Harper"s Young People, April 13, 1880.
by Various.
NANCY HANSON"S PROJECT.
BY HOWARD PYLE.
It was in the old Quaker town of Wilmington, Delaware, and it was the evening of the day on which the battle of Brandywine had been fought.
The country people were coming into town in sledges, and in heavy low carts with solid wheels made of slices from great tree trunks, loaded with b.u.t.ter, eggs, milk, and vegetables; for the following day was market-day. Market-day came every Fourth-day (Wednesday) and every Seventh-day (Sat.u.r.day). Then the carts drew up in a long line in Market Street, with their tail-boards to the sidewalk, and the farmers sold their produce to the town people, who jostled each other as they walked up and down in front of the market carts--a custom of street markets still carried on in Wilmington.
Friend William Stapler stopped, on his way to market in his cart, at Elizabeth Hanson"s house, in Shipley Street, to leave a dozen eggs and two pounds of b.u.t.ter, as he did each Tuesday and Friday evening.
Elizabeth came to the door with a basket for half a peck of potatoes.
William Stapler took off his broad-brimmed hat, and slowly rubbed his h.o.r.n.y hand over his short-cut, stubbly gray hair.
"Ah! I tell thee, Lizabeth, they"re a-doin" great things up above Chadd"s Ford. I hearn th" canning a-boomin" away all day to-day. Ah, Lizabeth, the world"s people is a wicked people. They spare not the brother"s blood when th" Adam is aroused within them. They stan" in slippery places, Lizabeth."
"Does thee think they"re fighting, William?"
"Truly I think they are. Ah! I tell thee, Lizabeth, they"re differen" "n when I was young. Then we only feared the Injuns, "n" now it"s white men agin white men. They tuck eight young turkeys of mine, "n" only paid me ten shillin" fer "em."
"But, oh, William, I do hope they"re not fighting! I expect my son-in-law, Captain William Bellach, and his friend Colonel Tilton, will stop here on their way to join General Washington; and they may arrive to-night."
"Ah, Lizabeth, I"ve lifted up my voice in testimony agin the young men goin" to the wars an" sheddin" blood. "F a man diggeth a pit an" falleth into it himself, who shall help him out thereof? Half a peck o"
potatoes, did thee say, Lizabeth?"
During the evening rumors became more exciting, and it was said that the Americans had been defeated, and were retreating toward Philadelphia.
Late that night Captain Bellach and Colonel Tilton arrived at Elizabeth Hanson"s house.
"I"ve heard the rumors, mother," said Captain Bellach. "I don"t believe "em; but even if there was a file of British at the door here, I would be too tired to run away from them."
Pretty Nancy Hanson spoke up. "But, Billy, they would not only send thee and thy friend to the hulks if they caught thee, but they might be rude to us women were they to find thee here."
"Yes, sister-in-law, if I thought there was any danger, I would leave instantly; but the British, even if they have beaten us, will be too tired to come here to-night."
"I agree with my friend Will, Mistress Nancy," said Colonel Tilton.
"Moreover, our horses are too tired to take us farther to-night."
About two o"clock in the morning the silence of the deserted streets of the town was broken by a rattling and jingling of steel, the heavy, measured tread of feet, and sharp commands given in a low voice.
Nancy Hanson awakened at the noise, and jumping out of bed, ran to the window and looked out into the moon-lit street beneath. A file of red-coated soldiers were moving by toward the old Bull"s Head Tavern.
The cold moonlight glistened on their gun-barrels and bayonets as they marched. Nancy ran to her mother"s room and pounded vigorously on the door.
"Mother! mother! waken up!" she cried; "the British are come to town, sure enough!"
The family were soon gathered around the dull light of a candle, the gentlemen too hastily awakened to have their hair _en queue_, the ladies in short gowns and petticoats; Elizabeth Hanson wore a great starched night-cap perched high upon her head.
"You were right, sister-in-law," said Captain Bellach, "and I was wrong.
The best thing we can do now is to march out and take our chances."
"So say I," a.s.sented the Colonel.
"It"s all well enough for thee, Billy, to talk of marching out and taking thy chances," said Nancy; "thee has thy black citizen"s dress; but Colonel Tilton is in uniform."
"True; I forgot."
"It does not matter," said the Colonel.
"Yes, but it does," cried Nancy. "Stay now until morning, and I think I can get thee citizen"s clothes. I have a project, too, to get thee off.
For mother"s sake, though, we must hide thy uniform, for if it is found here, she will be held responsible. Billy, thee will have to go with thy friend back to the bedroom and bring us his things as soon as he can take them off. Thee must lie abed, Colonel Tilton."
Nancy"s plans were carried into execution. The bricks in one of the up-stairs fire-places were taken up, the sand beneath them removed, and the Colonel"s uniform deposited in the vacant place, over which the bricks were carefully replaced.
In the gray of the morning Peggy Allison and Hannah Shallcross, on their way to market, each with a basket on her arm, met in front of Elizabeth Hanson"s house. A company of soldiers had halted in Shipley Street, and their arms were stacked before Elizabeth"s door. The red-coated soldiers were lounging and talking and smoking. Some officers sat around a fire near by warming their hands, for the morning was chill.
""Tis a shame!" said Hannah Shallcross, vigorously--""tis a shame to see these redcoats parading our streets as bold as a bra.s.s farthing. I only wish I was John Stedham the constable; I"d have "em in the Smoke-House[1] or the stocks in a jiffy, I tell thee!"
She spoke loudly and sharply. A young British officer, who was pa.s.sing, stepped briskly up, and tapped her on the arm.
"Madam," said he, "do you know that you are all prisoners? Be advised by me, and return quietly home until the town is in order."
However patriotic Hannah might be, she did not think it advisable to disregard this order, and both dames retreated in a flutter. As the young officer stood looking after them, the house door opposite him opened, and Nancy Hanson appeared upon the door-step. She had dressed herself carefully in her fine quilted petticoat and best flowered over-dress, and looked as pretty and fresh as an April morning.
"Friend," said she, in a half-doubtful, half-timid voice. The young officer whipped off his c.o.c.ked hat, and bent stiffly, as you might bend a jackknife.
"Madam, yer servant," he answered. He spoke with a slight brogue, for he was an Irish gentleman.
"We have a friend with us," said Nancy, "who hath been compelled for a time to keep his bed. He was brought here last night on account of the battle, and was too weary to go further. Our neighbor Friend John Stapler, across the street, hath thick stockings, and I desire to get, if I can, a pair from him, as, thee may know, in cases of dropsy the legs are always cold. I am afraid to cross the street with these soldiers in it. Would thee escort me?"
"Madam, you do me infinite honor in desiring me escort," said the young officer, bowing more deeply than before; for Nancy was very pretty.
Friend John Stapler was a very strict Friend, and as such was inclined to favor the royalist side; still, he was willing to do a kindly turn for a neighbor. He was a wrinkled, weazened little man, whose face, with its pointed nose and yellowish color, much resembled a hickory nut.
"Hum-m-m!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed he, when Nancy, who had left the officer at the door, stated the case to him--"hum-m-m! thus it is that intercourse with the world"s people defileth the chosen. Still, I may as well help thee out o" the pother. Hum-m-m! I suppose my small-clothes would hardly be large enough, would they?" and he looked down at his withered little legs.
"I hardly think so," said Nancy, repressing a smile, as she pictured to herself the tall dignified Colonel in little John Stapler"s small-clothes.
"Well, well," said he, "I"ll just step out the back way, and borrow a suit from John Benson. He"s the fattest man I know."
He soon returned with the borrowed clothes, which they wrapped up in as small a bundle as possible, after which Nancy rejoined the officer at the door.
""Tis a largish bundle of stockings," observed he, as he escorted her across the street again.
"They are thick stockings," she answered, demurely.