CHAPTER IX
THE ARMY WINS UNIFORMS
It took a full week to win every prize contained in the packing case,but only half of the maxims had been learned, as there were more"Contemplations" than rewards. When the children heard there was no moreprize clothing to be won they lost interest in the learning ofWashington's rules of life.
To insure continued interest in the maxims Mrs. Davis suggested a plan.
"Now that Mr. Parke bought and gave the army uniforms, I think I'll 'domy bit' also. These children ought to begin to make things and earnmoney for War Relief in Europe. I had thought of getting them alightweight boat that would float on the creek, but now that every oneought to do something I think I will send for wool and needles, that thegirls may learn to knit vests, caps and mittens for our boys at thefront. What do you think of it?"
"Oh, George and Martha have plenty of those things, but somehow theynever sit still long enough to knit more than one row a day, and the warwill end before they complete a single sock. Besides, they feel as ifknitting was worse than going in the trenches, so I haven't insistedupon the work as yet. Better supply them with the boat, where they canfrolic and keep healthy out-of-doors without danger to themselves,"advised Mrs. Parke.
"Quite a difference in cash between a boat and knitting outfits,"laughed Mr. Parke.
"Yes, and quite a margin in health, too, as Kate says," replied Mrs.Davis.
"Better let us share the cost of the boat together," ventured Mrs.Parke.
"Indeed not! I have been wondering what to buy the two children as agift when I came through Washington, but I determined to wait and seewhat they would enjoy most. Now that they have the General Washingtonidea in their minds, I think the boat is just the thing. They can havefights at sea and use it for crossing and recrossing the Hudson, theDelaware, or Lake Champlain, as they wish--all on the creek, where thewater is not half as deep or dangerous as the Hudson," explained Mrs.Davis.
"If you wish me to select one that I think will answer all purposes forthe children I will do so, as I am going down to a building concern thatspecializes in canoes and pleasure crafts. I have to interview themabout an insurance policy which they wish to increase. At the same timeI can inquire as to the price of a light-weight boat," said Mr. Parke.
So the next evening he returned home with news for Mrs. Davis. "I saw myman who handles boats and canoes and, fortunately, he had just the thingneeded for the creek. He made the boat six months ago for some children,but the father lost a great deal of money in bad speculations andcouldn't pay the balance due on it. Now, you can have that same boat forthe price still owing on the bill. In this way the children get a fineboat for the same cost as a cheap or poorer one."
"I hope you ordered it sent on?" asked Mrs. Davis eagerly.
"Yes, I did so, for now that you have spoken of the idea I wonder that Inever thought of a boat before," replied Mr. Parke.
The Davises expected to remain about three weeks, but the first week hadpassed so quickly and the second week was so entirely taken up withstudying maxims and winning prizes that it was not until the beginningof the third week that the plan was arranged to buy the Parke children atoy which they could enjoy for a long time.
All during the third week the Provincial army dressed in its hard-earneduniforms and paraded or drilled faithfully.
As usual, George was the commander-in-chief, John was Marquis deLafayette, Jack was General Howe, although the Englishman wore theAmerican uniform; Jim was the whole regular army, for Martha and Annetook turns in being General Sullivan, Nathan Hale, Allen, Schuyler, andothers, just according to the battles fought or the places where thearmy camped.
Jim's uniform was the same as that of the general, but his hat wasdifferent, and this constituted the rank. While George had a yellowtri-cornered hat trimmed with gold braid and tassels, Jim was made towear a cap found in the attic chest. This was a sorry trial to Jim, whofondled the gold-trimmed hat he had won by learning maxims, but was notpermitted to parade with it on. As Jack sternly told him when heprotested, "We've got to keep discipline in the ranks, and if we shouldlet you wear any fancy hat you wanted what would the army do?"
"Ah'm shore Ah donno, cuz dey ain't no udder ranks den me!" retorted Jimrebelliously.
That made Jack think over the situation. And the result was: "Say,general, what's the use of having so many officers and no regulars? MakeAnne and Martha play the soldier once in a while; I need some one on myside besides myself."
But Martha and Anne felt as much pleasure in their army uniforms, whichwere made exactly like the boys', as the officers did in theirs, andthey would not consent to wear common caps while gay cocked hats wereput on the shelf.
So the argument over proper headgear in the army and the great need ofmore soldiers in the ranks continued all week, but the drilling withfife and drum and the rifle practice with dried peas or beans kept up,to the great amusement of the two ladies.
Saturday a telephone message came to the house while the army was on thelawn questioning Washington's right to choose Englishmen to help Jack.It had been decided that John take turns being first French and thenBritish to help out General Howe, and the girls were supposed to eachtake a side, but they declined the honor and preferred to remainAmerican.
In the midst of an excited explanation from George why and wherefore,stating the reason the army never amounted to anything, Jim jumped upand pointed a trembling index finger at the driveway.
The others jumped up from the grass to see the cause of his surprise,and all stood still in wonderment.
On a long-framed wagon drawn by two truck horses lay a fine boat gaylypainted in red, white and blue stripes. The ladies, Mrs. Parke and Mrs.Davis, walked behind the wagon as it slowly went down a side road thatled over the bridge.
But the army did not remain long in a paralyzed state. Before theteamster had covered more than five yards of the side road crossing thecreek British and American officers and men yelled and ran up to tug atthe two ladies, demanding to know how the boat happened to be there.
So loud was the clamor that no one heard what any one else said, and thedriver reached the creek, where many hands were eager to assist him inlifting the wonderful craft from the wagon to the creek.
"No, I sent for the gardener and chauffeur to help this man. He isresponsible for the safe delivery of the boat, and it is not fair to himto risk its safety by letting excited boys help carry it from thewagon," said Mrs. Davis firmly.
The two men soon arrived and helped transfer the boat to the water,where it rode gracefully on the slow surface of the stream. The teamsterand the help went away, but the army was not aware of their going--alleyes were fixed on the boat.
Mrs. Parke told the children that it was a gift from aunty, so that theycould play American history with a warship better than without any.
"Who can row? Can you, Jack?" asked George.
"No, but it's easy. You just pull back and forth on the upper end of theoar and away she goes," said Jack.
"Well, please take off the general's uniform before you begin practice.A bathing suit would be better to wear while you are learning," laughedMrs. Parke.
"Why, we won't fall out," said Anne.
"There isn't any reason why you should, but there is no telling whensuch experts in rowing as Jack, take a hand," said Mrs. Davis.
George, John and Jack were already in the boat, but there was but onepair of oar-locks and one set of oars, so only one could row. Seeingthat Jack's mother presented the boat, George relinquished hisprerogative as commander-in-chief, and sat down to watch his cousin row.
In spite of Jack's explanation that all you did was "to just pull backand forth," it seemed difficult to move the boat in the right direction.After many futile attempts, he turned over the oars for George to try.
The ladies stood on the bank laughing at the general's failure to rowproperly, and then John also failed.
"Do you girls want to try?" asked Mrs. Davis.
Jim st
ood by grinning delightedly at the boys in the boat, but notdaring to hope that he would ever be invited to row. Martha saw hisintense attitude and whispered to her mother, "Let's ask Jim if he wantsto try?"
Mrs. Parke nodded smilingly. "Jim, do you want to try and see if you canmove the boat?"
With a start of amazed joy, the "rank and file" of the American armystuttered and stammered that it would!
George and Jack jumped out, leaving John in the prow, and then Jimclimbed in. He turned and said: "Does de lady officers wanta come in?"
"Not till you have your trial, Jim. Then they are going to try, too,"replied Mrs. Parke.
Now Jim had often accompanied his daddy on fishing trips for the day,and upon these excursions on the river, the little fellow had beentaught how to manage a pair of oars and a boat. But the oars and boatsfound tied up to old tree stumps along the sluggish river banks werecumbersome, unmanageable affairs in comparison to this eggshell craft,with its ash blades to propel it on the bosom of the quiet creek.
Hence, Jim sat down and admired the oars to his heart's content, andthen examined the ribbed sides and deck-flooring of the inside of theboat. The shiny varnish and brass-studded wood enchanted his soul sothat he forgot to take up the oars.
"Hurry up, Jim! Take your turn and then let the rest have theirs!"shouted George impatiently.
Jim grinned so that every glistening tooth in his wide mouth showeddistinctly, and he bent to pick up the oar-blades. After fitting themmethodically in the oar-locks, he sat down. But the boys noticed that hesat on the next seat to the one they had occupied when trying to row.They also saw him try to brace his feet against the foot-rack, but hewas too short. They found, however, that Jim very well knew what he wasabout.
While the spectators held their breath in surprise, Jim bent back on theoars and slowly let the blade sink under water. He then bent forward,and as the flat sides of the oars pushed against the water, the boatbegan moving. With surprisingly regular and serviceable strokes for sucha little shaver, Jim soon rowed the boat across the creek and startedback for the landing, where his friends stood waiting to congratulatehim.
"Behold, the conquering hero comes!" sang Mrs. Parke, as Jim brought thenose of the boat up against the mossy bank.
"My goodness! Jim knows more about a ship than any of us!" declaredGeorge, willing to give praise when it was deserved.
"He is the real captain--not the play-kind we made him on the raft thatday!" admired Jack, looking Jim up and down to find out how such amiracle could happen.
"Ef yo' all say Ah am a reel cap'n, den Ah ain't goin' t' be no commonsolger no moh! Ah kin be a cap'n uv a warship!" said Jim daringly.
"He must be an admiral of the navy!" suddenly exclaimed Jack.
"And wear a sword from his belt--they all did!" added John, not to beoutdone in magnanimity.
"And teach all the common seamen and marines how to row and manage aship at sea!" laughed Mrs. Parke.
But Jim was overcome with so many unexpected honors, and he might havestarted for the barn to hide, had not General Howe challenged him.
"Admiral Dewey, I dare you to sail to Cuba and fight the Spanish fleetthere!"
Jim looked around for explanations, and Jack laughed. "I mean, we willrun over to John's side of the creek while you sail the ship across thesea to attack us there."
"No, Jim isn't going to enter into any such plan as that! The boat isnot to be used for a sea-fight till every one knows how to manage androw it," interjected Mrs. Davis.
During the next week armies and uniforms were forgotten, while thechildren spent their entire time at the creek learning to row the boat.It had been named "The Washingtons," and many wonderful cruises wereplanned by the American army that week.
Mrs. Davis had been persuaded to extend her visit over a fourth week,but now she said she must go home again. Mr. Davis wrote he was lonesomewithout the children, and the cook had gone the day after the mistressleft. He had been eating at his club, but being a family man, he missedhis home.
When Mrs. Davis learned of the cook's leaving, she was annoyed, for thewoman had promised faithfully to remain during her mistress's absence.
"Dear me, I wish we had such faithful servants as you Virginia peoplehave!" sighed she, thinking of the devoted help her cousin always had.
"Environment has much to do with it. If I lived North and you livedSouth, the tables would be turned. But do not let the loss of a cookmake you hurry away from us," said Mrs. Parke.
"It won't, but I have already over-stayed my time a week, and I did wantto stop off at New York on my homeward way and show the children some ofthe historic places there. Now, I suppose I'll have to go straight homeand find a cook!"
"If you will listen to me, I'll make a suggestion," said Mr. Parke,lowering his newspaper.
"We always listen to the men, but we seldom follow their advice,"laughed Mrs. Parke.
"I was about to say: Why not wire Sam to meet you in New York, and inthat way forget his club dinners for a few days? I am going to New Yorkon a business trip, and I had a vague idea of inviting my wife toaccompany me. Now, if you will consider such a plan, we may as well takeGeorge and Martha, too, and make a family party of it. The children willbe greatly improved by visiting all the points of interest mentioned tothem in the history of George Washington's life, and I am sure youladies will enjoy taking them about during the day while I am busy withmy New York branch of business."
The ladies looked at each other with pleased surprise, for such a tripalways met with approval from all concerned.
"I see you offer no objections, but it still remains for me to consultthe four younger members of the family and hear their verdict!" laughedMr. Parke.
"Oh, no--no! If you love peace and quiet at home, do not drop a hint ofthis proposed treat to them. Why, they'd have the whole place in anuproar until the time to leave for the train," remonstrated Mrs. Parke.
"Just wire Sam and arrange it with him. We'll fix up matters here, and,without a word to the children, prepare for a visit to New York," addedMrs. Davis.
So it was done, but the party was not to start till Monday. On theFriday preceding, Mrs. Graham called at the Parke house to invite Georgeand Martha to go with John on a visit to a great-aunt living in NewYork.
"I haven't said a word to John about it, but I knew your visitors weregoing on Monday, and I thought the children would enjoy a trip if Ipromised to watch them well," explained Mrs. Graham.
Then she heard of the secret plan and as she and John expected to startTuesday morning, it was decided that she would change her plans and gowith the others on Monday.
It is quite impossible to describe the excitement and deafening chorusthat greeted the announcement of the New York trip. Mr. Parke was mostgrateful that he had not mentioned the event sooner; for even at thatlate hour he was not given a minute's rest until the four wildtravellers were safely seated in a Pullman chair going north to NewYork.
THE END
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends