Elsie at Ion Page 5

  CHAPTER V.

  TIME moved on swiftly enough to the older people, busily engaged inpreparations for the contemplated trip to Annapolis, yet with ratherlaggard step to the younger ones, who were in haste to experienceits pleasures and excitements. But in the performance of schoolduties they one and all acquitted themselves quite to the captain’ssatisfaction; even excitable Lulu finding it not nearly so difficult toconcentrate her thoughts upon the business in hand as it had been whenfirst her father began to act as tutor to his children. Also Marian’scompanionship in her lessons during the second week was an assistanceto renewed and increased interest in them.

  But at length the appointed day for the sailing of the _Dolphin_ came.Marian adhered to her decision to remain behind, attending to thepreparation of her summer wardrobe, but the others, all in good healthand spirits, were ready and eager for the trip.

  The weather was charming, making their drive to the city delightful;the rest of the short journey on board the _Dolphin_—which they foundawaiting them at the wharf and in the most beautiful order, everythingabout her deck and above and below looking spick and span as though shehad but just come from the hands of her builders and decorators.

  They arrived the day before that on which the graduating exerciseswere to be held, dropping anchor in the Severn just as the afternoonartillery drill began. They witnessed it from the deck and could seethat Max was a prominent figure therein. He seemed to go into it mostenthusiastically, and they all, his father especially, watched hisevery movement with pride and delight.

  He had purposely left the lad in ignorance of the exact time of theexpected arrival, and Max discovered the near vicinity of the _Dolphin_only when the exercises had come to an end. At the same instant amessage from the commandant reached him, giving permission for him togo aboard the yacht and remain there until half-past nine that evening,and the _Dolphin’s_ row-boat was seen to leave her side with thecaptain in it.

  In a very few moments more Max was on the deck of the yacht, surroundedby those nearest and dearest to him, his father looking on withbeaming eyes while they crowded around the lad with their joyful andaffectionate greetings.

  “Now, Max, sit down here among us and give a full account of yourself,your doings and experiences since we saw you last,” said Grandma Elsiewith an affectionate smile into the bright young face, and making roomfor him by her side as she spoke.

  Max gave his father an inquiring look, and receiving an approving nodin reply, took the seat and did his best to answer satisfactorily thequestions which were showered upon him from all sides: queries as tothe progress he was making in his studies, great-gun exercise, fieldartillery, infantry tactics, etc., and in regard to various othermatters.

  But a joyous bark suddenly interrupted the talk, and Max’s dog Princebounded into the midst of the group, raised himself upon his hind legs,put his fore-paws on his young master’s shoulders, his tail waggingfast with delight, and tried to lick Max’s face.

  “Why, hello, Prince, I’m glad to see you, old fellow!” cried the lad,patting and stroking him, but avoiding the caress. “There, that willdo; you try to kiss harder and longer than any other of my friends.”

  “P’raps that’s because I love you harder,” Prince seemed to say. “Andit’s longer since I saw you last. The captain never invited me to comealong before.”

  “He didn’t?” laughed Max. “Well, I don’t believe you asked him; but I’mright glad to see you here at last. Also to find you haven’t forgottenhow to talk.”

  “No, my young master, but it’s the first time I’ve done anything inthat line since you left me at Woodburn.”

  By this time everybody was laughing.

  “Oh, Max, who is making Prince talk—you or Cousin Ronald?” asked Lulu.

  “See if you can’t find out for yourself, Lu,” laughed Max. “Suppose youask Prince; surely he should know.”

  “Well, I’ll try it,” she returned merrily. “Prince, who helped you todo that talking just now?”

  “Why, who helps you to talk, Miss Lu?” came promptly in return,apparently from the dog’s lips.

  “Oh, I don’t need any help in that line,” she returned laughingly, “andnever have since I first learned how in my babyhood.”

  “Do you never tire of talking, Miss Lu?” The query seemed to come fromPrince’s lips as he looked up gravely into her face.

  “No, I can’t say that I do,” she laughed. “Do you?”

  “I am oftener tired of not being able to express my thoughts andfeelings,” was the reply. Then the call to tea put an end to theconversation for the time.

  Prince followed the others to the table and when all were seated laidhimself down at Max’s feet. There he lay looking up into the lad’sface, and when the plates had been filled a low whine seemed to say hetoo would be glad to have a share of the savory viands.

  “Just wait a bit, old fellow, and your turn will come,” said Max. “Younever starve where my father is master, I’m sure.”

  “No, that’s true enough; but it is not always so easy to wait whenone’s hungry and sees other folks with plates heaped with savoryvictuals right before them. Why shouldn’t dogs be helped at once aswell as men, women, and children?”

  Prince’s tail swept the floor and his hungry eyes looked up wistfullyinto those of his young master as the words seemed to come from hislips.

  “Well done, Prince! such efforts at speech ought to be duly rewarded,”remarked the captain gravely; then he directed a servant to take thedog out and feed him well.

  “What is the programme for this evening?” asked Violet; “a trip up theriver again?”

  “If you and the others wish it, my dear,” replied her husband, to whomher query seemed to be addressed. “I had thought, however, of goingdown the river and bay, as we went up on our last visit here. We willput it to the vote of those present. I am quite indifferent personallyas to which course we pursue.” It soon appeared that the majority werein favor of moving toward the bay, and on leaving the table the captainissued his orders, the _Dolphin_ weighed anchor, and the wind beingfavorable, they sailed down the river and out into the bay.

  “Annapolis is a very old town, is it not, Brother Levis?” asked Walter.

  “Yes,” was the reply; “it was founded by the Puritans under CaptainWilliam Clayborne. He first settled over yonder on Kent Island in1631, but was expelled from there—he and his adherents—in 1638, forrefusing to acknowledge allegiance to the newly established governmentof Lord Baltimore. In 1642 some Puritans, expelled from Virginia fornon-conformity, settled where now stands Annapolis, founded a townthere and called it Providence. In 1691 it became the capital of theState and the name was changed to Annapolis.”

  “You have gone farther back in its history than you ever did in tellingus about it before, papa,” remarked Lulu.

  “Ah? how far back did I go before?” he asked pleasantly.

  “To the time when they heard of the resistance to the passing of theStamp Act by the people of Massachusetts, sir,” she replied. “Don’t youremember that when we were sailing from Newport to Annapolis, to bringMax here to enter the Academy, we young folks all gathered round you,just as we have to-night, and asked for revolutionary happenings inMaryland?”

  “Ah, yes, I do remember it now, though it was nearly a year ago,” hereturned, looking with a humorous smile down into her eyes.

  “Why, just think,” exclaimed Max, “the town was then more than ahundred years old. What a venerable old place it is now!”

  “Ah, no wonder you grow manly so fast, young sir, living in such agrand old place,” remarked a strange voice apparently coming from therear of the little party seated pretty close together on the deck.

  Naturally every head turned in the direction of the sound, but thespeaker was not to be seen.

  “Who and where are you, sir?” queried the captain. “Step forward andtake a seat with the rest of us.”

  “Thank you, sir; but I do not want to intrude. You must ex
cuse me forcoming aboard, but I wanted a sail and thought my weight wouldn’tretard the boat. I’ll pay for my passage if you say so.”

  The speaker continued invisible, though every word was distinctly heard.

  “Then do so by giving us a sight of your face,” returned CaptainRaymond.

  “It is not covered, sir, and you are all welcome to look your fill,”was the reply.

  “Where is de mans, papa?” asked little Ned, gazing wonderingly about.

  “Sitting in Cousin Ronald’s chair, I think,” replied his father,smoothing the curls of the little prattler, who was seated upon hisknee.

  “No, papa, dat Tousin Ronald.”

  “Well, then, perhaps it was Brother Max.”

  “No, papa, Bruver Maxie not talk dat way. Does oo, Maxie?”

  “I think not, Neddie boy,” returned Max, smiling on the baby boy andgiving his round rosy cheek an affectionate pat.

  “No, no, little chap, I’m not Brother Max,” said the voice, soundingsomewhat farther away than before, “or any such callow chicken, but afull-grown man.”

  “Ah, ha, I know now that it is Cousin Ronald,” laughed Lulu, “for Maxwould never call himself a callow chicken.”

  “I shouldn’t think Cousin Ronald would call him so either,” said Gracein a hurt tone; “chickens are cowardly and I’m sure Max is not.”

  “Better not be too sure, but wait till you see him tried, miss,” said asqueaky little voice, coming seemingly from another part of the vessel.

  “Now that’s you, Max, I know, because it is the very same voice weheard at Minersville on the evening of the glorious Fourth,” remarkedLulu with a merry laugh.

  Max neither acknowledged nor denied that she was right. Looking up andcatching sight of the Stars and Stripes floating from the masthead, “OLu,” he asked, “do you know who invented our flag—‘old glory,’ as welove to call her?”

  “Why, no; who did?”

  “A little woman named Betty Ross, a Philadelphia Quakeress. She had agreat deal of taste, was particularly fond of red, white, and blue,and adorned many of the apartments we read of in colonial history;the halls of Congress, the governor’s reception-room in Philadelphia,among others. She was acquainted with a number of the great men of thetime—Morris, Franklin, Rittenhouse, Adams, and best and greatest ofall—our Washington. And she had a brother-in-law, Colonel Ross, who wasa gallant American officer in the Revolutionary War.

  “On the 14th of June, 1777, Congress was considering about a design fora national flag, and it was at once proposed that Betsy Ross shouldbe requested to design one. The committee asked Colonel Ross, Dr.Franklin, and Robert Morris to call upon her. They went and GeneralWashington with them. Mrs. Ross consented, drew the design, and madethe first American flag with her own hands. General Washington hadshowed her a rough design which she said was wrong—the stars having sixcorners when the right number was but five. She said she didn’t knowwhether she could make the flag, but would try; which, as I have justsaid, she did, and succeeded so well that Congress was satisfied withit; and it was the first star-spangled banner that ever floated on thebreeze.”

  “There was an eagle on that flag, Max, was there not?” asked thecaptain as the lad paused in his story.

  “Yes, sir; a spread eagle with the thirteen stars in a circle of raysof glory. It is said that many eminent men visited Mrs. Ross’ shopwhile she was at work on the flag and were deeply interested in it.”

  “Well,” remarked Lulu thoughtfully, “if that flag was flung to thebreeze in June of 1777, it is a mistake for people to say that therough flag made and floated at Fort Schuyler the next fall was thefirst.”

  “Quite true,” said her father, “though probably they—the makers of theFort Schuyler flag—had not heard of the other and believed theirs tobe the first. It is stated that Washington had displayed at Cambridge,Massachusetts, on January 2d, 1776, what might be called the originalof our present banner. It had thirteen stripes of red and white with aSt. Andrew cross instead of the stars.”

  “Was there not another called the rattlesnake flag?” asked Rosie.

  “Yes, in two forms: in one the figure was left complete, and under itwere the words, ‘Don’t tread on me.’ In the other the snake was inthirteen pieces—in some cases with thirteen rattles—and the legend was‘Join or die.’”

  The captain paused a moment, then went on: “I was reading lately anaccount taken from an English paper of what was probably the firstfloating of the American flag in British waters. It was on February3d, 1783, that the ship _Bedford_, a Massachusetts vessel commanded byCaptain Moore, passed Gravesend, and on the 6th she was reported atthe custom-house. The Lords of Council and the Commissioners of theCustoms held a consultation, because of the many acts of Parliamentstill in force against the ‘rebels’ of America—as our British cousinswere wont to style us—before allowing her regular entry. She wasAmerican built, manned wholly by American seamen, and belonged toNantucket, Massachusetts.

  “The article goes on to say she carried the ‘rebel’ colors and was thefirst to display the ‘rebellious stripes of America in any Britishport.’

  “But before that the Stars and Stripes had appeared on British soil. Anoted philanthropist and sturdy patriot of Philadelphia, named ElkannahWatson, had at the close of the Revolutionary War received four hundredguineas as a wager, and on the same day was dining with the painterCopley, whom he engaged to paint his portrait for the sum of moneyjust obtained from the wager. The portrait was all finished but thebackground, which they had agreed should represent a ship bearing toAmerica the news of the acknowledgment by the British government of ourindependence—the Stars and Stripes floating from her gaff and gilded bythe rays of the rising sun was still wanting, the painter consideringit imprudent to put it there at that time, as his gallery was theresort of royalty and the nobility. Watson speaks of ‘the glorious 5thof December, 1782,’ on which he and Copley listened to the speech ofthe king in which he formally received and recognized the United Statesof America as one of the nations of the earth. After that Watson wenthome with the artist to dinner; but before sitting down to the tableCopley finished his picture, inviting his company to be present in hisstudio while ‘with a bold hand, master touch, and American heart’ heattached to the ship the Stars and Stripes.”

  “That was displaying what the British had called the rebel colors verypromptly upon the king’s acknowledgment, and very near his palace,”remarked Mr. Dinsmore with a smile of grim satisfaction.

  “Yes; doubtless a bitter pill for his majesty to swallow,” laughedRosie.

  “Well, he needn’t have had it to swallow if he hadn’t been sotyrannical and obstinate,” remarked Walter. “I remember that Bancroftsays, ‘The American struggle was avowedly a war in defence of thecommon rights of mankind.’”

  “That is very true, Walter,” returned his grandfather. “They—theleading men of the time—were a noble band of patriots and lovers oftheir kind. We have a right to be proud of them.”

  “And I am proud of them, sir,” returned the lad, his cheeks glowing andhis eyes sparkling.

  “That’s right, my little man; everybody should love his country andfeel proud of all its people who resist tyranny and stand up boldly forthe principle that ‘all men are created equal; that they are endowedby their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these arelife, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’” said a strange voicewhich seemed to come from their rear.

  Every one turned to see the speaker; then finding he was not visible,laughed pleasantly.

  “I am glad to learn that you are so well acquainted with our gloriousDeclaration of Independence, Cousin Ronald, and seem to appreciateit so highly,” remarked Grandma Elsie, with a smiling look into thepleasant face of her kinsman.

  “Ah, indeed, cousin! are you entirely sure that I am deserving of thatcompliment?” queried Mr. Lilburn gravely.

  “Quite sure,” she returned. “I could hardly have quoted it so correctlymyself.”<
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  “But was that my voice, cousin?” he asked.

  “One of your voices, I have no doubt,” she replied laughingly.

  “Mr. Lilburn,” said Max, “I have been telling some of my comrades ofyour ventriloquial powers and they are extremely desirous to witnesstheir exercise. Will you not kindly gratify them while here?”

  “Why, laddie, I am hardly more capable in that line than yourself,”laughed the old gentleman.

  “But you, sir, are not under authority as I am and so liable to becalled to account for your doings.”

  “Eh! perhaps not. Well, well, we will be on the lookout foropportunities, you and I. I own I am not averse to gratifying the youngfolks when I can do so without displeasing their elders.”