Elsie and Her Loved Ones Read online

  CHAPTER XIII

  “WOULD you enjoy a little stroll about the grounds before seeking yournest for the night, dearest?” asked Harold of Grace, speaking so softlythat the words reached no ear but hers.

  “I think I should—with pleasant company,” she added, a twinkle of funin her eyes as she lifted them to his, so full of love and admiration.

  “He who gives the invitation will do his best to be that,” he returned,offering his arm as they both rose to their feet.

  A few minutes later they were seated in the arbor on the edge of thecliff overlooking the river—the very place where he had first told thestory of his love and she had acknowledged its return. Both rememberedthat now, and the pleasant story was told again.

  A little silence followed, broken presently by Grace.

  “What a lovely scene this is! What a grand old river! I am always sorryto leave it, though glad, too, to go home to our own place in the sunnysouth.”

  “Yes; a winter here would be too cold for my frail patient,” saidHarold, pressing affectionately the small white hand he held in his.“For which reason, as well as others, I am glad we have homes in thesunny south. I only wish that you and I might at once make another forourselves.”

  “But father won’t allow that for several years to come; and as he letsus be together as much as we will, don’t you think we ought to try tobe content to do as he says about—about the time for marrying?”

  “Yes, dearest; and I really do try to be content.”

  “Yonder lies our yacht. She looks lovely in the moonlight. I am so gladthat we can go home in her instead of by the public conveyances. Itis such a restful mode of travel, and we can all feel so much at ourease.”

  “Yes, I highly approve of it, especially for any patient of mine. Ihope we are going to have a speedy and pleasant little voyage. But now,dearest, your doctor thinks it would be well for you to go and beginyour night’s rest, as a suitable preparation for it.”

  “Yes,” she said, rising and taking his arm again, “and it is not hardto say good-night, since we are to be together again in the morning.”

  They found the porch deserted except by the captain and Lucilla, whowere taking their usual evening promenade.

  “Good-night, father,” said Grace in a lively tone as she approachedhim. “My doctor orders me off to bed, that I may gain strength forto-morrow’s arduous journey.”

  “Ah!” he returned, drawing her to him and giving her a fatherlyembrace. “I highly approve of that prescription, and hope you mayawake in the morning stronger and better in health than ever before.”

  “Thank you, father dear; and I hope it won’t be very long before yousend Lu to join me,” said Grace, turning a smiling face toward hersister.

  “Oh, I dare say I’ll be up there before you get your eyes shut for thenight,” laughed Lucilla. “As we don’t any more sleep in adjoining roomswhen at home, I value the privilege of being near you at night whilehere.”

  “And it is well for you to be together, so that if one is sick theother can call the doctor,” remarked Harold, regarding the two with apleased and amused smile.

  The next morning found all ready and anxious to start upon their shortvoyage. The yacht was in excellent condition, their trunks were allpacked, the cottage in condition to be left in charge of the usualcaretaker; so at a reasonably early hour they were all aboard.

  It was a lovely day, warm enough for most of them to be verycomfortable on deck while the sun was shining. The older people sattogether chatting in a lively way while the children roamed the deck.

  At length Elsie Raymond came and sat down beside her father.

  “Tired, daughter?” he asked kindly.

  “Not so very much, papa, but I think I’d like to hear a naval story—itseems as if it would be suitable while we are here on a vessel, and Ifeel sure you must know a good many of them.”

  He laughed a little at that. “Perhaps I do,” he said, “and I suppose itis natural for a naval officer’s daughter to crave naval stories. ShallI tell you of the fight between the Wasp and Frolic—a fight that tookplace during our last war with England?

  “Oh, yes, papa,” she answered eagerly, at the same time beckoning tothe other children to come. They understood, hastened to gather aboutthe captain, and he began at once.

  “Near the middle of October, 1812—you know we were then at war withEngland—the American gun sloop Wasp, with Jacob Jones for captain,and a crew of one hundred and thirty-seven men, left the Delaware andsailed southeast to get into the tracks of the West India traders. Onthe next day she met a heavy gale, in which she lost her jib-boom andtwo men who were on it. By the seventeenth the weather had moderatedsomewhat and she discovered several sail, which were part of a fleet ofarmed merchantmen from Honduras, bound for England, under convoy of theBritish eighteen-gun brig-sloop of war Frolic, of nineteen guns and onehundred and ten men, and commanded by Captain Whinyates.

  “Those vessels had been dispersed by the gale the Wasp had passedthrough. The Frolic had spent the day in repairing damages, and by darksix of her convoy had rejoined her. Four of them mounted from sixteento eighteen guns each.

  “As Jones drew near he perceived that the British vessel was disposedto fight, and was preparing to allow the merchantmen to escape duringthe engagement. He at once put the Wasp under short fighting canvas,and bore down toward the Frolic, which had lost her main-yard in thegale; she now lashed her damaged yard on deck, carried very littlesail, and hoisted Spanish colors to decoy the stranger and permit herconvoy to escape.

  “By half-past eleven the ships were not more than sixty yards apart andbegan firing—the Wasp her port, and the Frolic her starboard battery.The sea was rolling heavily under a stiff breeze. The Frolic fired veryrapidly, delivering three broadsides to the Wasp’s two, both crewscheering loudly; as the ships wallowed through the water abreast ofeach other the Americans fired as the engaged side of their ship wasgoing down, aiming at the Frolic’s hull, while the English fired whileon the crest of the sea, their shot going high. The water flew inclouds of spray over both vessels, they rolling so that the muzzles ofthe guns went under.”

  “Then they couldn’t fire, could they, uncle?” asked Eric.

  “Yes,” replied Captain Raymond; “in spite of that the firing wasspirited and well directed. In five minutes the Wasp’s main-top mastwas shot away. It fell with the main-top-sail, and lodged so as to makethe head-yards unmanageable during the rest of the battle. A very fewminutes later her gaff and main-topgallant-mast were shot away, andvery soon her condition seemed helpless.

  “But the Frolic had been still more seriously injured in her hull andlower masts. She had fired from the crest of the wave, the Wasp fromthe trough of the sea, sending her shot through the hull of the Frolicwith destructive effect. There was a great slaughter among her crew,but the survivors kept on with dogged courage.

  “At first the two vessels ran side by side, but the Wasp graduallyforged ahead, throwing in her fire from a position in which she herselfreceived little injury.

  “At length the bowsprit of the Frolic passed in over the quarter-deckof the Wasp, forcing her bows up in the wind. This enabled the Wasp tothrow in a close, raking broadside with most destructive effect.

  “They were so close together that the Americans struck the Frolic’sside with their rammers in loading, and they began to rake the Britishvessel with dreadful effect.

  “When the vessels ran foul of each other the crew of the Wasp weregreatly excited and could no longer be restrained. With wild shoutsthey leaped into the tangled rigging and made their way to the deck ofthe Frolic, carrying dismay to the hearts of its surviving crew. Allof those who were able had rushed below to escape the raking fire ofthe Wasp, excepting an old sailor who had kept his place at the wheelduring the terrible fight. A few surviving officers were standing onthe quarter-deck of the Frolic, most of them wounded. They threw downtheir swords in token of surrender, when Lieutenant Biddle, who led theboarding party, pulle
d down the British flag with his own hands.

  “A great part of the Frolic’s men were killed or wounded; not twentypersons on board had escaped unharmed. It was at a quarter past twelvethat Lieutenant Biddle hauled down the Frolic’s flag—just forty-threeminutes after the fight began. Her total loss of men was over ninety,about thirty of whom were killed outright or died of wounds.”

  “Were there as many killed and wounded on our vessel, the Wasp?” askedEdward Leland.

  “No,” replied the captain; “five of her men were killed, two in hermizzen-top and one in her main-top-mast rigging, and five were wounded,chiefly aloft. She, the Frolic, had been desperately defended; no mencould have fought more bravely than Captain Whinyates and his crew. Onthe other hand, the Americans had done their work with coolness; theaccuracy with which they fired was remarkable, and, as the contest hadbeen mainly one of gunnery, they won the victory. When the two vesselsseparated both masts of the Frolic fell, and tattered sails and brokenrigging covered the dead, with which her decks were strewn.

  “Lieutenant Biddle was given charge of the prize, and the vesselswere about parting company when the British ship of war Poictiers,seventy-four guns, Captain Beresford, appeared on the scene. Two hoursafter Jones had won his victory his crippled vessel and more crippledprize were recaptured by the Poictiers.”

  “And all these brave men were made prisoners, weren’t they, papa?”sighed Elsie.

  “Yes; but they were soon exchanged, and Congress voted them prize moneyfor their capture, and promoted Captain Jones and Lieutenant Biddle.The press lauded Jones. Delaware, his native State, voted him thanks,a sword and a piece of silver plate. The Corporation of New York Cityvoted him a sword and the freedom of the city. Congress gave him thethanks of the nation and a gold medal, and appropriated twenty-fivethousand dollars to Jones and his companions as a compensation for theloss of their prize by recapture.”

  “I’m glad of that,” said Elsie, with a sigh of satisfaction, “for I’msure they deserved it.”

  “There were some stirring songs made to commemorate the Wasp’s battlewith the Frolic, were there not?” asked Grandma Elsie, sitting near.

  “Yes, mother,” replied the captain; “they were sung everywhere, andby boys in the street. I think I can recall a stanza of one given byLossing in his ‘Story of the United States Navy’:

  “‘The foe bravely fought, but his arms were all broken, And he fled from his death-wound, aghast and affrighted; But the Wasp darted forward her death-doing sting, And full on his bosom, like lightning, alighted. She pierced through his entrails, she maddened his brain, And he writhed and he groaned as if torn with the colic; And long shall John Bull rue the terrible day He met the American Wasp on a Frolic.’

  “Caricature and satire were pressed into the service of history. Acaricature entitled ‘A Wasp on a Frolic; or, A Sting for John Bull,’was sent out by a Philadelphia publisher.”

  “Papa, didn’t Lieutenant Biddle get any presents for his brave deeds onthe Wasp against the Frolic?” asked Elsie.

  “Yes,” returned the captain; “he shared in the honors of the victory.The Legislature of Pennsylvania voted him a sword, and leadingcitizens of Philadelphia presented him with a silver urn appropriatelyornamented and inscribed.”

  The captain paused—there was a moment’s silence.

  “That was a very nice story, papa; thank you for telling it,” saidElsie.

  “Yes, we are all obliged for it, uncle,” said Eric.

  “And perhaps would like another one?” returned the captain inquiringly,and glancing around upon them with his pleasant smile.

  He was answered with a chorus of expressions of the great pleasure theywould all take in listening to another story of naval doings. So hebegan.

  “Just a week after the Wasp had won her victory a still more importantone was gained. In the middle of October, 1812, Commodore Rodgerssailed from Boston on a second cruise. His flagship was the President,forty-four guns, accompanied by the United States, forty-four, CaptainStephen Decatur, and Argus, sixteen, Lieutenant-commanding St. Clair.These vessels soon separated, the United States sailing southward andeastward, hoping to intercept British West India-men.

  “At dawn on Sunday morning (October 23), near the Island of Madeira,the watch at the main-top discovered a sail. There was a stiff breezeand heavy sea at the time. The vessel was an English man-of-war undera heavy press of sail, and Decatur resolved to overtake and fight her.

  “His vessel was a good sailer, and gained rapidly on the one she waspursuing. Her officers and men were full of enthusiasm, and as theirship drew near the British vessel they sent up shouts from their deckthat were heard on board the vessel they were pursuing; that was beforethey were near enough to bring guns to bear upon each other.

  “At about nine o’clock that morning Decatur opened a broadside upon theBritish ship, but his balls fell short. However, he was soon so nearthat a second broadside from the United States took effect. The twovessels were on the same track, and now fought desperately with longguns, the distance being so great that carronades and muskets were ofno avail.

  “The shot of the United States told fearfully on her antagonist, andshe presently perceived that the only way to save herself from utterdestruction was to come to close quarters with her foe. So when thecontest had lasted half an hour, riddled and torn in hull and rigging,she bore up gallantly for close action.

  “Very soon her mizzen-mast was cut by the shot of the United Statesand fell overboard. Then shortly after, her main-yard was seen hangingin two pieces; her main and foretopmasts were gone; her foremast wastottering, and no colors were seen flying. Her mainmast and bowspritwere also badly shattered.

  “The United States was yet unhurt. Decatur tacked and came up under thelee of the English ship. The commander of that vessel was astounded bythe movement, for when the American vessel bore away he supposed shewas seriously injured and about to fly. The blaze of her cannon hadbeen so incessant that, seen through the smoke, the English captainthought she was on fire. It seems his crew thought so also, for theygave three cheers; but when the United States tacked and came up ina position to do more serious damage the British commander saw thatfurther resistance was vain, struck his colors and surrendered.

  “As the United States crossed the stern of her vanquished foe, Decaturcalled through his trumpet, ‘What is the name of your ship?’ ‘HisMajesty’s frigate Macedonian,’ replied J. S. Carden, her captain.”

  “Was she a nice ship, papa?” asked Ned.

  “She was before the battle, a new ship and a very fine one of herclass. She was rated at thirty-six guns, but carried forty-nine. But inthis fight she was terribly bruised and cut up; most of her rigging wasgone, all her boats were shattered into uselessness. She had receivedno less than one hundred round shot in her hull, many of them betweenwind and water. Of her officers and crew, three hundred in number, manywere killed and wounded.”

  “What did Decatur do with her, papa?” asked Elsie.

  “He gave up his cruise and returned to New England with his prize. Hewent into the harbor of New London, and Lieutenant Allen took theMacedonian into Newport harbor about the same time. Soon afterward bothvessels sailed for the harbor of New York, where the Macedonian wasfirst anchored on New Year’s Day, 1813. One of that city’s newspaperssaid of her, ‘She comes with the compliments of the season from oldNeptune.’

  “A splendid banquet had just been given in that city to Hull, Decaturand Jones, and all over the Union people were sounding their praises.”

  “And what did the English think about it all?” asked Eric.

  “They were filled with disappointment and unpleasant forebodings,”replied Captain Raymond, “while all over the United States the peoplewere filled with exultation and hope.”

  “Didn’t the Legislatures and Congress make those brave and successfulcommanders some gifts to testify to the gratitude of the people—theircountrymen?” asked Lucilla.r />
  “Yes,” replied her father. “Legislatures and other bodies gave Decaturthanks and swords; the Corporation of New York gave him the freedom ofthe city, and asked for his portrait for the picture-gallery in theCity Hall, where it still hangs; and Congress thanked him and gave hima gold medal.”

  “I’d like to see that,” said Elsie. “I wonder if the family have ityet.”

  “Very likely,” said Grandma Elsie. “Such a thing would be apt to behighly prized and kept to go down from generation to generation.”

  “Ah! whom have we here?” exclaimed the captain, rising to his feet asat that moment Max drew near with Eva on his arm. “Eva, daughter, I amtruly glad that you feel able to join us.”

  “And I am very glad to be able, and permitted by the doctor to do so,father,” she returned, accepting the seat which he offered.

  “Yes, it is high time you were allowed a little liberty,” he said, ashe and Max seated themselves with her between them. “Ah! here comes mygranddaughter,” as the nurse approached with the babe in her arms.

  “Lay her on my lap, please, nurse,” said Eva. “I am quite able to holdher.”

  “And if you find her in the least burdensome, pass her over to herfather,” said Max.

  The children gathered round, Ned saying:

  “Now, Brother Max, make her talk.”

  “I don’t want to. I’m too young,” came apparently from the baby lips,and all the children laughed.

  “It’s rude for big folks like you to laugh at a little one like me,”she seemed to say in a hurt tone.

  “No, it isn’t; but I don’t mean to do it again, though I am your aunt,”laughed Elsie.

  “Are you? Then you ought to be very good to me,” the baby voice seemedto say.

  “Yes, and I intend to be,” returned Elsie. “I love you because you area dear little soul, and my little niece—your father and mother being mybrother and sister.”

  “Elsie isn’t your only relation here, though,” said Alie; “there are agood many of us. I’m one of your cousins.”

  “And I’m another,” said Eric, “and big Brother Edward is another, andso is little Sister Vi. You have a good many relations; plenty ofthem—such as they are.”

  “I hope to get acquainted with them all after awhile,” returned thebaby voice, “but I’m tired talking.”

  “Dear me! she gets tired sooner than some other folks,” laughed Edward,turning away. “I guess she’ll not grow up into a gossip about otherfolks’ matters.”

  “I hope not,” said Eva; “but I see she is going to sleep now, so nowonder she’s tired of talking.”