunt Hagar has scared me into thinking something dreadful is going to happen.”
“Something dreadful is happening all the time,” Rhoda answered. “I certainly think that an ignorant old woman’s vagaries have nothing to do with it. ”

“ Agnes clutched Jeanie. “Where is my father?” she whispered. “Oh, what shall we do?”
“To the blockhouse!” The word was passed; then quickly lights were extinguished, and creeping slowly along in the darkness the whole company started forth, not knowing what moment the terrible yell of an Indian would startle them, or whether they could reach their refuge unhurt. Every one was silent as death. The dreaded word “Indians!” silenced even the smallest child who, clinging to its mother, understood something of the terror which inspired the older ones.
Close by Agnes’s side strode Archie. ”

“ No, Patsey, with all I have lost, I still believe it was right for us to fight.”
“You have more spirit than I, for I would grovel on my knees, give up everything, be a British subject, or anything else, if it would but give me back my Joe safe and sound. You don’t know what it is to feel so, do you, Lettice dear? Your heart is not so deeply touched.” ”

“ Agnes preferred to share her mother’s three-legged stool, and sat there contentedly.
“Are you dull, dear mother?” she whispered.
“No, I am vastly entertained. This exhibit of backwoods manners amuses me greatly; it is quite beyond my comprehension, yet they are all good people. I thought we at home were far removed from city ways, but this is surprising.” She found herself turning to Parker Willett. “It is strange what a press of necessity will bring about, and how soon one becomes used to things which at first seem shocking. I doubt not another generation will forget gentle ways entirely.” ”

“ Then Rhoda arose in a towering rage. “You are a detestable creature! I wish I had never seen you. If I were a man, I’d—I’d fight a duel with you, and—”
“Kill me?” said James, leaning toward her. “You can slay me now with your killing glances if you will. ’Deed, Miss Rhoda, I do love to make you mad. You are always running down Maryland, you know, and calling us fire-eaters, and it just does me good to make the sparks fly. ”

“ Agnes flashed out again.
“Oh, you are very complimentary. Perhaps you don’t like our ways, either. For my part I am too independent, and I hope not so lazy that I like people to wait on me; I would rather do for myself anything that I am strong enough to do, and let the men attend to their own work.”
“I would, too, in a measure; but I like to see a man ready to spare a woman when he can, and I didn’t mean your ways, for your ways are our own, too, but I was thinking of Polly.”
“But you like Polly and try to be like her; you are getting to be quite like her; we have all been thinking so.” ”

“ Lettice ran desperately fast to gain her horse, but for a moment it seemed that all were lost, for the sound of oars had ceased, and instead, shouts were heard; an approaching party of men answered their comrades, who, worsted by a girl’s stratagem, would stand at nothing. It took but a few minutes for Lettice’s captive to free himself, and his first movement was toward the girl. He was in a fury. One sweep of his sword, one shot from his pistol, and their chances were gone. ”

“ I have a crow to pick with him. Yet, sweetheart, out of our sorrow has come a great joy, as we used to say long ago. Do you remember?”
Agnes was looking off at the sunset sky. “I remember. I am glad it was on the hilltop that we met to-day,” she murmured.
“The dear hilltop. It has been in my mind many and many a time, when I thought I had lost my dear little frontier lass. Many and many a time I fancied I could see you standing there in your linsey-woolsey gown, with your sunbonnet in your hand, and your little kerchief folded about your neck. ”

“ But at this moment the prostrate man on the porch, who by painful effort had dragged himself to the sill of the door, feebly raised the pistol he held, fired, and Rhoda was free to rush out of the open door into the darkness.
Those inside were sobered down. “Here, men, search the house,” said the leader, sternly. “Fire on any one who dares to stand in the way.”
“What shall we do! What shall we do!” Lettice moaned in despair. But Betty had rushed upstairs to her baby, and Rhoda was not in sight. ”

“ No one knew the man’s intention except Mrs. Kennedy and the minister himself. “It was a good woman’s prayers, her beautiful faith and trust, which I had daily evidence of, that at last brought me light,” said the doctor to the minister, and the good man returned, “Ay, many a puir soul has been brought home by the gentle leadings of a woman, Dr. Flint.”
It was such great joy to see her father regaining his old interest in life, and to see her mother so beaming of countenance and light of heart that it seemed to Agnes as if it would be ungrateful in her to consider that she had any trouble. ”

“ Her aunt spoke reprovingly.
“I don’t care.” Rhoda’s cheeks were flushed. “It is true. It is a dreadful, dreadful thing to murder men for saying they will not countenance a war with England.”
“It is a dreadful thing,” returned her uncle, “but we have many wrongs to avenge. Our poor seamen have been flogged to death, have been as brutally treated as this mob has treated the Federalists, and a desire for vengeance which will not be satisfied with less than an eye for an eye, is the motive power which has controlled these late horrible scenes. ”

“ Agnes alone refused to leave. “Oh, Jeanie dear,” she whispered, “out of evils sometimes comes a blessing. I have known it so. Don’t give up, dear heart.”
Jeanie turned from her and clasped her hands, then with groping steps strove to reach the door; at the threshold she stopped. “I can’t—I can’t face them all,” she cried. “Tell my mother.”
“Hark!” exclaimed Agnes. There was the sound of flying hoofs—beat, beat,—along the road. With one spring Jeanie reached the window and pulled back the curtain. “It’s David!” she cried. “It’s David, my lad!” ”

“ Patsey, too, had retreated from her home to a safe distance, and was with friends in Washington. She had begged Lettice to go with her, but Lettice had refused, saying that she would be better content in a quiet place, where the merry ways of her little nephew would bring her more solace than could anything else. She devoted much time to the little fellow, who grew more and more winsome every day, and was so adored by Betty’s parents that he was in danger of being spoiled. ”

“ I mind the last time ye were here with Archie M’Clean that sorry a word could he get in.”
“Oh, Archie, he doesn’t talk even when one is still, and to sit hours at a time gazing at another is not to my liking.”
“Puir Archie; he uses his eyes if not his tongue, and what is one better than the other to use?”
“I’d rather a wagging tongue than a blinking eye; it’s more cheerful,” responded Agnes.
“I misdoubt it when the tongue wags to your discredit,” returned Polly. “But, my fathers! who’s a longer tongue than mesel’? An’ I’m not one to run down me own most spakin’ attrybutes.” ”

“ The departure of the foe seemed also to be the signal for the cessation of the tempest, for the setting sun shone forth, and the mutterings of thunder died away with the echoing tread of marching feet.
“Free, at last!” cried Lettice, when it became known that the redcoats had really gone.
“Yes, but not safe. We’re not out of the woods yet,” her brother told her. “Every man of us must fight those fires, or the little that’s left will go. Run in and stay with the Ingles, Lettice. Mr. Baldwin and I must go.” ”

“ Agnes remarked, “if we have company when we are fairly on our way, for I hear there are trains and trains of wagons besides the packhorse going westward. I’d like a merry company, wouldn’t you, daddy?”
Her father shook his head. “I misdoubt it, Nancy. I’m no one for new acquaintances, as ye weel know.”
“Ah, but I am,” returned Agnes, “and that’s for why you are better when I am along. You don’t draw so dour a face. It’s no worse that we are doing than your grandfather did, and no so bad, for did he not leave his country and come across the ocean to this land? ”

“ Surely her father loved her too well to let her be miserable all the days of her life. Perhaps, after years and years of waiting, when her lad should have become a rich man through some unexpected means, her father would consent; meantime she would try to be happy, and she could at least think of him, even if she didn’t see him.
If there was happiness and peace at Sylvia’s Ramble, so there was a great joy in the home of the fair bride. Such a glad ending to a sad year. Her Joe’s wife! Faithful, loving Patsey had no other thought ”

“ Archie looked at her in amazement. “Are ye daft, Agnes? Why should you be knowing all those things?”
“I do know them, and many other things of the same kind. There is a man, more modest than you, who has been to a great university, and yet who does not all the time be speaking in Latin, and yet I have no doubt but that he has forgotten more than you will ever know. I will answer your Latin speech with another: ‘Laus propria sordet,’ and I hope you like it.” She was as proud in her mouthing of the words as Archie had been. ”

“ Lettice regarded him gravely. “I am not so sure about that,” she rejoined. “I don’t really know all about it, but I don’t think the British have any right to steal our sailors.”
“And what do you think of the letters-of-marque and reprisal? And will you favor me with your opinion on carrying trade and the constructive blockade?”
Lettice looked bewildered, and Mr. Clinton laughed. “I did but tease you, fair demoiselle. ’Tis not for ladies to bother their heads about such things; what concerns them more is a question of a becoming gown or a new dancing step. ”

“ Now your news, Nancy. Were you harmed by the freshet? and isn’t it marvellous that Jimmy O’Neill should have come back?”
“It is marvellous, and he is marvellous, the same old roystering Jimmy, for all his adventures. And it is so strange to see him with no hair on his head after being used to that bushy poll of his. Polly is so happy that she is noisier than ever; indeed, Jeanie, betwixt Polly and Jimmy and the bairns there is little quiet to be had anywhere unless one goes off into the woods.” ”

“ It must be said that she did rather needlessly enlarge upon the terrors of the occasion when Lutie was the listener, and the eyes of that sable maiden grew bigger and bigger as Lettice described Admiral Cockburn’s appearance: a great big man, as tall as a locust tree, with fiery red hair and blazing eyes and a long beard that blew out like the tail of a comet; so he appeared to Lutie’s vision, her imagination adding hoofs and horns; and he became the theme of Jubal’s perorations, taking the place of “Poly Bonypart” as a bugaboo to scare the children and the more timid girls. ”

“ Honey nodded. The plan suited him exactly. He had accepted his new surroundings with equanimity after the first day when he had called for mammy and daddy, but now he had Nanny and Daddy Kennedy, he seemed quite content.
It was a weary day for Agnes; she longed for yet dreaded the return of Parker, for she persuaded herself that it was as Polly had suggested, and that he had left his heart down there in Virginia, and she was to him but a little girl who had won his sympathy. “Yet, why? Why?” she said more than once, as she remembered that last evening. “‘A man must make his own home,’ he said. ”

“ Let the future take care of itself. ‘Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,’ you know. You have seen evil enough, poor Letty. Good night and sweet dreams;” and she left Lettice to think over all this new situation.
Volunteers were tramping into the city; preparations were going forward for a brave defence, and when Lettice laid her head upon her pillow, it was to dream of future alarms and start up more than once with a little cry. Once Betty heard her and came in to bend gently over her. ”