Harper's Young People, April 20, 1880 Part 6

After Was.h.i.+ngton had been some ten years at Mount Vernon, looking forward to the peaceful and easy life of a wealthy farmer, certain things happened which seemed then of small account, but which were to lead to a great change in his career. The government of Great Britain undertook to raise money in America for use on the other side of the ocean. This government was made up of the King and the Parliament, and the Parliament was for the most part chosen by the people of England.

The people of America were not allowed to choose any of its members, and when the British government declared that the Americans must raise money for it, the Americans had no one to vote for them or speak for them on that question. They thought that this was not fair. They were willing to pay the expenses of their own governments, because they had some voice in them, but they would not help pay the expenses of the British government, in which they had no voice.

The British government pa.s.sed an act which said that every written promise to pay money must be upon stamped paper, which could only be got by buying it from British officers. If the promise was not on this kind of paper, the man who signed it need not pay. The British thought this would bring in a good deal of money. But the Americans would not use the stamped paper. They seized that which was sent over, and burned it.

Other kinds of taxes were tried, but the Americans would pay none of them. Was.h.i.+ngton took the side of his countrymen with great zeal. He wrote to a friend: "I think the Parliament of Great Britain have no more right to put their hands into my pocket, without my consent, than I have to put my hands into yours." But the British government insisted, and sent over troops to Boston to try and force the people to submit.

Was.h.i.+ngton was one of a number who proposed that a Congress, or great meeting, should be called to arrange for resisting the taxes, and he was chosen to go to the Congress, which was held at Philadelphia in September, 1774. Meanwhile more soldiers were sent over. An attempt was made on the 19th of April, 1775, to seize some powder which the Americans had at Concord, near Boston, and the result was the battle of Lexington, where a good many Americans were killed, but where the British soldiers were finally driven back. Large numbers of men took their guns and gathered at Boston to watch the British troops, and keep them in the city. They came from Ma.s.sachusetts and the other colonies called New England--from Connecticut and Rhode Island, and from New Hamps.h.i.+re and Maine.

The Congress came together again in May, 1775, and Was.h.i.+ngton was also there. The battle of Lexington had been heard of, and the people were everywhere angry and excited.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WAs.h.i.+NGTON TAKES COMMAND OF THE ARMY.]

The Congress resolved to resist all attempts by the British to force the country to submit. It called for troops and guns and powder from the various colonies. It adopted the soldiers around Boston as a part of the "Continental Army," or the army of the whole country; it chose Was.h.i.+ngton as commander-in-chief, to have the direction of all the soldiers. When this was made known to him, he thanked Congress for the honor, but he added, "I beg it may be remembered by every gentleman in this room that I this day declare with the utmost sincerity I do not think myself equal to the command I am honored with." He also refused to take any pay for his services. "I will keep an exact account of my expenses," he said. "These, I doubt not, Congress will discharge, and that is all I desire." Was.h.i.+ngton hastened to Boston, learning of the battle of Bunker Hill on the way. He found some seventeen thousand men around Boston, and took command of them on the 3d of July, under a great elm-tree, on the common in the village of Cambridge. He was then forty-three years old, and a very tall and fine-looking man. His features were large, his eyes were of a pure blue, usually grave, but full of kindness, and at times very merry. His manners were gentle, but full of dignity, and they often seemed very cold to those not well acquainted with him, though at heart he was not cold.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

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PUCK AND BLOSSOM.

From the German of Marie von Olfers.

PART II.

"Ow!" sobbed Blossom, "that hurt."

"Never mind," said Puck, comfortingly, "things never go right the first time; it'll be better by-and-by."

Then they went and they went, till they came to a great big pond. "This is a horrid world," sighed Blossom. "Hope we've dot to the end of it now. Hope we'll soon det back to our dood old egg."

"But let's go see how it is over there first," said Puck. "Ducky, ducky, come and carry us across."

"Ow! but then my little white frock will det all dirty," said Blossom.

"What does that matter?" answered Puck; "we shall see how it is over there." Over there was very much the same as it was over here. The duck ducked them finely.

"So you'll know how it is down here too," he said.

Dripping, they stood upon the sh.o.r.e.

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"Ow! ow!" sobbed Blossom, looking very miserable indeed; "if it doesn't det better soon, I don't want to see anything more at all, I don't."

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"Of course it'll get better," said Puck; "the sun'll dry us." The sun looked out condescendingly from the clouds for a moment, and then disappeared. "Come, Blossom," said Puck, "who cares for the old sun!

Just as though there wasn't fire anywhere but up there! There's some down here too. I know where it lives--down there in that little house."

Yes, down there in that little house.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"In the ashes, inside the stove," said the cat, who was looking after things while the cook was away.

"It's asleep," said Puck. "Wait; I'll soon wake it up." So he blew and he blew, but it would not wake up at all. The sparks looked out at him with grim and wrathful eyes, while Puck blew more and more madly on.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

At last it did wake up. It sprang out of the stove, wild and raging; it grew bigger and bigger; the children fled, the fire behind them--Blossom ahead, terrified, shrieking, screaming.

The fire had caught Puck, had wrapped him round in a great sheet of flame!

But Blossom cried, and cried, and cried, so bitterly that the fire was all put out, and there was nothing left but a great black smoke.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then Puck gathered together all there was left of him, and they went sorrowfully on their way to find their egg.

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Ah me! it was broken in two, and gone. But the nest was still hanging on the tree. In great haste they climbed in, never venturing to leave it again, and if they are not dead, they are sitting there still.

THE END.

[Ill.u.s.tration: OUR POST-OFFICE BOX.]

SOUTH WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT.

We live near the Connecticut River, and when I am out of school I hunt ducks and musk-rats. I like to ride horseback when I can get a horse, which is not often, but I can row on the river. I have two kittens to play with. One of them climbs up on father's back when he is eating, and when he takes a bite Kitty will try to get half of it. We live near woods, and in the summer we ramble in them, and in the autumn we gather nuts. The land here is mostly cultivated for tobacco, and on the tobacco lots and on the river-bank we find a number of Indian relics. One of the boys here found a store of arrow-heads. There were about one hundred together. I am eleven years old.

B. D. ARCHER.

FORT CUSTER, MONTANA TERRITORY.

I am ten years old. My papa is captain in the army. I have never been to school, and can not write quite as nice a letter as some other little girls of my age. I have a big brother who is thirteen, and a sister two years and four months. My brother's name is Willie. Last year he went off to school. Nannie, my sister, says very funny things. Sometimes she will come running in, and say, "I am so hunky dory I don't know what to do; want sonton to neat." Can any little girl tell what this means? I read a letter from an army girl who is older than I. I looked in the register to see if her papa's name was there, and I found it. My papa is in the Eleventh Infantry, and maybe Grace Henton and I will meet some day. I hope she will see my letter.

ETTA M. GILBREATH.