Ethel Morton at Sweetbrier Lodge

sure Helen has some poetry to read to us before very long, and if we can si

aration was passed the flames burst out. There was fighting all over the colonies from South Carolina to New York City. Washington was made Commander-in-Chief

a half later," int

y at Trenton, New Jersey. On Christmas Night of 1776, the future of the Colonies looked about as dark as the night itself, but here is what hap

ited girl," sai

us discussion as to how much deception was fair in war time would have broken o

ber, Washington entered Trenton an

ur Emerson great-great-great-grandfather fought, wasn't it?" said Roger, recalling the acc

how he fought against his

etsy Ross house is," said Mrs. Morton,

ew narrow streets, and before long they were s

Brown, pretending to be afraid that Helen would hear hi

Helen exclaimed promptly. "Do you really m

o much for Tom's truthfulne

read the other day a tale about a play that some ur

ddams tell

t some American Revolutionary soldiers are talking together and one of them says, 'Gee, ain't it fierce! We ain't got no flag.' The others agreed that it was fierce

s received wit

ington say?" a

it, so the next act shows him at the house of Betsy Ross. He said to her, '

very large vocabular

pirit was there," i

y say," inquir

ou hold the baby, George, and I'l

ectly delicious!

aid Mrs. Morton, shaking with mirth. "It belongs to the city now,

iled Helen as she brought out still another of her typ

'S BAT

ll dawn the l

he tallow

er nimble

stars upo

eyes and

he stripes of

e day came

cross a ca

sy's bat

adows in the

nentals f

boots and

efiance in t

e marks of w

e lame and s

th wounds u

ing brave

y's batt

he battle's

hushed his

his dying

s troopers t

g column reel

d in the ro

glory of

tripes, and

y's bat

e stone of

now with mo

r deathless

he color of

rills, a na

ollows whe

man is pro

upon a cr

y's batt

made his historic visit to

n the fourteenth of June, 1777, Congress a

celebrated as Flag Day, I

r flag in the world," declared Roger. "The thirteen st

inning. They've added a star for ever

n you happen to come on it suddenly as Miss Bates said in those verse

told me it looked to him lik

of meaning," said Ethel Blue, "and mo

g up her story once more. "The Americans were successful in Vermont and northern New York, but in September, 1777, they were

Forge?" asked Margaret. "I seem to remember something about their living in

len. "Grandfather has a few lines

he winter's

dreary da

r country's

eeded comf

within a

keen blast f

snow was s

loor its pi

the scant bl

ght-couch fre

path by a

ck where a s

the print o

crimson stai

held her sp

y all her fi

loved a c

by the win

y when Dis

ame and di

seeking fo

garments co

atrols from

e charnels

e winter th

crowded, fr

he horrors

band at Va

ty?" asked Tom, after he had shaken h

rls like Sweet P. I can fancy them walking daintily along the street turning their heads aside when

t the picture that

ht at Monmouth, New Jersey. The Indians on the western frontier had joined the British, and there was some terrible fighting there. Our fleet, as a general thing, was

nd, Anthony Wayne, stirred up a little

up the river to West Point. There was fighting in New Jersey an

fields that Cornwallis surrendered at Yorkt

him with exagg

. Here's Helen, a walking 'History of the Revolution,' and old Ro

cknowled

tion. "There was an old German watchman walking the streets, and calling the hours through the night, as was the custom then. He cried out; 'Bast dree o'clock and Cornvallis

etaker for his addition to the story. "It took a good many months for the Briti

ans were thankful to hav

were, too," said Roger. "Any country must be

this time," said Helen. "I'm going

unequal con

banished fro

-descended, c

nations ra

of death the

seeks his n

ale she sm

ght stars mor

she adds to

r sun illum

ealms admi

he HERO of

inquired Tom. "Wash

were written when he was traveling throug

ong," said Tom, proud of being able to bring forward one sure piece of

The care-taker of the house again coul

d. "The new country had almost no money and no definite policy, now that they had cut themselves f

nt to do this tim

ngton was chosen President of the Convention and they worked from May until S

interested in it on account of Dorothy knowing so much about the building of a house,"-and she read them th

y lads, your m

ur axes, your ha

s and planes, you

f pins of Am

ll raise, and our

firm, and our

plates, lay them

large, they're the

ll, and see tha

part in our bu

ll raise, and our

firm, and our

girders, lay e

joists, must divi

n these should

r senate prove l

ll raise, and our

firm over c

frame; your king

s home, to keep al

strength in the

be all made of

ll raise, and our

firm over c

re judges: how u

braces; the l

and, which divide

he weak, by weak

ll raise, and our

just, for a peo

rafters; each

ise! their span,

the south, o'er th

alls, whilst the

ll raise, and our

ength, yet as

lins, and drive y

joints are drawn

l bind all the

e whole shall defy

ll raise, and our

tes, but as c

the turret; our

stands, o'er the

lumbia shall v

d arches, and t

ais'd, and our so

d o'er a peop

e boys, our wo

l admire Colum

nst tempest and t

all come to dwel

e deep bowl, our t

firm, and our

sh up our Revolutionary history by whirling out to Valley Forge," said Mrs. Morton. "It's a

nt people have made me work so hard remembering dates and things, that I'm q

even give them time for a walk when they reached thei

in the evening," said Margaret, and th

ng, but now there was only time to notice that much of it had been left in a natural co

r they remembered the bitter suffering of the American soldiers and the even greater mental anguish of their leader, who sometimes felt that he had led his brave men

morate events and places and people connected with this fateful winter. Below swept the Schuylkill River, be