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NUMBER 19."
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OLMSTEAD.& CO., PUBLISHERS...
DHE BLACK SHEEP.
“Ba-a! ba-a! black sheep,
. {Have you any wool ?”
ie
Some of our old colonial ancestors were silly
enough to bring over from England: a heraldic
bear, with a crown on its‘ head, and called it
“The Family Coat of Arms.” . It, beame obsolete
* with our independence, and we have never chosen
another; were. we to do so, I am certain it would
» be a Black Sheep. te . Wy vay state F
I have no idea of sending you a ‘“‘wool-gather-
ing,” but am going to’ tell you a simple story, to
stir your patriotism, if it has gone to sleep.
I have told you of the women of the Revolu-
tion, who turned a picnic into a raising, when
‘their husbands, brothers and sons had gone to
Aght the battles of freedom; and the story of lit-
tle “‘Susa White and her Cosset,” which was laid
on ‘the altar of her country};' but I have ‘never
told you of our great-grandmother's pet. ‘The
story is an heir-loom in the tamily, and we are
proud of it. : t i
. When the“clouds of war were gathering in the
old colonial skies, there were men from Maine to
Georgia whose hearts did not beat in unison, with
the noble band of patriots who stood ready to
achieve nationality. Some of these, with a true,
manly spirit, spoke their sentiments openly, and
retired from’ the country‘ before the bursting of|
the storm.’ Others, whose interests were adverse
to their principles, waited to watch and betray.
New: England had its quota of both. Their
names have never flowed sweetly in story or song,
for which reason (it may be) a belief is springing
j
/
up that the New England of Revolutionary days
was a unit for freedom... '
- Among the Tories of that era—as the adherents
of the mother government were called—was a
thriving landholder, in a well known district of
Connecticut. | He was not a native of the country,
but in early life had forsaken England with a band
* of: adventurous youth, to ‘try his fortunes in’ the
New World. Successful beyond his anticipations
even, he purchased broad acres, stocked them lib-
erally, and retired to rural life. His wife was a
New Englander, of the old Massachusetts stamp,
but died before the colonists were called upon to
take sides with the Old country or the New. She
left a daughter namesake, an only child.
“Mary Mather Russel promised to grow up as
beautiful as her mother, as frank and intelligent,
too. ‘Notwithstanding her father was never alto-
gether popular among the residents of the neigh-
borhood, his child, like her mother, was a general
favorite. In the daughter of their nearest neigh-
bor she found a playmate and a companion. Hit-
tie Dimock was an only daughter, like herself,
petted and half-spoiled. The two girls were in-
separable. .
’ Farmer Dimock had four sons, and their sister
Littie queened it over them as only daughters are
privileged. The boys’ worshipped their sov-
ereign, however, and submitted to most of her
_ whims and caprices. They always affirmed that
“Mary Russel helped her to put on airs, and that
both were as proud as Lucifer.” '
-- It was for this same haughty pair that the farm-
er’s boys gathered and stored away their wild
forest nuts, and assorted the red-cheeked winter
apples; for in the long evenings Mary and Hittie
had their spinning and knitting matches. Some-
times the other girls of the district joined them,
and the large, square rooms were then ablaze with
light, and buzzing and whirling with, industry.
Mothers and grandmothers gazed with pride on
the graceful spinners, while their own hands plied
the busy cards which supplied them with rolls.
Little boys and girls sat by, picking the tangled
wool with their fingers, warming and preparing it
for the sharp, wiry cards. It was the older boys
> ho cracked the nuts, and filled the large-nosed
pewter flagons with cider, and brought the apples
they had laid up so carefully in autumo, What
pleasant games of Sorfeit awaited them when the
“work was done! 0, the winter evenings of the
olden time were not bad, although 60, many of
their hours were devoted to useful toil! :
. From such peaceful ayocations the rural dwell-
ers of New England were aroused by the passage
of the ‘Boston Port Bill,” when the watch-word
I
i ia oa Sevier i be ds
There was'no Jonger time for dalliance; every
man and boy must awaken to duty. “It is by such
ordeals the steel of manhood is most satisfactorily
tested; and never was worthier stuff disclosed
than among the yeomanry of “‘Ilis Majesty's Col-
onies, in North America.” 0 0) 50800 1?
But, as we have just remarked, there were men
of diverse opinions all‘over the land. Farmer
Russel was one of them, and from the first had
ranged himself with the Royalists,’ The men, es-
pecially the young men of the vicinity, were in-
dignant, and stigmatized him as the ‘‘Old Tory,”
and indulged in other epithets such as enthusias-
tic young men are prone to give vent to. ' Farmer
Dimock’s boys were among the foremust of these,
and even went so far as to say if he betrayed
their cause they would ‘ride him on a rail,” or
“duck him in the millpond;” and that was long
before the days of rail-carriages, or the popular-
ity of hydropathy. .
Such threats boded no good for the English
landowner. - But an important rumor soon caused
a lull in the angry tempest—the rumor that Farm-
er, Russel had sold his estate, and was going to
England. . Mothing more was to be said or done,
until the report was verified or contradicted.
Before many days the notice for a publie vendue
was posted on every sign-board and shop door
around the town. All of the stock and household
stuff of neighbor Russel was advertised for sale on
the premises. a rabbis
Hittie Dimock looked grave and sorry, and
would not allow her brothers to hurl any more
epithets at their departing neighbor. From in-
fancy, almost, his daughter had been her most
intimate friend, and the thought of parting from
her was very painful. They had spent much time
together that winter and spring, and Hittie be-
lieved her friend as warm a patriot as herself,
One stormy winter day, when weatherbound at
Mary’s, Farmer Russel's hired man had brought
into the house a coal-black lamb,' which, he said,
its mother had stamped upon, and nearly killed.
He rubbed it and wrapped it in an old sheep-skin,
while the girls gave it milk. | It was. the oddest-
looking creature in the world.: No wonder the
mother should disown it, and continue to do so,
until the little black cosset came to know no
friend but Mary... i ei cc tos
It was @ hardy little thing, however, and grew
fatter and throve better than many of the fairer
and more fondly cherished of its kind. ‘ The girls
of liberty rang like a clarion through the land.
called it Dido, and made a great pet of the home-
ly lamb. ° ‘
RL
All the men far and near attended the vendue;
for it was well known that the Russel stock and
household stuff were the best in the country. Old
grandmother Dimock petitioned for a stuffed rock-
ing-chair which had belonged to the invalid wife;
mother Dimock wanted a pair of elaborate china
fruit’ dishes,’ and Ilittie the black cosset. ' Her
brothers hooted at the idea, and declared they
would as soon think of harboring a Tory., Then
she appealed to her father, who said be would not
like to have a black sheep in his flock. ‘So the
question was settled. 9 of .
That evening grandmother was delighted with
her rocking-chair; Mrs. Dimock had her: new
china to arrange on the buffet, and Ilittie was pre-
sented with Mary's side-saddle—a beautiful, em-
broidered affair, sent from England only the year
before. She was pleased with it, but evidentl
had not forgotten her morning request.7 . -. .
“Who bought the cosset ?” she asked her father.
“I don’t know as "twas put up. Nobody would
take such a thing for a gift,” he replied.
“IT guess it is going back to England, with the
other black. sheep,” said her brother Jimmy.
“The idea of our Hittie’s wanting such an ont-
landish pet !” . a .
It is possible that Hittie cared for her own way
more than for the pet, and did not like to be de-
Ried. 8 rictanedd Sees cone shy
The Rassels were to take their departure from
the colony early the next week. Mary had re-
tained nothing, but. her own and. her mother's
wardrobe; and, when those were carefully packed,
went to spend the remaining days with Hittie
Dimock, taking with her, as a parting gift, the
black lamb. . : ay
Now the ‘golden fleece” of , the Argonauts
would not have.been one-half as acceptable to
Ilittie as that grotesque-looking lamb; and she
promised to protect it at all hazards. ‘
“Keep ‘Dido' to remember me,” Mary said;
“and don’t allow ‘those bad brothers of yours to
tease her and call her names.” 5...) 5... ,
These last words were spoken expressly for the
ears of one of, those same brothers, supposed to
be Mary's favorite. © 0) 0
“Til tell you what I'll do, now, Miss Mary,”
said Willie Dimock; “TI tie the king's docu-
ments around the critter’s neck, and make a colo-
nial messenger of her.< 'A few of them best acts
would be sure to make her welcome everywhere.”
1 The girls pouted; but. Willie was bound to
have his say... The presence of majesty would not
have checked him, ©; .
. ee}
SST Col. XX
ao Vin,
ve
22 SCHOOL STREET, BOSTON.
s , ' . : .
Mary and Hittie had a tearful. parting, and‘:
promised to be good friends always, just as“
though nothing: had occurred to separate them. ,
“I have never told you,” Mary said, sobbing, ;
“but my heart is all American. This is my moth-
erland, and I would gladly remain and share her
fate.” | Dee ee p et yews
Willie heard the words and treasured them in
bis heart. ., 9). . tn a
Farmer, Russel was not the, only royalist who
forsook the country in her hour of trial. Every
sea port witnessed their departure by scores, and ‘
none regretted them; for the false who remained ,
hung like an incubus on the patriot cause. :
Dido was no favorite with any person or thing ©
ort the farm but Hittie. ~ Willie tried to befriend”
her; | but never was there a more mischievous '
creature in house or garden, and no inclosure .
could keep her from going. when and where she
pleased.. The highest stone wall or fence she,
would leap with the agility of a dog; and many’
secret plans were made by the father and Jimmy
to put ber out of the way. , But either the thought
of Hittie’s displeasure or the memory of Mary:
Russel was Dido's protection.
Meantime events of startling importance were
transpiring all over the land. ‘A Continental
Congress -was convened at Philadelphia, and -
agreed upon public declaration of rights, recom- °
', | wending non-intercourse with the mother country »
until the grievances of the colonies should be re-
dressed.’ The Provincial Assembly of Massachu-
‘setts drew up a plan for the immediate defence of
the. province, and enlisted an army of. twelve *
thousand men to act in any emergency. .
Not uatil April of the succeeding year did that
emergency arise. Then the tidings of the battle
of Lexington flew through the land, and there:
was a general uprising for freedom. Troops from*
the neighboring’ colonies went pouring ‘into Bos-
ton, and the war of the Revolution was fairly in-,
augurated, 0. a, 3
Farmer Dimock’s two eldest sons were among :
the first volunteers from Connecticut. They were’ ~
sent away with words of encouragement and bless- -
ing, while the hearts that loved them were well- ,
nigh breaking... Poor Willie never returned. He-
perished, with many other brave New England
outh, in that stormy march to Quebec, and was
laid on the banks of the Kennebec. His father
went and took his fallen son’s place in the ranks, ;
leaving his two young boys with their mother and
sister to perform the labor of the farm. Let
those who now murmur at the few comforts they
are called upon to forego in the maintenance of
our government through its present hour of dark-
ness and civil war, look back to the cost of its
purchase, and blush for shame at the contrast!
The women of the Revolution were fitted to be ;
the wives of heroic men, When necessity urged, .
the morning found them in the field, the evening
at the spinning-wheel and loom, at work for the
aged and little ones’ at home, as well as for, the
suffering soldiers in the field. Noavomen of any.
age deserve a brighter page in the world’s bistory..
than those of the American Revolution.
Ilittie Dimock proved one of the model maidens
of the times. From the moment she sent away
with cheerful words her two. brothers and her
young lover to the patriot army she rose to the,
fall dignity and purpose of womanhood. Early
and late she wrought, patiently and joyfully in
,|the midst of trial and discouragements, looking
serenely to the end. In her zeal for the cause,
and in ber many labors for the absent ones, she:
never forgot her love for her childish playmate—’
Mary Russel; and her imagination often wandered.
over the ocean to her distant home. , Only once
since she left the colony had she heard from her,
and that was soon after her arrival in England.
What had befallen her since she vainly strove to
conjecture. Did she remember and love them
stil? Would she drop a tear if ever she heard
of Willie's death? And would she ever return to
America? were questions which found no certain
answer in her heart. woe : ,
Mary's pet was still tenderly cared for, not-
withstanding it was the most unruly creature in
the world. Not another sheep on the place would
eat from the same rack with Dido, who butted
and beat them with her black head, as it to say,
