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diff --git a/23650.txt b/23650.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ece3a89 --- /dev/null +++ b/23650.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6216 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Ten Boys from History, by Kate Dickinson Sweetser + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Ten Boys from History + +Author: Kate Dickinson Sweetser + +Illustrator: George Alfred Williams + +Release Date: November 28, 2007 [EBook #23650] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TEN BOYS FROM HISTORY *** + + + + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected +without note. Dialect spellings, contractions and discrepancies have +been retained. + + +[Illustration: MIDSHIPMAN FARRAGUT ON THE "ESSEX"] + + + + +TEN BOYS FROM HISTORY + + + +By + +KATE DICKINSON SWEETSER + + +AUTHOR OF + +"TEN BOYS FROM DICKENS" +"TEN GREAT ADVENTURERS" +"BOOK OF INDIAN BRAVES" ETC. + + + +ILLUSTRATED BY + +GEORGE ALFRED WILLIAMS + + + +HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS +NEW YORK AND LONDON + + + + +BOOKS BY + +KATE DICKINSON SWEETSER + + +TEN AMERICAN GIRLS FROM HISTORY. Illustrated. +BOOK OF INDIAN BRAVES. Illustrated. +BOYS AND GIRLS FROM ELIOT. Illustrated. +BOYS AND GIRLS FROM THACKERAY. Illustrated. +TEN BOYS FROM DICKENS. Illustrated. +TEN BOYS FROM HISTORY. Illustrated. +TEN GIRLS FROM DICKENS. Illustrated. +TEN GIRLS FROM HISTORY. Illustrated. +TEN GREAT ADVENTURERS. Illustrated. + + + +HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK + +[ESTABLISHED 1817] + + +TEN BOYS FROM HISTORY + +Copyright, 1910, by HARPER & BROTHERS +Printed in the United States of America + + + + +PREFACE + + +In this small volume the boys of many lands and races whose stories +are told, have been selected not because they later became famous men, +although some of them did, but because each one achieved something +noteworthy as a boy. And in each boy's character, whether historic or +legendary, courage was the marked trait. For this reason it is hoped +that their stories will prove stimulating to some who read them. + +K. D. S. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + +STEPHEN AND NICHOLAS: BOY CRUSADERS 11 + +PETER OF HAARLEM: THE BOY WHO SAVED HIS COUNTRY 45 + +DAVID: THE SHEPHERD BOY 55 + +LOUIS SEVENTEENTH: THE BOY KING WHO NEVER REIGNED 91 + +EDWARD THE BLACK PRINCE: THE BOY WARRIOR 131 + +TYRANT TAD: THE BOY IN THE WHITE HOUSE 145 + +S. F. B. MORSE: WHO INVENTED THE TELEGRAPH 169 + +DAVID FARRAGUT: THE BOY MIDSHIPMAN 179 + +MOZART: THE BOY MUSICIAN 197 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + PAGE + +MIDSHIPMAN FARRAGUT ON THE "ESSEX" _Frontispiece_ + +DAVID AND GOLIATH Facing p._ 70 + +THE BLACK PRINCE AT CRECY " 136 + +TYRANT TAD AND ABRAHAM LINCOLN " 154 + +DAVID FARRAGUT " 186 + + + + +TEN BOYS FROM HISTORY + + + + +STEPHEN AND NICHOLAS: + +Boy Crusaders + + "To the sea of fools + Led the path of the children." + + _Old Epigram._ + + +Just a word about the Crusades, or Holy Wars, before we begin our +story. + +A war is generally a conflict between nations, countries, or individuals, +for possession of land or a throne, but the Holy Wars were not such. +They were expeditions made by those Christians who were determined to +rescue the Sepulchre, or tomb, of Christ and the City of Jerusalem, +from the rule of unbelievers. + +For eighty-eight years Christian kings ruled in Palestine, then all the +land was conquered by the Mohammedans, except a few cities, and the +Christians sent out another, and still another, and another expedition +to subdue the enemy, but all were useless. The Holy City and the Holy +Sepulchre were still in the hands of infidels, who persecuted the +pilgrims who visited the Holy Tomb; and the Christians sent a +heart-rending cry to all Europe for help, but Europe was slow to answer +the appeal, and it was several years after Pope Innocent ordered a new +Crusade, before an army departed for the scene of conflict. + +It was during this interval that the Children's Crusade or Holy War, +took place--of which we are about to read. + +But first let us go back to the city of Chartres, on the 25th day of +April, 1212, when a surging crowd of men and women is filling every +street and by-way of the quaint city. + +What are the crowds watching so eagerly? A procession of priests and +laymen, carrying banners and black-draped crosses, and chanting in +solemn unison as they march. + +It is the day of the celebration in Chartres of the "Black Crosses," an +old church ceremony instituted centuries before, by Gregory the Great, +during the ravages of the Plague, but now celebrated as an appeal to +the people to free Jerusalem and the Holy Tomb from the hands of the +infidels. + +The solemn ranks of the procession move slowly through the streets of +Chartres, carrying black-draped symbols of a Saviour's death, chanting +deep-toned litanies, and that the old ceremony has lost none of its +emotional power is shown by the tears and silence of the watching +throngs, while among all the crowd none is more profoundly stirred than +a slender shepherd lad from the neighbouring town of Cloyes, who is +seeing the ceremony for the first time. + +Agile as such a lad should be, and sturdy in consequence of his +out-of-door life, Stephen, for that was his name, found it an easy +matter to breast the surging tide of spectators following the +procession, to slip in where he could to best advantage watch the +solemn ceremonies, to stand without fatigue while he drank in all the +emotional thrill of the day. + +The shrouded crosses, the appeals for rescue of an entombed Christ in +the hands of an infidel enemy, the tears and cries of the crowds, +worked on the impressionable shepherd lad, unaccustomed to aught but +life with his flocks, worked on him so powerfully that he was hot with +a desire to rush to Jerusalem and expel the hated Mohammedans from that +land and city, once blessed by the living presence of Jesus, and +hallowed by the possession of his tomb. + +So filled with enthusiasm was Stephen that his burning cheeks and +glowing eyes told the tale to an observant priest, who to accomplish +his own end, kept close watch of the boy, spoke to him, making +inquiries as to his name and occupation, and then decided to make him a +tool of destiny. + +But of this Stephen knew nothing. Filled with thoughts of what he had +seen and heard, at evening he walked slowly towards his home in the +little village of Cloyes, walking less on solid earth than on a cloud +of dreams and desires, and from that moment he was never again the +contented shepherd lad, son of the peasant of Cloyes. He was alive with +new emotions now, and as he wandered on the hillside with his flock he +was in imagination the hero of daring deeds, taking part in such +pictured scenes as his excited fancy could conjure up, until at last, +he was in a state of mind suited to any enterprise, prepared to believe +any story, however improbable, to accept any life except that of his +own monotonous peasant existence. + +While in this mood there came to him on his hillside, several days +later, a stranger in the dress of a pilgrim, returned, as he at first +said, from Palestine. He was on his way to a distant home and in need +of food. + +Only too eagerly did Stephen share with him such food as he had, asking +in return to be told of the wonders of the Holy Land and of the daring +deeds of the heroes who had fallen there in battle. The stranger +readily complied with this request and poured into the boy's credulous +ears tales well calculated to thrill and excite his already inflamed +fancy. Then, watching Stephen closely as he spoke, the stranger said +with solemn earnestness: + +"But this is not all I have to tell, my lad. There is work for you to +do,--for you, the Lord's anointed, his chosen apostle, and in the name +of Christ and his Holy Cross, I bid you arise and do his will." + +"Work?--for me? From whom comes this message?" + +Stephen's eyes were lit with the fire of excited desire and his voice +trembled with emotion. + +Very slowly the answering words fell from his companion's lips: + +"The message is brought by him who sends it. Behold, lad, the Christ of +history and of truth! _I_ bid you arise--rouse up the youth of our +land! Lead them to that Holy Sepulchre! As prophet and as leader, go +thou where they shall follow, and bring to pass that which nobles and +soldiers have failed to accomplish. Go lad--go!" + +Stephen's breath came in quick gasps--his eyes were like coals of fire +as he sank on his knees, crying: + +"Oh bless me--bless me--I will go--Lord, I will go!" + +A hand was laid gently on his head as the deep voice said, "In the name +of Jesus, lad--in the name of the Crucified, lead thou thy troops to +victory. Across the land, across the sea, lead them to victory!" Then +in a less impassioned tone, the stranger added, "I leave with you a +letter to the king of France. Haste thou to him with this proof of thy +divine mission and he will aid thee in thy enterprise. In the name of +Jesus, lad, arise and go!" + +A letter was pressed into Stephen's hand. He heard retreating +footsteps, and before he had gained his composure and risen to his +feet, his divine guest was gone. He was alone with his straying flock, +not sure except for the letter, whether he had had a vision or a +visitor. + +And how was he to know, innocent peasant lad, of an ignorant and +superstitious ancestry, brought up on miraculous tales of saints and +seers, that the Christ of his visit was no other than that priest whose +attention Stephen had attracted by his emotion at Chartres, who with +crafty keenness had chosen the peasant boy to carry out his purpose of +arousing the youth of the land to undertake a new Crusade? How was +Stephen, all aflame as he was, to be supposed to penetrate the priest's +disguise, to realise his purpose, and throw off the thrill? He could +not and he did not. + +Leaving his flocks to ramble at will over the plains and neighbouring +hills, with the divine letter clasped in his hand, Stephen ran homeward +through the little village where he lived, past its dilapidated church, +its quaint shops and rows of houses, over the old stone bridge by which +the main street crosses the little river Loir, running in a southerly +direction to join the beautiful Loire. The bridge is a pleasant place +to linger on a summer day, and recalls many a historic memory of Joan +of Arc, who once passed that way, on her way to Orleans--of Philip +Augustus--of Richard Coeur-de-Lion--but on naught save his divine +mission was the lad Stephen intent as he crossed the bridge on that +April day. + +Having reached home, he hastily called his parents from their labour, +and gathering together such neighbours as could be summoned, he told of +his talk with the Saviour, who had come to call him, Stephen, the +shepherd boy, from tending his flocks, to rescue the Holy City and tomb +from wicked hands, and in proof of the truth of his story he showed the +letter from Jesus Christ to the King of France asking the king's aid +for Stephen in his holy mission. + +As I have said, this was an age of dense ignorance and superstition +among the peasant classes. Those who had heard Stephen's tale were dumb +with awe and wonder and doubted not its truth. Only his father spoke +against the plan, mentioning his son's youth--commanding him to go back +to his flocks. But to these commands Stephen turned a deaf ear, for was +not he the Lord's anointed? Who could dictate to him, now that the +Divine voice had spoken in accents clear and strong? + +On the next day and the next, even until darkness fell over the little +town, Stephen narrated his story in the market-place to ever-increasing +audiences, telling that now when the defenders of the Holy Sepulchre +were so few, and older and stronger Crusaders had failed to carry out +their divine purpose by reason of the ravages of war and disease, God +had revealed his plan to give the possession of Palestine to those +children who should enlist in his holy cause. + +"For the last time have we heard of defeat," cried Stephen. "Hereafter +shall children show mailed warriors and proud barons how invulnerable +are youths when God leads them!" + +This cry stirred the youths of Cloyes profoundly, and they all rushed +to enlist under the banner of Stephen and the Holy Cross, but the +number was not large enough to satisfy Stephen's ambition. He was +determined now to rouse all France and in consequence of that desire, +he decided to leave his home and go to a town five miles north of +Paris--St. Denys, the great shrine of the land, where lie the bones of +the martyr Dionysius, the object of countless pilgrimages, where to +ever-changing crowds, he could preach his Crusade, and gain recruits +for his army. + +And so to St. Denys, Stephen of Cloyes went, in May of 1212. Dressed in +his shepherd's clothes, for he had no others, with his crook in his +hand and a little wallet by his side, he left quiet Cloyes for ever. +With a heart throbbing with hope and excitement, he journeyed on, +feeling neither fatigue nor fear, and as he went he preached his +mission in towns and cities by the way, and ever the interest deepened +in this lad who spoke with such burning eloquence, proclaiming himself +God's chosen instrument to rescue the Holy Sepulchre, and everywhere he +gained recruits. But even in Paris and Chartres, he did not linger +long, being eager to reach St. Denys. At last he arrived there, and +standing at the door of the historic church which contained the +martyr's tomb, proclaimed his new Crusade to astonished crowds whom he +fascinated by his unusual eloquence as he told the old story of the +sufferings of the Christians in the Holy Land, telling it so simply and +so vividly that his audiences were profoundly stirred, especially by +Stephen's last and best appeal. He pointed to the Sepulchre of St. +Denys, to which worshippers were thronging, and contrasted its +condition with that of the Sepulchre of the Saviour, asking if his +hearers would not help him make the Saviour's tomb as honoured and as +free from disturbing influences as was that of the saint. He then read +his letter to the king and asked if God's commands were to be +disregarded, telling of his interview with Christ, and adding that +after his day in Chartres, he had gone in search of his flocks and +found them missing, but had later discovered them in a field of grain, +from which he was about to drive them angrily, when they fell on their +knees and begged his forgiveness. This, he said, with other signs, had +led him to believe that he was truly God's anointed, even before he had +been visited by Christ. + +It may well be asked here how a lad scarcely over twelve years of age +and born of the peasant class, could have suddenly become so +eloquent--so capable of appealing to audiences, and the answer is not +easy to give unless one thoroughly understands the spirit of that age +in which Stephen lived--an age in which there was much high-coloured +and stirring language used by the priests, language which appealed so +strongly to an impressionable lad like Stephen, that he unconsciously +took it for his own and made use of it; being often carried on the tide +of his emotion, far beyond his own understanding of the words and +thoughts he was uttering. + +Immediately, he became the Saint of the day, and the martyr's bones +were deserted by those who preferred to listen to the lad's stirring +appeals. It is even reported that he worked miracles to support his own +divine claim, and the enthusiasm to join his army grew daily more +intense. As pilgrims went back to their homes they carried news of +Stephen's Crusade to their children, who, filled with excitement, in +turn passed the news on to their friends. And so the interest spread +like a contagion throughout all parts of France, through Brittany, +where the English ruled, through Normandy, recently added to Philip's +domain, to Aquitaine and Provence, to Toulouse and peaceful Gascony. +Whatever feuds their parents were engaged in, the children did not +care, and were not interested in the wars for power. So while their +elders were prevented from unity of action by the strife and political +divisions of the land, the young were one in feeling and in desire, and +joined gleefully in Stephen's stirring cry: + +"Long enough have you knights and warriors, so boastful and so +honoured, been making your fruitless attempts to rescue the tomb of +Christ! God can wait no longer! He is tired of your vain puny efforts. +Stand back and let us, whom you despise, carry out his commission! He +who calls can insure the victory, and we will show you what the +children can do!" + +Among the children who listened to Stephen's appeals, the more +enterprising returned home determined to play a part in the Crusade +only second to that of the Prophet, as Stephen was now called. +Everywhere in France, they went through their home districts, begging +their companions to join the Crusade, and it is probable that these +children had much help from priests who sought in every way to inflame +the youthful host, and to lead them on to concerted action. + +As the army grew larger, the children formed into bands, and marched +through towns and villages with all the pomp and display possible, +despite much opposition from their parents, who saw with alarm that the +excitement was growing daily more intense. The bands of recruits +carried lighted candles, waving perfumed censers, and at the head of +every band there marched a proud youth carrying the Oriflamme--a copy +of the flag of the church, which was kept at St. Denys. The design of +this banner was a red triple-tongued flame, symbolic of the tongues of +fire that came down at Pentecost. This banner, like the colours of a +regiment, was a symbol of honour, and an object of the young Crusader's +devotion. + +As the bands marched, they either sang hymns, such as had kept up the +courage of previous Crusaders, or others composed on the spur of the +moment by their revered children's minds, and in all of the hymns came +the refrain--"Lord, restore Christendom! Lord, restore to us the true +and holy Cross!" + +And too they adopted the watchword which for two centuries had rung +through Asia. Crying, "God wills it!" children of all classes and +conditions and ages, cast aside authority, and joined the army, and +soon the movement became like the surge of a great wave, carrying the +youth of France out on its dangerous tide--girls as well as boys--weak +as well as strong--joining the forces. + +Of course, the matter attracted the attention of the king, Philip +Augustus, who at first, for political reasons, was inclined to favour +the young Crusaders, but then seeing how serious the matter really was, +and that if it were not suppressed it would bear away the youth of the +land, to almost certain disaster, finally issued an edict or command +that the children return to their homes. + +Kings are too wise to pay any attention even to messages written by a +divine hand, and there is no evidence to show that Philip was in any +way influenced by the letter given to Stephen by his celestial visitor, +and Philip's edict went forth, that there be an end to the uprising of +the children. + +But in vain was the edict, which the King did not attempt to enforce, +in vain were all the commands and threats and pleas of parents and +guardians. Stephen's Crusade had become an epidemic. If a lad were +locked up that he might not join its ranks, he straightway sickened; +some even died of pining; where commands were the only bar to freedom, +the youths utterly disregarded them and ran away. So, after a few weeks +of Stephen's inflamed preaching there was rebellion in many a before +happy household in France, agony in many a mother's heart, who saw her +children leaving her, never, as her mother instinct told her, to +return. + +In the ranks of recruits were many noble youths, sons of counts and +barons, who had from birth been brought up with knights and warriors +who had won fame and honour in former Crusades, and who told glowing +tales of the beauty and charm of the Holy Land to their children, and +these were naturally thrilled at the thought of seeing such scenes and +doing such deeds of valour, in gorgeous armour and on prancing steeds, +for so did they picture themselves, as their fathers had done before +them. + +And there were others whose fathers had died in the Wars of the Cross, +whose feverish dream was to make use of their father's honoured sword +and shield and thus complete the work that Death had cut short. When +these youths from the hills on which their homes stood, watched the +processions passing with uplifted crosses and banners waving high, when +they heard the songs and shouts of triumph, they could not be held back +from joining the throng, and from their thousand homes they came to +join the army, while higher and higher swelled the excitement, despite +the opposition of king and clergy. + +While Stephen was preaching at St. Denys, trying to gather his army +together with all speed, tidings of the new Crusade were brought to a +boy in a village near Cologne, a boy who had always been keenly +interested in reading and hearing of the Crusades, and who was at once +filled with a desire to follow the leadership of Stephen. + +Nicholas, for that was this German lad's name, had a father who was +both clever and ambitious. He knew the precocity of his son, and +desiring to have the boy's talents bring him fame, and perhaps worldly +benefits, worked on the boy's young mind in every possible way, until +Nicholas believed himself to be called of God to imitate the example of +Stephen, and to go to Cologne and preach as Stephen was doing at St. +Denys. + +Old Cologne was a great and influential city, and at that time the +religious centre of Germany, and there Nicholas went and preached, +telling, and doubtless with much suggestion and help from his father, +many marvellous tales of the cross of blazing light which had been his +pledge of success in the Holy War. Now we hear him speaking in +impassioned words by the door of the old Cathedral, now on a platform +surrounded by his credulous audience, and again simply standing on the +street corner telling his story, while like the widening ripples from a +stone thrown into the still waters of a lake, widened the ripples of +interest in the new Crusade among the German children. + +For reasons politic, the Emperor suppressed the matter where he could, +but in the vicinity of the Rhine and the neighbouring land of Burgundy, +the mania spread like wildfire, and as in France, overcame all +opposition, until in little over a month after the first preaching of +Nicholas, his bands were ready to depart for the Holy Land, while +Stephen, Prophet and leader in France, was still waiting for the +completion of his army, recruits for which were ever pouring into St. +Denys, and although Stephen had never seen Nicholas, it must have been +anything but an easy matter for him to control his feelings and act as +such a divinely appointed leader should, when he heard that Nicholas +was ready to lead his forces on to victory, while he, Stephen, first +called of God, was left behind. + +But there was no help for it, and on a morning of early July, in 1212, +the German bands were ready to march to glory. Most of them wore the +long grey coat of the Crusader, with its Cross upon the right shoulder, +which, with the addition of the palmer's staff they carried, and the +broad-brimmed hat they wore, made a quaint and pleasing effect upon the +childish figures--while it showed to great advantages the broad +shoulders and fine figure of sturdy Nicholas, who was as different as +possible in physique and temperament from high-strung sensitive +Stephen. + +Now the hour of their departure has come. The army of Nicholas is ready +to start from Cologne--a great crowd of spectators surrounds them, +watching their movements in breathless silence. Nicholas stands with +up-raised hands, gives a signal--the army forms into a solid +body--starts--moves--and in a moment, despite opposition, +protestations, pleas and sobs, twenty thousand children have commenced +their march to Palestine. On they move, banners flying, songs and +cheers floating on the clear air, and while there is many a dimmed eye +and choked voice among those gathered to see them start, in the ranks +of the Crusaders there is only enthusiasm and joy. On to victory! is +their cry as they disappear behind the hills, a winding ribbon of +humanity, and soon the sound of their cheers and shouts sinks into +silence. + +And now let us follow them, as along the Rhine they journey. Across the +fields--beyond the river--southward through wilderness and vineyard, +they go--marching by an occasional castle rising from some lofty crag, +connected in many a childish mind with oft-heard legend and with song. + +As they march on, they while away the tedious hours with hymns and +tales, the children from the castles telling of knightly deeds done by +men of famous name, the peasants, telling of miraculous visions of the +Saints; and in the hearing and the telling of the tales, the children +became as one family, bound up in one holy purpose--to outdo all deeds +of heroic valour which had ever been the theme of song or story. + +A motley army they--strangest of all the armies ever seen before--with +face and form and voice of youth, but filled with older purpose and +courage, as on and on they march with Nicholas in command, the lines +stretching behind for several miles; and still are their banners +proudly borne aloft, and still as they march, this famous old +Crusader's hymn rises on the still air: + + Fairest Lord Jesus, + Ruler of all Nature, + O thou of God and man the Son! + Thee will I cherish, + Thee will I honour, + Thou, my soul's glory, joy and crown. + + Fair are the meadows, + Fairer still the woodlands, + Robed in the blooming garb of spring; + Jesus is fairer, + Jesus is purer, + Who makes the woeful heart to sing. + +And still they journey southward, with Palestine their goal, and in +their young minds there is no fear of a way to cross the Mediterranean +sea, for had not Christ assured Stephen, and a vision revealed to +Nicholas, that the drought at that time parching the land was God's +evidence that they were to pass through the sea as on dry land, its +waters having been parted for their benefit? + +So fearlessly and happily they travelled on through the lands of the +lords and nobles who owed allegiance to France, and everywhere their +fame had preceded them, and in every village they won fresh recruits, +until at length their number was so great that no city on the way could +contain their army. + +Some slept in houses, invited by the kind-hearted, others lay in the +streets or market-place, while others lay down outside the walls of the +cities, or if they were in open country when night fell, slept in barns +or hovels, or by brooks, or under protecting trees, and so weary were +they from their tiresome march that wherever they were, it mattered +not, they slept as soundly as on beds of down. Then when morning came +they ate whatever they had left, or begged or bought what food they +could, for some among them still had money in their pockets. The line +of march was again formed, the banners unfurled, the crosses uplifted, +and with songs and shouts another day was begun. At noon they rested by +some stream or in a shaded nook to eat their scanty meal, and then +again marched on, feeling more keenly each day the distance lying +between them and the land of their dreams, for the great trials of the +young Crusaders had begun. Every day the march grew harder and more +tiresome to the weary travellers, each meal the supply of food was more +scanty, and even those children who had any money were robbed or +cheated of it by hangers-on and thieves. Disorder and lawlessness +increased rapidly in the ranks of the army, until at last they moved on +without any rank or discipline, and under various leaders, who now +openly defied the authority of Nicholas. At last they reached the +territory now called Switzerland, which was then a number of small +districts, mostly belonging to the Emperor; and the army winding +through its beautiful valleys and passing along the banks of its +turbulent rivers, came at last to the shores of Lake Leman and camped +by the walls of Geneva. From thence their task was to cross the +trackless heights of the Alps. + +Weary and worn, but singing as they went, they journeyed bravely on +over Mt. Cenis, which in the Middle Ages was the most frequented of all +the mountain passes to Italy, and on that journey many children gave +way to exhaustion. The rocks cut their unprotected feet, the air of +dark chasms chilled them, they saw no prospect of rest or food until +the pass was traversed, and go any farther in such misery they could +not. Many turned back, and sadder and wiser, sought again the +protection and comfort of their homes. + +But the majority of the army still feverishly excited and inflamed with +hope, pressed on and on, then suddenly in a moment of unexpected +vision, before them in the distance they saw winding rivers, tapestried +hills, and vine-yards and valleys of such luxuriant beauty as they had +never seen in their Northern lands. + +With new courage and strength they hurried on now, and soon they were +in Italy, where, alas, poor children, they met with all sorts of +oppression and cruelty as they journeyed, for the Italians were +embittered against the Germans because of the constant wars carried on +by their emperors, and visited the sins of their fathers upon these +innocent children who were in their power, refusing them entrance to +many towns, and subjecting them to all sorts of cruelties. But still +such of the army as remained pressed on and on, and then one day, oh, +joyous sight, not far beyond they saw the sea, blue and boundless, and +on its shore, bathed in sunlight, lay "Genoa, the proud," a vision of +fairyland to their dazzled eyes. + +Discords were forgotten, songs not sung before for many a tearful day, +rose again on the clear air. Crosses and banners were again uplifted as +of old, and Nicholas was once more prophet and leader, as, forgetful of +the past and its miseries, the army of children stood on the 25th day +of August, at the gates of the city of Genoa, waiting to be admitted. + +Bright were the floating banners, proud were the waiting youths, as +Nicholas made his plea:-- + +"In the name of Christ and his Holy Cross, admit us, his soldiers to +your city! Grant us rest on our journey, to rescue the Holy Sepulchre +from the hands of the enemy! Men of Genoa, we ask not for +transportation across the sea rolling between us and our goal. On the +morrow God will part that sea that we may go over as on dry land, to +achieve a victory denied to the wise and powerful of the land. Yea, he +has said, 'Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained +strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy +and the avenger.' Men of Genoa, open thy gates to us, in the name of +Christ!" + +A large number of dignified Senators, or rulers of the city, heard the +petition of Nicholas, heard it with pity mingled with amusement, and +offered the protection of the city for a week to the deluded youths, +for by that time--so thought the Senators--the youths would discover +their deception and return homeward. + +Eagerly did Nicholas and his army accept permission to enter the city +whose streets and palaces were in such sharp contrast to those of their +own homelands, Genoa being at that time at the height of her prosperity +and greatness, but their joyful wonder found its match in that of the +inhabitants, whose astonished eyes saw so many fair-haired children +marching through their city, with banners and crosses carried high, +singing their splendid songs, and full of such grim determination to +rescue the Holy Land, a feat which experienced warriors had failed to +accomplish. + +As the children marched through Genoa, changed indeed was the +appearance of their army; of the twenty thousand who had left the banks +of the Rhine under the leadership of Nicholas, there were only seven +thousand remaining now. Of the rest some were on their homeward +journey, some in new homes which they had found by the way, others were +lying in undiscovered graves in forest or on hillsides. Only the +strongest and most resolute of that great army remained, and in +consequence it was the flower of the youth of the Rhinelands, who +entered Genoa, rugged and healthy, though their clothes were worn and +faded, their feet bruised and bleeding, their faces burned by sun and +wind, and their expressions aged and saddened by experience. + +The merchants left their desks, the children stopped their play, and +stared in wonderment, the grave nobles were moved to surprise, and the +mothers wiped their eyes as the army of blue-eyed youths marched by. + +No sooner had the Senators extended the hospitality of the city to the +youths than they decided to retract it, for three reasons: They were +afraid of the effect on the morals of the city, which might be produced +by the entrance of seven thousand unrestrained boys--also they feared +that such a sudden addition to the population might produce a famine, +for situated as Genoa was, there was never any too great a quantity of +food. Also, most weighty reason of all, the German Emperor was at war +with the Pope and in the contest, Genoa was on the Guelph, or papal +side. To shelter German children then, even though on a Crusade, would +be to harbour foes and to care for a hated race which the Pope had +declared outlawed. + +In consequence of these reasons the children were told that they could +stay only one night in the city, after all, except those who desired to +make it their permanent home, and abandoning their wild scheme, promise +to become good citizens. + +But the youths laughed scornfully in answer--saying: + +"We only _ask_ to rest one night. To-morrow you shall see how God +cares for his army! Who would remain here, when there lies a path in +the sea, between emerald walls, to the land where glory waits us?" + +So saying they slept that night, in proud and peaceful hope of the +morning's glory, and in the morning rushed early to the shore, that +they might see the path across which they were to journey to the +promised land. Alas for hopes and promises and visions! The blue waves +rippled--the sea rolled on. Hours wore away and yet no path was cleared +through the depths, night all too soon came on, and there was no +alternative for the army but to leave the city, and then decide upon +their next step. Some of the children awoke to the deception of that +undivided sea and resolved to stay in Genoa under the conditions +imposed by the Senators, for the comforts of the city appealed strongly +to them after such hardships as they had experienced. + +But on that day, Sunday, August 26th, the remainder of the army which +had so proudly and happily entered the city on the day before, went +from its gates with hanging heads and sad hearts--a crestfallen band. +Outside the city walls they gathered in a field near by, to discuss +their plans for the future. Was it wiser to stay and perhaps die in +sunny Italy, than to lose their lives on the weary journey separating +them from their homes? + +One cheery lad made answer, "Are there no other cities which will give +us shelter? Why think that Genoa was meant to be the place at which the +way through the sea was to be made? Let us push on to the southward +until we find the passage which God has promised!" + +His courage was contagious, as courage always is, and the diminished +band decided to press on still further, until God should show his sign. +This resolve made, all turned to Nicholas for his approval of their +decision, and so intense had been their excitement during the +discussion of their plans that no one had noticed that their leader was +no longer one of the group. Alas, for his consecration to a sacred +calling, Nicholas was not to be found, either then or later! Their +leader, who had led them on to glory, where was he? No one ever knew. +Never again was Nicholas seen by any one of those comrades who had +followed him so far and so faithfully, trusted him so fully, and barest +surmise fills in the mystery of his disappearance. + +Nicholas was no high-strung, emotional boy, carried away, as was +Stephen, by the glory of his holy calling, he was a calm quiet lad, +who, once impressed with the fact that there was work for him to do, +always did it to the best of his ability, but always with a keen +businesslike instinct of serving his own interests to the best +advantage. His father had impressed upon him the glory and rewards +which would come to him as leader of a victorious Crusade, and Nicholas +had responded to the call. + +Now defeat had come instead, and he, the leader of the army, must bear +the brunt of the disgrace which would weigh heavily upon his shoulders +as long as his life lasted,--of that he felt sure. His comrades were as +competent to press on, or to journey homeward without him as under his +leadership. So he argued with himself and even as he argued, yielded to +a great temptation, and like Esau, sold his honour for a mess of +pottage. + +A nobleman of Genoa, who was rich and powerful, and who saw in the lad +a resemblance to his long lost son sought Nicholas secretly, and +offered tempting prospects of a home and such advantages as the lad had +never dreamed of having in all his simple life, if he would abandon his +leadership and forsake his army, and Nicholas yielded to temptation. +With careful strategy he slid away from that little group of +disheartened followers, feverishly discussing what was best to do, and +all that flock who had trusted him so fully, mourned for him, and +mourning, trusted still, accounting him as one whom the Lord God of +Hosts had for some wise reason taken from them. + +And even while they were mourning for him as for one dead, Nicholas in +new garments, more rich and showy than any he had ever worn before, was +being shown the wonders of his new home, where servants stood ready to +do his bidding, where every article of furnishing was a miracle of +fairy fashioning, where cultured voices spoke in gentle tones, and +where, oh, rapture far beyond all else, in the near-by stable there +stood a prancing steed that was to be his own. Truly a worthy Crusade +leader, he--Nicholas, the German lad! + +Without a leader now, and without discipline or regulations, the +discouraged, disorganised band whom he had deserted, bravely started on +again, and reached Pisa, where they had far kinder treatment than in +Genoa, and from which place two shiploads of them sailed for the Holy +Land, but which we have no record that they ever reached. Those who did +not embark, broke up into various small bands and straggling groups, +travelling still southward, and at last reached Rome where they told +their piteous tale to the authorities, who granted them an audience +with the Pope. + +Kneeling before him, they told in graphic words the story of their +wanderings and sufferings and discouragements, to which unmoved the +Pope listened, then, praising their zeal, he commanded them to make no +further attempt to reach Palestine, telling them of the hopelessness of +the undertaking. But he added, that the cross of a Crusader once +assumed, bound one for ever to the Holy Cause, and that when they were +older they must fight again for the rescue of the Holy Sepulchre, +whenever he should call them to do so. + +This bound the children to a repetition of their hardships and +adventures, which, considering the courage and suffering of that little +band of youths who knelt before him, was little less than cruelty. + +Despairing now, and worn out with what they had endured, they were +forced to obey the Pope's decree, and so with shattered hopes and +dreams of glory for ever abandoned, they retraced their steps, and +found their pathway homeward far more trying than the rest of their +journey had been. + +Many of them died on the way, and of those who lived, it was said in +towns and cities through which they passed, that where in departing +they passed in parties and troops, happy and never without the song of +cheer, they now returned in silence, barefoot and hungry, and with no +band of followers. + +Day by day they straggled into Cologne--victims of a sad delusion. +Alas, how bitterly they had paid for their wilful disobedience! + +When asked where they had been, they said they did not know, and had +only wild confused tales to tell of strange lands and countries, +costumes and customs, and many a mother's heart was broken with sorrow +that her boy had not survived the journeying. + +Winter had passed and Spring had come and gone before all the wanderers +had returned, all the lost been given up, and for many a year to come, +peasants and nobles, with tear-dimmed eyes told the story of the German +children's march to the sea, and of the supposed martyrdom of their +lost leader, Nicholas--whose father, the afflicted parents whose homes +had been desolated by the Crusade, turned on in such a frenzy of +bitterness and anger, feeling that he had strongly influenced his son +to leadership that they laid violent hands on him and hanged him in +revenge. + +Meanwhile, during all the weeks while Nicholas and his army were +marching southward on their way to Italy, Stephen was still preaching +at St. Denys, and his young lieutenants were still gathering recruits +for his army from all parts of France--but at length in late June, all +was ready except the last preparations for departure, and Stephen then +sent out a command to his forces to gather at Vendome, a city near +Cloyes, which was not only one of considerable importance, but from +which roads lay in many directions from which bands could arrive. + +From that moment every day some new band came into Vendome with a young +leader in command, and was loudly welcomed by the other waiting bands; +while coming across the plains, other groups could be seen marching +towards the city, with their flags and oriflammes waving high, and +their crosses held higher yet. As they drew near the city their songs +could be heard louder and louder until when they reached the city +gates, the words were so distinct that their dialect disclosed the +province from which they had come. + +From every province in France they came, bringing with them their +different languages, costumes and peculiarities, and consequently, +there was great confusion and variety in the ranks of Stephen's army, +but though their dialects and costumes varied greatly, the youths were +bound together by a single hope, led by a common aim, as they marched +into Vendome ready to start on their perilous journey. + +Like the German youths, they were assured that no vessels would be +needed to take them across the Mediterranean, for had not Stephen said: + +"Between waters which are to be to us as a wall on the right hand and +the left, are we to cross the untrodden bed of the sea and with dry +feet will we stand on the distant beach by the walls of Acre or of +Tripoli. We bear no weapons and we wear no armour! The pathway of other +Crusaders may be marked by the stain of blood and the glitter of steel, +but our pilgrims' robes are our armour, our crosses are our swords and +our hymns shall time our march!" + +Not all wore the Crusader's grey coat, but all wore the Cross which was +made of muslin cloth and sewed on the right shoulder of the coat. To +place the cross there was the duty of the prophets--as the young +leaders of each band were called. Receiving the cross was the formal +act of enlistment, and proud indeed were the lads who wore them. + +At last the latest band had come to Vendome, and fully thirty thousand +children were gathered together there, eagerly awaiting the command to +start on their journey. What a sight that was, the army of children as +they stood waiting for the command to march! + +Pleading parents and weeping friends begged the youths to repent and +stay at home where their duty lay, but pleas and cries were all +counteracted by applause and encouragement from thoughtless +enthusiasts, and after religious exercises in which God's blessing was +asked, and the oriflammes and crosses raised triumphantly, the army +formed in line of march, and then with a volume of cheers which drowned +the sound of sobs and protests, moved on, out of Vendome under the +protection and leadership of Stephen. + +It was only a few weeks since the young prophet had been the humble +shepherd lad of Cloyes, but that was forgotten now, and as he led his +army from Vendome he had assumed a pomp and dignity quite out of +harmony with the appearance of his army. A leader of such a mighty host +must not walk, so Stephen rode. The Lord's own general and prophet must +assume the style which became his rank. He therefore rode in a chariot +as splendid as could be procured, covered with rare carpets of +brilliant colours. Over his head to protect him from the heat of the +sun was a canopy from which there hung draperies of every hue. Around +this chariot to guard him and carry out his commands, as well as to add +to the impressiveness of his station, rode a band of chosen youths of +noble birth, on chargers, dressed in splendid uniforms and armed with +lances and spears. This pomp and splendour increased the confidence of +his followers, who, too young to see the inconsistency of his conduct, +listened to his words as to those of God, and regarded his wishes as +law. + +Out of Vendome, amid songs and shouts and tears and applause of the +crowd gathered to see the departure, moved the ranks of youths, their +eyes dazzled with the wonder and the glory of the leader--their hearts +on fire to do his bidding. And in Stephen there burned the zeal of the +real leader. In order to keep up the spirit of the host, which fatigue +would tend to lessen, he spoke to them often in stirring words. At +morning or noon or evening when they halted or encamped and also while +they marched, he leaned often from his chariot and spoke encouraging +words. Sometimes they thronged around him so closely when he spoke that +it was hard work for his guards to protect him from the consequences of +their weak homage and as they pushed forward to be near him, many of +the weak and small were crushed to death. The veneration for the Boy +Prophet was carried to such an extent that all vied with each other to +procure a thread of his clothing, a piece of the trappings of his car, +while they who had a single hair of his head felt they had a priceless +treasure. It is small wonder that this shepherd boy, sensitive as he +was to impressions, and duped as he was in the belief that he was +anointed by God to a holy calling, and then worshipped by an +ever-increasing tide of followers, should have been affected by the +rapid change in his circumstances and surroundings. He was evidently +possessed of no slight ability to carry out plans, and had much power +over people, and his whole nature was aflame with the emotional +credulous piety of the Middle Ages. Such was the lad Stephen, shepherd +of Cloyes, prophet of the Children's Crusade, when with pomp and +ceremony he led his army out of Vendome. + +The pathway of his army was marked by far fewer hardships than those +the German children were encountering, for the country through which +they travelled was more peopled and the distance they had to go much +shorter. They did not have to sleep on rocky heights or on freezing +moors, and in the lands through which they passed they encountered only +sympathy and interest. So their ranks were scarcely thinned by +desertion or death, and yet even so, the trip was none too easy, +especially on account of the great heat and drought of the summer, to +which Stephen constantly referred as a sure sign from God that the sea +was to be dried up for their benefit as he had predicted. + +His army did not bear heat, want and exhaustion as well as the sturdier +German children did, and in an incredibly short time its ranks lost all +discipline and authority, and at last each one of his band of followers +became keen only to outwit the others in a search for food, and in +endeavours to hide it, they struggled on--a loose, undisciplined mass, +until finally Stephen's authority was entirely lost and the march +became only a race for the sea. All original enthusiasm of the army had +vanished, and the courage which for a while had been kept up by +Stephen's zeal, and by spirited songs and stories, died away, and +Stephen was obliged to make use of constant deceptions in answer to +questions as to when the weary march would be over, saying that a few +more days or hours would bring them to the sea, and so ignorant of +geography were the youths that the falsehoods were not detected. Day by +day they awoke with fresh hope which was fed by the sight of a castle +or walled town which they thought might be Jerusalem, and night after +night they lay down victims of a cruel deception--poor deluded, wilful, +little pilgrims! On and on they marched through central France, through +Burgundy, and beautiful Provence, and finally from the last range of +hills they had to climb, there burst on them a view of the cool, blue +sea, and from their ranks there came a mighty cheer! With renewed hope +they hurried down to the walls of the city of Marseilles which they saw +lying below the hills, an enchanting vision of cool green beauty to +their untravelled eyes. Their shouts announced their arrival to the +people of the city, who hurried to street corners and to market places, +and saw with curious and astonished eyes the strangest of all armies +which had ever visited their city before, and young and old listened +with wide-eyed astonishment to the tale they told. Three hundred miles +they had come, those children, in about a month, and the sea was now to +divide that they might pass over in safety to accomplish their holy +object! + +Unlike the German army, their numbers were scarcely lessened, as many +new recruits had joined the ranks and replaced those few who had +deserted or fallen by the way-side. So it was not a small and tattered +or worn-out band who made their appeal to the Marseillian authorities, +but an imposing band of twenty thousand youths, still flushed with +health and hope. + +Having no political reason to refuse them entrance to the city, and +possibly rejoicing to have such an influx of pilgrims, permission to +stay was given to the host of youths, who with their leader and the +older companions who had followed the army, accepted the hospitality of +Marseilles and were housed in various places for the one night which +was to be the preface to that miracle which would prove their Divine +mission. + +After a night of fitful sleep and vivid dreams, Stephen at dawn crept +out alone, and hastened to the shore of the sea, where he feasted his +hungry eyes on its surging depths, crying, "How long, oh, Lord, how +long, before thou wilt show thy power?" For hours he remained there, by +the sea, and yet there came no pathway for their pilgrim feet to tread. +Soon his army had clustered around him, and there they watched, and +waited, asking eager questions, and Stephen's hour for victory or +defeat had come. + +Standing on a rocky height, he spoke, with flashing eyes and ringing +voice, yes, and with an honest conviction of the truth of what he said, +spoke words of hope and cheer that allowed of no backsliding or +complaint, among his followers; and still the weary band kept up their +watch by the shore of that surging sea. The afternoon light deepened, +the sunset came, night spread its glamour over the scene, and yet the +waves rolled on, showing no sign of marvel or of miracle. Over-strained +and broken by discouragement, yet still hopeful, the army waited +through three long days and nights, and still the sea surged on +unchanged, undivided! + +Stephen's followers knew the truth at last,--they had been deceived by +a false hope, led by a false leader. Crying out against him who had +brought them to such a plight, so far from home, they vanished one by +one, until of the army that had entered the city, only five thousand +remained. + +Bewildered, discouraged, frightened, Stephen knew not where to turn for +help. Dropping on his knees he prayed earnestly for a voice to tell him +of his duty and of God's desire. + +Then suddenly his disheartened band of followers saw an unexpected +sight. Stephen, the Prophet, marching alone through the streets of +Marseilles, waving the Oriflamme, singing a song of triumph, shouting +in clear and ringing tones, "God wills it--God wills it!" + +They surrounded him, when at last he halted, and he spoke first in +denunciation of their unbelief, and then he told of two Marseillian +merchants who had come to him even as he was on his knees praying for +guidance, and offered him vessels to carry his army to Palestine. + +These merchants said they asked no passage money of Christ's soldiers +for the trip, the only reward they wished was the consciousness of duty +done to pilgrims in a holy cause, the prayers of the children, and the +honour of having helped the young Crusaders. + +Great was the rejoicing now, and great the shame at having for one +moment doubted God's help and the good faith of his servant, Stephen. + +Pressing around him as he told his thrilling tale, his followers begged +forgiveness for their lack of faith, which Stephen graciously accorded +and became once again the beloved leader, the honoured prophet. + +Such vessels as were needed for the expedition were speedily made +ready, and in Marseilles loud praises were heard on every side of the +generous men who were helping the young Crusaders to fulfil their +mission, then people began to gather to watch the little host embark. + +It was a thrilling sight--there in that quiet bay, to see the +Crusaders, trembling with excitement at this new experience--enter the +vessels which were waiting to receive them, while on shore the citizens +of Marseilles were crowding to the front to see the expedition start, +and the gay colours of the flying banners, the bright costumes of the +women, blended with the sunlight in which the fronts of the quaint old +houses were bathed, together with the blue water and the bluer sky, +made a picture both dazzling and beautiful. + +When the little army had entered the ships provided for their use, the +solemn ceremonies took place which in those days, when sea voyages were +so perilous, always preceded such an expedition. Then, the religious +exercises being over, all parts of the ships were examined to see that +they were in proper order for such a dangerous voyage, the sailors were +stationed at their respective posts, the anchor chains were loosened, +ready to release the vessels, and the ropes held in hand. There was a +brief silence, then upon the elevated "castle" or stern of each ship, +the young army of Crusaders commenced to chant that dear old hymn "Veni +Creator Spiritus" which the church in all ages has used on solemn +occasions, and as its words floated from one vessel, they were taken up +on another until the air was full of harmony which was wafted back to +the hills and shore, where the seven vessels were being eagerly watched +out of sight. With none of the noise of modern steamers, those seven +vessels glided out of the quiet harbour, in stately procession and +passed beneath the lofty rock of Notre Dame, and the little voyagers +were at sea. + +Soon their songs grow faint as they float over the water, then die +away. After that the flags and banners still tell of joy and hope, +until they too are invisible. The day draws to a close, darkness drops +down and envelops the seven ships sailing towards the promised land +with five thousand courageous little pilgrims on board. + +But, alas, for hopes and plans, alas, for the holy ideals of that +little band. Not one of them ever realised his ambition! + +Two of those ships which sailed so gaily from the harbour of +Marseilles, laden with the fair and hopeful youths of France, whose +mission was to rescue the Holy Tomb from infidel hands, were wrecked in +a wild storm off the Hermit's rock, lying beneath the cliffs of San +Pietro. + +There beneath the "unplumbed, salt estranging sea" lies Stephen, the +boy Prophet--who even while the tempest was hurling his army to death +on the open sea, proved the sincerity of his piety; for clinging to a +spar, while drifting to a certain doom, he led his little flock in song +and prayer, and even as wave after wave dashed over the deck, above the +roar of the tempest could his clear triumphant young voice be +heard--"In the name of Christ and His cross, be brave. We go to +victory--to victory!" + +Hideous indeed were the sufferings of the brave youths in the other +ships, when they saw their comrades drifting to their death, and little +did they dream that they had escaped that terrible storm only to meet +still greater perils. Soon they found that they were victims of an +infamous treachery, that the merchants who had been so praised in +preparing vessels for their use, were simply slave-dealers who had +contracted (and probably for an enormous amount of money)--to sell +those unsuspecting children to the Mohammedans--the very nation whom +the youthful Crusaders had gone forth to conquer, to whom such a +consignment of fair young slaves would be of rare value. + +Surrounded by vessels of the enemy, they were taken from the ships in +which they embarked, and despite their agony of fright and pleading, +were carried either to Brijeiah or to Alexandria by their captors, +where among the fairest scenes, and the most wonderful and tropical +beauty they had ever dreamed of, they were sold into hopeless slavery. +Not one of all that army of Stephen's ever saw Europe again, and the +Children's Crusade ended as all enterprises end, whether undertaken by +young or old, layman or priest, warrior or statesman, when conceived +and carried out in a spirit of rebellion and frenzy. + +Nicholas and Stephen--boy leaders of the Children's Crusade, one of the +most pathetic and thrilling events in all history, one lived--one died. +Which, think you, had the right to wear the emblem of the Holy Cross? + + + + +PETER OF HAARLEM: + +The Boy Who Saved His Country + + +It was an April day, and Haarlem, an old Dutch town near Amsterdam was +gay with tulips, for there in Haarlem are grown the most famous tulips +in all the world, as well as hyacinths, and if you had driven through +the country roads on that April day, you would have seen the meadows +and roadsides overspread with a brilliant carpet of the vari-coloured +flowers, while the air was full of the sweet perfume of the hyacinths, +and you could have carried away with you as many flowers as you had +time and patience to pick. + +Holland and its provinces and towns are famous for many other things, +as well as for tulips and hyacinths, for it is a country quite +different from the others which we visit and study about more often, +and although it is a small country in comparison to others which are so +vast in territory, yet there has been none more celebrated for courage +than brave little Holland, and its fight for independence has made it +famous in the historical annals of the world. Sturdy and plucky are the +Dutch, and quaint and curious are the customs and manners still +prevailing in many of the country districts. Every district has its own +costume peculiar to its inhabitants, and the many colours of these +costumes, the curious caps worn with them, the heavy wooden shoes, or +sabots, which all true Dutch people wear, and the clothes worn by the +men, so different from the conventional dress of men of other nations, +make a picturesque and interesting sight when the Dutch people are +gathered together on the day of a "Pardon" or religious fete day. + +Their homes, too, are quaint and strange in appearance to our +conventional eyes, and it has been said that the Dutch people dressed +up like quaint dolls, with their gay little homes and their little +canals, which cut up their bright green fields into many sections, live +in a country which is like a charming, attractive toy, it is so clean, +so tidy and so bright, and it seems a natural thing that the gorgeous +tulip should be their favourite flower. And that brings us back to the +old town of Haarlem in whose roads we were wandering on an April day. + +Now one of the greatest differences between Holland and other +countries, is that it lies below the level of the sea, and so has to be +very carefully guarded from the surging flood at its very door, or it +would be either swept bare by the relentless sea, or entirely wiped out +of existence. To prevent this calamity the patient Dutchmen have built +wonderful dykes which guard their little country and keep the tyrant +sea in check. These dykes are huge banks of earth which tower high +above the lowlands and are the only safeguards of the country. Of +course, these dykes could only be made gradually, as the sea was turned +from one spot to another by dams and locks, and no greater proof of +Dutch industry and patience is shown than the way they have protected +their land from the sea. + +When a dyke has been built, then on the edge of it, a windmill is +erected, which works a pump, and as the windmill draws up the water +from the sea, it is discharged into a canal. These canals which flow +through all Holland in a network of winding ways, run to the sea, and +where they meet the sea, in the dykes, great oaken gates, called +sluices are placed across the entrance to the canals, to regulate the +amount of water which shall flow into the canals, from the sea. These +gates are in charge of men called _sluicers_ whose duty it is, when +water is needed, to open the gates more or less, according to the +amount of water required, and then to close them carefully at night, so +that too much water may not flow into the canals, overflow them, and +flood the whole country. Even the smallest child in Holland is brought +up with a keen knowledge of the grave importance of a sluicer's duty +and of the danger to the country if he should neglect it, and the men +chosen for that position are always those whose reputation for faithful +service is unchallenged. + +Naturally, a country lying as Holland lies is very damp and misty, and +its entire surface is covered with the network of canals running +through the meadows to the sea. If you could stand on a hill and look +down on it, it would look like an enormous puzzle, consisting of +hundreds of small vivid green pieces cut apart by the canals and +decorated by the quaint red-roofed houses of which we have spoken. + +Through all the canals flows the same water, and all of them are +connected with each other, and are so very wide in some places that +there is much traffic on them. Then, too, through miles of the green +fields flow the narrower canals, draining the pasturelands, and +everywhere one feels the nearness and the menace of the everlasting +sea, and the protection of the dykes rearing the huge bulwarks between +the peaceful country and its treacherous enemy. + +And that brings us back again to Haarlem on that April day when the +quaint little town was gay with the red and yellow tulips and the air +sweet with the scent of hyacinths. + +On that bright spring day a little boy whose name is said to have been +Peter, and whose father was a sluicer, had for his dinner some cakes of +which he was very fond, and which his mother had baked because she knew +how much Peter liked them. + +Peter was a very unselfish boy, and whenever he had anything he liked, +his first thought always was to share it with someone else. So, as soon +as he had finished his meal, he jumped up from the table and begged his +mother to let him go to see a poor blind man who lived not far away, +and to let him carry with him those cakes which had not been eaten. + +His mother was pleased with this thought of Peter's for the poor old +man, and at once brought a basket and filled it with cakes for him to +carry to the invalid, while Peter's father was making him promise not +to stay out too late, and soon the boy was on his way to his friends, +happy in the beauty of the day, and in the thought of the pleasure his +present would give the blind man. + +And he was not mistaken, the old man was delighted with the cakes, and +at once broke and ate one, while he began to tell Peter one of the +stories for which he was famous, and which he knew Peter loved to hear. +But Peter suddenly remembered his promise not to stay out late, and +finally became so uneasy that he told the old man he must not wait to +hear the end of the story, and, hastily bidding him farewell, started +towards home. + +His path lay beside the dyke, and along its grassy banks grew beautiful +wild flowers of many varieties, so numerous and attractive that Peter +decided to pick a bunch of them to carry home to his mother, who was so +much of an invalid that she was seldom out of the house. So he picked a +few here and a few there--blue and yellow and pink, until he had a +handful of those varieties of which he knew his mother was most fond, +and as he walked on, to keep himself from feeling lonesome, he hummed a +gay little song. + +Presently, he stopped, and neither sang nor smiled, as he looked at a +slender thread of water trickling through the grass. Where did it come +from? Surely not from the canal, and there was nowhere else for it to +come from unless it came from the dyke itself. + +The thought was enough to make even a child turn pale and tremble. Only +the dykes stood between the boundless sea and the safety of little +Holland. He looked again, and to his imagination, the stream seemed +greater already. What could he do? Night was coming on, the road was a +solitary one. There was only the barest chance of anyone passing that +way whom he might hail, or of whom he could ask advice. + +Then came a quick recollection of his promise to his father, and he +started homeward again, but a force as mighty as a giant's grasp, made +him turn back again to watch that trickling stream of water. + +He was near one of the great oaken sluices, and bounding up beside it +he carefully examined the dyke. There, as small as his finger, was a +hole--strange and unaccountable happening,--and through that little +hole was flowing the stream of water at his feet. + +Like lightning the flash of intuition came to Peter, if that hole were +not stopped up instantly, the force of the flow through it would +rapidly increase from the pounding of that mighty sea behind it. In a +night the flood would break through the dyke and perhaps destroy all +the homes in Holland. + +What could he do? No stone would fit the hole, no amount of earth +packed into the crevice could resist the pressure of the water. Peter +was desperate. Forgotten now were his bunch of flowers which fell +unheeded from his hand. He strained his eyes in a vain search for +travellers on that lonely road, vainly he shouted out for help until +his throat was hoarse. What could he do? It was no common instinct that +came in that lightning flash to Peter. Climbing again up the steep +bank, from stone to stone, he thrust his finger in the hole and, oh, +joy, it fitted! It stopped the trickling water for the moment, but, oh, +what would happen when he took it out? + +Ah, it was as clear as daylight, what to do. He would not take it out +until someone should come to relieve him. Forgetful of what this idea +might bring to him, if carried out, he chuckled with a boyish delight +in this real adventure. + +"Ha, ha!" he said to himself. "The water _can't_ come down now. Haarlem +shall not be drowned while I am here to keep the flood back." + +For awhile excitement kept him warm and fearless. Then the chill +darkness of the night surrounded him. All sorts of strange noises fell +upon his unaccustomed ears, he seemed to see giants and demons lurking +near, ready to pounce upon him and kill him. Although he was a sturdy +lad, tears came at last, when he could no longer keep back thoughts of +his comfortable bed at home, of the parents who might be even then +worrying about his safety, although as he before remained over night +with the old man, Jansen, he felt that his mother and father had +probably gone to bed and to sleep, while he was out in the dark night +alone and in such a misery of pain. The pain grew greater, the misery +harder to bear every moment now, and still Peter kept his finger in +that dangerous hole. + +He tried to whistle, hoping to attract the attention of some straggling +traveller, but his teeth chattered so much that he gave it up, and then +he remembered what he had been taught at his mother's knee, and Peter +prayed to the great God who could control the surging sea and protect a +boy who was doing his best. Peter was only a child, but if he ever +prayed with his whole heart, he prayed so that night in the darkness, +with his numbed finger thrust through that hole in the dyke, and when +his prayer was said he somehow felt braver, stronger and older than +before, and in his heart he said: + +"I will not take it out till someone comes. I will stay till morning." + +Longer and longer grew the hours, the minutes, the seconds, and yet he +never moved--there were strange noises in his head, his thoughts were +confused, pictures of his playmates, of events long ago forgotten +danced before his eyes. He was not sure he could draw his finger out of +the hole even if he wished to do so, it felt so strangely numb. What +did it mean that knives seemed to be cutting, and pins pricking him +from head to foot? What would happen if no one ever found him--no one +ever came to help? + +At last the rose and silver of the dawn flushed the sky. Day had come +and along that lonesome road came the first traveller in all the hours +of Peter's vigil. + +A clergyman whose night had been spent by the bedside of a sick +parishioner, hurrying homeward on the path beside the dyke, heard a +groan, a feeble sound of one in mortal agony. Turning, he glanced, +first here and there, and looking up, at last, he saw beside the dyke, +the figure of a child writhing in agony. + +In a single bound, the clergyman stood beside him exclaiming: + +"In the name of wonder, boy, what are you doing here?" + +"I am keeping the water from running out," said Peter. "Oh, can't you +ask them to come _quick_." + +And they did. The town of Haarlem, even Holland itself, had been saved, +through the courage of a little boy who did his duty, and from that day +to this there has never been a child in Holland who has not heard the +stirring story of Peter, whose pluck was worthy of a sluicer's son, and +whose name will never be forgotten, or effaced from the page of +historic legend. + + + + +DAVID: + +The Shepherd Boy + + +A rare good fortune it is to have a friend so true and so faithful that +it is as safe to tell him a secret as to whisper it to yourself, one to +whom your interests are as important as his own, and who would do any +sort of unselfish act to show his devotion to you. It was just such a +comradeship as this which existed between two boys of long ago, the +story of whose intimacy has come down to us from Bible times as a most +wonderful example of what a friendship can be. + +Those boys were David, the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, and Jonathan, the +son of Saul, King of Israel, and when you hear two persons spoken of as +"a David and a Jonathan" you may know that they are the closest kind of +friends. + +To appreciate thoroughly the friendship between David and Jonathan, and +what it meant to both of them, let us go back a little into the history +of the time in which the boys lived, and look at the circumstances +which led up to their friendship, for that is very important to a clear +understanding of the story of David and Jonathan. + +At that time the kingdom of Israel was in a deplorable condition, for +the Philistines, a war-like tribe who lived in a small territory on the +coast, had over-run and conquered most of Israel, and Samuel who was +the aged guide and advisor of the Israelites, as well as the last of +the judges and the first of the prophets of Israel, saw that the only +hope for his people lay in having a higher moral standard and a central +government. To bring this about, Samuel established the schools of the +prophets in Ramah and other cities, where men could be trained to teach +their nation how to live wiser, purer lives--and Samuel also anointed +Saul as King of Israel, and for a while Saul ruled wisely and well. +Then he disobeyed the command of God, and began to care for conquest in +war only when it brought him glory or the spoils of battles, and Samuel +seeing this, was much troubled, and finally went to Saul and told him +that he must repent and do differently or he would no longer be worthy +to be the King of Israel, that God demanded more honest service than he +was giving. Saul was considerably troubled at this plain speaking of +Samuel and promised to do better in future, but when Samuel left him, +it was with a heavy heart, for he felt sure that there would be need of +a new king--that Saul would not keep his promises. + +And so Samuel at once began to look for a man whom he could anoint as +the future King, although no one knew of this purpose but himself, and +the voice of God within him inspired him to go to Bethlehem and seek +among the sons of Jesse for the King he wished to find. So Samuel went +to Bethlehem, but in order that the real purpose of his visit might not +be discovered, he took with him beside the horn of oil with which he +would anoint the new King if he should find him, also a young calf to +offer as a sacrifice, that he might have a suitable excuse to give to +the people for his visit. + +Of course the coming of Samuel created a great excitement in the little +town of Bethlehem, for the people feared that he came to reprove them +for some wrong-doing, until Samuel assured them that this was not so, +that he came peaceably, and in proof of it invited them to the +sacrifice which he was preparing to offer on a hill just outside the +gate of the city. According to the rule of Oriental hospitality, it was +customary that some prominent man from the village should invite Samuel +to return to his home after offering the sacrifice, to break bread with +him and to pass the night under his roof if Samuel desired to do so, +and as Samuel had invited Jesse to the sacrifice, it came about quite +naturally that, as Samuel desired, it was Jesse's home to which the +aged Prophet went. + +After they had arrived there, Samuel and Jesse sat and talked together +alone, for although Jesse had eight sons and two daughters, and they +were no longer children, the Eastern custom forbade a man's family to +enter his presence unless he expressly asked them to do so. And so +Samuel and Jesse were alone together, until Samuel asked Jesse if he +had no sons. Jesse replied that he had, and Samuel then requested to +see them. It was natural for a father to be pleased at such a request +and Jesse at once sent for Eliab, his eldest son, who promptly came +into the presence of his father and the aged Prophet, and Samuel looked +earnestly at the tall, handsome fellow, but a voice within him told +Samuel that Eliab was not the king-to-be, and after a brief talk with +the young man, he was dismissed, and Jesse called another and then +another of his sons, until Samuel had seen seven of them, but the +prophet only shook his head as he saw each one of them, for the voice +of inspiration or instinct said within him: + +"Neither hath the Lord chosen this." Then Samuel turned once more to +Jesse and asked: + +"Are here all thy children?" And Jesse answered reluctantly: + +"There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold he keepeth the sheep." + +Then Samuel bade Jesse send for David, which he did, and David, who was +as usual roaming with his flock in the Judean pasture-land, was greatly +surprised to see a messenger coming to him in breathless haste, and +still more was he surprised to receive his father's message that he was +to come home at once, as the prophet Samuel had asked to see him before +leaving. It was an unexpected command, but young David was always ready +for any emergency, and so, simply taking up his shepherd's staff, which +was a long stick with a handle crooked in such a way that by its aid +David could examine the limbs of his flock, or roll a sheep over with +it, when unruly and without further preparation, David accompanied the +messenger, although filled with wonder as to the reason for being +summoned to appear before the aged prophet Samuel. + +See him as he enters his home and stands before Samuel, red-cheeked, +fair-skinned, glowing with health and happiness, with arms strong +enough to break a bow of steel, and with limbs like a deer's in their +swiftness to escape a foe or to scale a wall. Sturdy and fearless he +stood before Samuel, the picture of youthful vigour and courage, and +when Samuel had scarcely more than glanced at him, the voice of God +spoke within the prophet saying: + +"Arise, anoint him, for this is he." + +Then Samuel rose with simple earnestness and laid a hand on David's +shoulder, looking long and solemnly into the clear bright eyes which +answered his glance, then more solemnly still, Samuel took up the horn +of oil which he had brought with him, and with the customary ceremony, +anointed David, the fair-haired young shepherd boy, to be the future +King of Israel. As only kings were anointed and Samuel always performed +this ceremony, Jesse could not have failed to understand the solemn +rite, although he must have marvelled over it, wondering why it should +be performed over this, his youngest and least important son. +Doubtless, although the Bible narrative does not tell us so, the aged +prophet later spoke to Jesse of the meaning of his act, and one can +imagine Jesse's flutter of heart at the thought that one of his boys +should have been chosen to fill such a great position. David also, +young as he was, must have understood in some measure what the ceremony +meant, although he must have been completely at a loss to understand +how he, a mere child, could be the Lord's anointed. Probably, like any +other boy of to-day, he wanted to ask questions, but there was not the +freedom allowed young people in those days that there is now and David, +looking from the awe-struck face of his father, to the solemn one of +the prophet, doubtless kept silent. Then with an appropriately +reverential farewell to the aged prophet he must have been sent from +the presence of Jesse and Samuel, sent back again to his accustomed +task and to await the fulfilling of that destiny which, from the moment +when he thrilled at the touch of the prophet's hand on his head, and +the sound of his solemn words, he felt sure was in some way to link his +life in consecrated service to that of the people of Israel. + +But that belief did not alter his conduct in his daily routine of duty, +and with the faithfulness which was one of his marked characteristics, +he continued to care for his sheep, tending them with increased +watchfulness under the stimulus of his new day-dream. + +And from that moment David had unconsciously taken the motto which was +his through all his adventurous life: + +"I shall not raise my hand against the Lord's anointed." + +From that hour when he went back to tend his sheep, after Samuel's +visit, to the time when his destiny was fulfilled, David, even under +the stress of fierce temptation, never moved a finger to hasten events; +never tried to force his way to the throne of Israel, but with buoyant +courage, did his duty day by day, and the monotony of his early +shepherd's life was varied only by an occasional unexpected adventure. + +Look--listen--as he wanders over the hillside at dusk, he shows +alarm--he hears a dreaded sound! Ah, yes, one he knew too well--the +stealthy glide of a creeping foe coming to attack his flock. + +Alone, with only his sling for weapon, in that wild unpeopled country, +the shepherd boy stands, brave and alert, ready to protect his sheep. +Ah, a lion! the stealthy beast creeps nearer, nearer. + +Suddenly David draws his sling, the stone strikes the lion between the +eyes, he falls by a single shot. But look--this is not the end of the +battle. Even while David is encountering the lion, that most dreaded of +all foes of the flock, a huge bear glides with stealthy steps, and +seizes a lamb. Quick as an arrow David hurls himself upon the monstrous +beast, who drops his prey and rises in angry power on his hind legs to +hug and crush his enemy. But David is too quick for him, he grasps the +bear by the jaw with iron force, grapples with him, the great creature +snarls, moans, writhes and is no more, while David, hot with the joy of +victory, turns back to quiet his frightened flock. + +Does not this encounter give a hint of the fearless courage that made +David such a famous warrior in later life? + +Now let us note another side of his many-sided character while we +listen to the melodies he so dearly loved to play on his harp as he +wandered over the hills and plains with his flock. David had in him the +making of a mighty warrior, a great king, but he had too, a dreamy, +sensitive, poetic side to his nature, which made him deeply appreciate +and enjoy all the beauty of nature which he tried to express in his +music, and which long years later, came out more clearly in those +wonderful psalms which he wrote, and which have comforted and helped so +many generations of Christian people. + +In those days Saul was becoming less and less of a dignified, +self-controlled leader, as he began to realise that he was not powerful +enough to hold his people, and he frequently gave way to fits of +terrible anger or prolonged melancholy, from which no one could rouse +him. At that time when the Philistines were gaining so many victories +over the Israelites, it was most important that Saul should not give +way to such attacks, as they unfitted him to perform his public or +private duties, and every means of quieting him was tried, but in vain. +Finally, it was suggested that music has a soothing effect on troubled +spirits, and when the idea was mentioned to Saul it pleased him, and he +at once commanded that a musician be found and brought to him. Then +came the question of who that musician should be, and one of Saul's +counsellors said: + +"Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, that is cunning +in playing and a comely person, and the Lord is with him." + +The description pleased Saul and he at once sent a messenger to Jesse, +saying: + +"Send me David, thy son, which is with the sheep." + +And so once again, there came to David a new experience for which he +had had no preparation, and again, as before, he neither refused nor +questioned the call to a different life, but while Jesse, his father, +was preparing a present to send to Saul by David, according to the +custom of the times, David was making hasty preparations to leave home. +Soon he was ready to set off, and taking with him an ass laden with +bread, a bottle of wine and a young kid, which were Jesse's present to +Saul, on he journeyed over the hills and through the valleys until he +reached the court of the King, and presently stood in the presence of +Saul, who almost as soon as he had looked at the lad with his fair, +bright face and sturdy figure, took a great fancy to him, and commanded +him to become one of his household and to come and play to him whenever +he should be summoned, and also sent this message back to Jesse: + +"Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found favour in +my sight." + +So David stayed at the King's court, and whenever Saul gave way to an +attack of anger or depression, the young minstrel would hasten to him, +and play melodies grave and gay, sweet and brilliant, playing with such +skill that before he knew it, Saul would be in good humour again, or +drop into a deep, refreshing sleep, and little did he dream that the +lad who had such power to soothe and amuse him had been anointed by +Samuel to rule over Israel in his place. That David thought often and +earnestly about this, would be only natural to suppose, and we can but +fancy that in those days amid surroundings such as he had never had +before, the young lad learned much of the manners and customs of a +king's life, and learned too, from the weakness that he saw in Saul's +nature what a king ought to be and do. Probably much of David's tact in +dealing with men and circumstances at a later day came from his +observations in those early days when he was but a minstrel at the +court of Saul. + +How long he remained there, we do not know, but until Saul's attacks of +passion and melancholy had been entirely overcome. Then, in the same +spirit of unquestioning obedience as he showed before to the call of +circumstances, as soon as he was no longer needed by Saul, David went +back again to his home in Bethlehem and again tended his father's +flocks in the Judean pasture-lands. + +The Israelites and the Philistines were still at war, and the two +armies were now encamped against each other on opposite ridges that +overhung a valley, called the valley of the Terebinth, about sixteen +miles from Bethlehem. + +Battles in those days were sometimes merely encounters between two +champions chosen by the opposing armies to fight for them; but the +Philistines had given no hint to the Israelites that this was to be +their plan of action, when suddenly, out from their camp there burst +forth Goliath, the last and mightiest of the giants of Gath, and +shouted out a challenge to the Israelites, saying: + +"Why are ye come out to set your battles in array? Am not I a +Philistine and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you and let +him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me and kill me, then +will we be your servants, but if I prevail against him, then shall ye +be our servants and serve us!" And he added in a mighty voice that rang +through the valley: + +"I defy the armies of Israel this day! Give me a man that we may fight +together!" + +Colossal and terrifying, the great monster stood, like a glittering +mountain of power as the rays of the sun fell upon him, for he was over +ten feet tall, and his coat of mail was as heavy as bags of gold would +be, and shone like a mirror, and on his head was a huge helmet of +brass, and even his mighty limbs were covered with shining metal. He +carried a brass spear with a head heavier than that of ten ordinary +spears, and the staff of it was as huge as a young birch tree, while +before him walked the bearer of his shield, glittering too in the rays +of the sun. A mighty monster, he, Goliath, the giant of Gath, as he +faced the army of the Israelites and thundered forth his challenge to +them to find a warrior bold enough to fight with him, and the +Israelites were filled with fear as they saw him, and Saul's heart was +heavy with terror, and he at once offered great riches and the hand of +his daughter to any warrior who would accept Goliath's challenge. But +for forty days not a man answered the challenge or attempted to win the +reward offered by Saul. + +Then David, who was still tending his father's flocks, but whose three +elder brothers were with the army of the Israelites, was sent by his +father to carry supplies of food to them. Of course, David had heard +much at home that interested him deeply in the armies and their +manoeuvres, and now he could scarcely restrain his joy at the thought +of seeing the encampments for himself, and he got up early the next +morning and leaving his sheep with a keeper, set out gleefully, even +though what he had to carry was a heavy burden, for he was taking a +large quantity of parched corn and ten loaves of bread to his brothers, +as well as ten cheeses to the captain of their division of the army. +But he was so happy at the change in his monotonous life that he did +not mind the length of the journey nor the weight of his burden. + +And when he saw the tents of the encampments lying before him, he +thrilled with the courage and the desire of a born warrior, and quickly +leaving his provisions with the keeper of supplies, he ran forward to +the division of the camp where his brothers were, and eagerly greeted +them, but they seemed not at all glad to see him, even though he had +come to bring them sorely needed food. + +Jealousy is one of the worst faults a person can have, and it is to be +feared that David's family all felt it and showed it for this youngest +brother, who though a mere boy of seventeen, had received honours, and +shown ability far beyond their own, instead of rejoicing in his good +fortune, as they should have done. + +But David was evidently accustomed to their manner, and was unconscious +then of everything but his keen desire to know what the plans of the +two armies were, and poured out question after question, without +heeding the impatience of his brothers' answers. + +And as he stood talking, there suddenly stood before him the glittering +monster Goliath, and again his challenge rang through the valley; and +as always when Goliath was seen or heard, the men of Israel turned away +and fled in terror. But not so David. He was thrilled at the sight of +the mighty giant and asked the men who stood by him: + +"What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine and taketh +away the reproach of Israel? For who is this Philistine that he should +defy the armies of the living God?" + +And the men answered him that Saul had promised riches and honour and +his daughter's hand in marriage to him who should kill Goliath. + +And Eliab, David's oldest brother, listened while David questioned the +men, and being very angry at David's presence, said bitterly: + +"Why camest thou down hither, and with whom hast thou left those few +sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy +heart, for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle." + +But David, instead of showing anger at such an unkind speech, merely +answered: + +"What have I _now_ done? Is there not a cause," and paying no further +attention to Eliab, turned away, asking every man he met the same +question he had asked before, until finally his persistency attracted +so much attention, that Saul was told about this lad who was showing +such unusual interest in the rewards to be given for facing Goliath in +battle, and Saul at once sent for David, who by this time was flushed +with excitement, and with the contagious enthusiasm of the battlefield, +and he answered Saul like an old and mighty soldier. + +"Let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight +with this Philistine." + +Think of it, a slender inexperienced young shepherd lad taking up a +challenge like that of Goliath! + +Saul was astonished at David's words, and exclaimed, "Thou art not able +to go against this Philistine and fight him, for thou art but a youth, +and he a man of war from his youth." + +Throwing his shoulders back, and standing with head held high and eyes +bright with determination, David answered proudly: + +"I kept my father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear and took a +lamb out of the flock, and I went out after him, and delivered it out +of his mouth, and when he rose against me, I caught him by the beard +and smote him and slew him. The Lord that delivered me out of the paw +of the lion and the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this +Philistine." + +For a moment Saul looked in silent awe at this brave young +warrior--then in a voice trembling with admiration and with emotion, he +said with solemn emphasis: + +"Go, and the Lord be with thee." + +And then roused by the contagion of David's fearless enthusiasm, and by +the excitement of trusting a mere boy to give battle to the great +Goliath, Saul, with his own hand, dressed David in his own suit of +armour for the encounter, giving him his heavy coat of mail, his +glittering brass helmet, and even bound his own sword at David's side. +At first David's delight was great that he was wearing the armour of a +real warrior. But when he tried to walk or run, the heavy coat of mail +hindered him and the weight of the sword and helmet made him feel like +a captive in chains, and at last he cast them off, saying to Saul: + +"I cannot go with these." + +And although Saul showed his consternation at this young champion of +the Israelites against Goliath, going to battle without armour or +sword, he made no attempt to persuade David into doing other than as he +desired. And David stood before him again, this time, wearing his +simple shepherd's dress, and feeling both free and happy again. Then +taking up his staff, he went to a near-by brook and from its bed picked +out five smooth white stones,--notice how careful he was to choose +smooth stones. These he put in a bag which hung at his side, and then +with only his sling in his hand, he advanced towards the giant, who +having heard that David had accepted his challenge, had advanced to +meet him in all his power and show of glittering armour and weapons. + +Now Goliath had not heard of David's youth, and when he saw that his +adversary was only a fair strong boy, the giant grew scornful, and +seeing David's staff and sling, he shouted contemptuously in a voice +that rang from ridge to ridge, across the great valley: + +"Am I a _dog_ that thou comest to me with stones?" adding: + +"Come with me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and +to the beasts of the fields." + +But David paid no heed to the scorn, but sturdy and strong he stood and +faced Goliath, answering: + +"Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield, but +_I_ come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the +armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver +thee with my hand and take thine head from thee, and I will give the +carcasses of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and the +wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a +God in Israel, and all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth +not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord's and he will give +you into our hands." + +A pretty long speech and a pretty decided statement to be made by a +shepherd-boy--was it not? David's positive assurance that he could kill +Goliath, and that God was with the army of Israel, showed the boy to be +no ordinary boy, carried away by warlike enthusiasm. + +Goliath heard with mighty contempt and anger, the retort of David and +his taunt, and advanced in all his power and glory towards him, while +David, never taking his eyes off the giant's face, quietly put his hand +in his bag, slowly took out one of the stones he had so carefully +selected, and slung it with the unerring aim for which he was famous. + +With fatal accuracy it struck Goliath between the eyes. The mighty +giant groaned, and fell--slain by the hand of David, who, as he had no +sword of his own, hastily knelt on Goliath's body, drew his sword from +its sheath, and with it cut off the giant's head, and stripped him of +his valuable armour, to carry to Bethlehem as a trophy. + +[Illustration: _David and Goliath_] + +David, so young, so inexperienced in the art of war, had killed the +champion of the enemy. It seemed incredible. Through the ranks of both +armies the news spread like wildfire, and when the Philistines realised +what had happened, they were so terrified for fear of what might +follow, that they fled, with the victorious Israelites in hot pursuit, +who with cheers and shouts and great slaughter pursued them to the +nearest city, and then returned to despoil the tents of the vanquished +enemy, singing loud songs of triumph. + +And then David, flushed with victory, came before Saul carrying with +him the head of the giant. It is easy to picture Saul's absolute +astonishment when he realised that the conquering hero of his army was +this mere youth, so unlike his other warriors. + +But he talked long and eagerly with David, asking all sorts of +questions about his manner of slaying Goliath, and while they talked, +Jonathan, Saul's son, stood near them, listening and watching, and as +he heard David's stirring tale of victory, he was filled with +admiration for the boy who had done such a mighty deed; and, in that +instant, as the Bible says, "the soul of Jonathan was knit with the +soul of David," and the friendship of David and Jonathan was begun. +David's eyes flashed back an answering glance of interest to the King's +son, and there was a quick response of each to the other. And that +being so, you can imagine the joy of both the youths when Saul told +David that he was to go no more home to his father's house to tend his +flocks, but was to be thereafter his armour-bearer, or the member of +his household who came into the closest relation with the king. On +hearing this great piece of news, David glanced proudly at Jonathan, +and Jonathan at once led David away and took from him his shepherd's +dress, and clothed him in his own garments, giving him even his girdle +and his sword, which was the greatest honour he could have conferred on +David, the sign that he felt David had, by his courageous act, proved +himself more worthy to be the heir to a throne, than he, the king's own +son, was. And, too, he felt such a thrill of affection for this new +friend, David, that he could not help doing something to show it. And +then and always, Jonathan's friendship for David was absolutely free +from all taint of jealousy, and he always stood aside, that honours +might be heaped upon his friend, even those which by the rights of +inheritance, should have been his own. + +And so David began his new life at the court of Saul, with Jonathan, +his new friend, and the first happy days passed only too quickly. David +went out wherever Saul sent him, doing the King's bidding so well and +so wisely that Saul set him in command over his men of war, who all +gladly obeyed David. Although he was so young, he ruled so tactfully +that all the people, and even Saul's ministers grew more and more fond +of the youth who had killed Goliath, while Jonathan rejoiced in every +honour paid to his friend, and had not one bit of envy in his heart, +that David was so popular and so powerful. But Saul was less noble in +nature than Jonathan his son was, and when one day, not long after +David had killed Goliath, the men, women and children from all the +cities of Israel, trooped out to meet King Saul, singing and dancing +and playing musical instruments in celebration of David's victory, and +the women sang-- + +"Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands." + +This made Saul very angry and very jealous, for it was a revelation of +the strength of the national feeling against him, and as he heard the +shrill chant he exclaimed with fierce jealousy: + +"They have ascribed unto David his ten thousands and to me they have +ascribed but thousands, and what can _he_ have more but the kingdom?" + +From that moment, Saul was never fond of David, but always bitterly +envious of him, and watched to see how and when he could do the lad an +injury. + +The violence of his rage and jealousy threw him into one of his old +paroxysms, and as of old, David was called to soothe him by the music +of his harp. But the sight of David threw Saul into a still worse fever +of madness, and in anger he hurled his spear, the symbol of his +royalty, at David, crying: + +"I will smite David even to the wall with it," but David was quick +enough to avoid it, and when at another time Saul attempted the same +thing, David again slipped aside, and the spear simply struck the wall. +This agility of David's made Saul even more angry than before, and +increased his fear of the wonderful youth, whom Saul felt had the +blessing of God, which had been taken from him. So strong was Saul's +dislike of David now, that finally he sent him away from the house, +giving him a position where he would have less influence than formerly, +for he would be only captain over a thousand men, but the new position +only increased David's popularity. He ruled those under him with such +wisdom that all the people loved him, and Saul was, of course, more +jealous and angry than before, and yet afraid of him too, and he began +to think of another way to rid himself of the troublesome rival. + +When David had fought Goliath, he was promised the hand of Saul's +eldest daughter in marriage, if he should be victorious, which promise +had not been kept as yet, and now Saul remembered this, and offered to +redeem the promise by giving David his daughter, Merab, as wife, hoping +that in this way, he would not only rouse David's gratitude, but make +him feel in honour bound to fight the Philistines again, for his wife's +sake, and Saul hoped that they might kill him. + +Although in our day, David would have been far too young to think of +being married, in those days such things were different, and David +accepted the hand of Merab, but at the last moment, through some new +caprice of Saul's, the promise was broken and Merab became another +man's wife. But Saul's younger daughter, Michal, who had admired +David's behaviour ever since he had been her father's armour-bearer, +was as fond of him as her brother, Jonathan was, and when she told her +father this, he was greatly pleased and said to himself that she should +marry David, who would then fight the Philistines for her sake and be +killed by them. And when David objected to marrying her, saying that it +was no easy matter for a poor man to marry the daughter of a king, +Saul's messengers answered: + +"The King requireth no dowry from him, only that he kill a hundred +Philistines." + +This pleased David, for he was a born warrior, and he did not know that +the King's purpose in this agreement was to have him fall by the sword +of the enemy. So even before the marriage took place, he was so eager +to fulfil the king's request that he and his men went out and killed +twice as many Philistines as Saul demanded, and came home unhurt, and +although Saul was angry at this, he was obliged to give him Michal in +marriage, but from that moment, Saul hated David more fiercely than +ever, and was determined to kill him, especially when he saw that the +people loved David more and more deeply for his wisdom and bravery. +Intent on this purpose, Saul even called his ministers and servants +together and told them that they must kill David, and he told Jonathan +this too, and Jonathan, loving David as he did, was filled with fear +that his father's wishes would be carried out, and so he hurried to +David with the news of his father's command, and begged David to hide +until the next day, saying that meanwhile he would go to his father and +try to alter his feelings. + +When David heard Saul's command, it did not frighten him as much as it +did Jonathan, for he was almost fearless by nature, but he listened to +Jonathan intently, and promised to do what he asked, and as soon as +Jonathan had left him and gone to Saul, David fled to a secret place +and hid there, while Jonathan, having sought his father, began to say +good things about David, even though he saw there was danger of +arousing his father's fierce anger by what he said. + +But he spoke boldly, because of his love for David, saying: "Let not +the King sin against David, because he hath not sinned against thee, +and because his works have been to thee very good. For he did put his +life in his hand and slew the Philistines, and the Lord wrought a great +salvation for all Israel. Thou sawest it and did rejoice, wherefore +then, wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a +cause." + +It was a brave thing for Jonathan to speak so frankly to his father, +and he would have been more frightened in doing it, had not his love of +David given him courage. And he had his reward, for not only did Saul +listen attentively to him, but was touched by his plea, and when he +finished speaking, swore solemnly: + +"As the Lord liveth, he shall _not_ be slain." + +Jonathan scarcely waited to hear the words, before he hurried from his +father's presence and ran as fast as he could run to David's +hiding-place to tell him the good news, that he was not to be killed. +And then he insisted that David should go back with him to the king's +court, which David did, and when Saul saw him, old memories stirred in +his heart and he welcomed David affectionately as he had done in times +past. + +For a while David remained with Saul and Jonathan and as all went on +peacefully, he and Jonathan had many happy hours together. Then there +was war again with the Philistines, and David was sent out to fight +them, and was again victorious over them, slaying them with such a +great slaughter that those who remained alive fled from him, in fear +and dismay. And although Saul was glad of David's victory over the +enemies of Israel, the old jealousy of his young and powerful rival +again overcame him and he had or pretended to have one of his old +attacks of rage, and as in old times, David was called to soothe his +inflamed spirit. But while he was playing, Saul was filled with jealous +fury, and again hurled his spear at the young musician, and again David +slipped aside and escaped it, and the spear hit the wall instead of his +body--then he fled to his own house, more worried than he had ever been +before; for now he saw clearly that Saul would never give up his +purpose to kill him. + +This he told his wife, Michal, who knew her father's cruel, jealous +disposition, even better than Saul did, and was much alarmed for her +husband's safety. + +That night, Saul, following out his determination, to rid himself of +David, sent watchers to guard David's house and make sure that he did +not escape in the night, and though they did not go into the house to +kill him at once, because of an old Oriental superstition that only +evil would come to those who entered a home by night, they planned to +enter at daybreak and arrest him. + +Michal, with a woman's keen instinct, when she saw the messengers +outside, guessed their purpose and at once she said to David: + +"If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow, thou shalt be slain," +and then she told David of her plan to save him, which he thought was a +good one. After a hasty farewell, she assisted her husband to escape +through a window on the opposite side of the house from where the +king's messengers were crouched, and David under cover of the darkness +crept stealthily away and escaped once more from Saul's hand. When she +had seen him creep away in the darkness, Michal went back into the +house and dressing up an image, as if it were a man, she laid it in +David's bed, and covered it, head and all, with a long thick coverlet, +and at dawn when Saul's messengers forced an entrance, demanding David, +Michal answered: + +"He is sick." + +The men went away and told Saul this, but he did not believe it, and +sent them back to bring David to the palace in his bed, if they found +him too sick to walk, and it must have been a moment of triumph for +Michal, who had worked so hard to save her husband's life, and who knew +that he was, even then, far away, when she led Saul's messengers to the +bed, where they found, not their victim, but only an image. + +When Saul heard of this, his rage was almost beyond bounds, but Michal +did not care, for she knew that David was safe now, and her answers to +her father's reproaches at her conduct in helping David to escape were +as fearless as possible. + +All this took time, and meanwhile, David, now an outcast from his home, +had hurried to Ramah, a city on a height about three miles west of +Gibeah, where he found Samuel at the School of Prophets, and when he +told Samuel all that Saul had done to him, Samuel felt sorely against +Saul, and went with David to Naioth, hoping that they might in that way +escape Saul's messengers, who David knew would surely discover and +follow him. And he was right. No sooner had David reached Ramah than +Saul did find it out, and sent soldiers to arrest him, but three +different bands which he sent, one after another, when they came to the +School of Prophets became filled with religious excitement, and +neglected their errand. Then Saul himself was frenzied with impatience +and started out for Ramah, but before he reached the city, he, too, was +overcome by the spirit of religious excitement, and for a day and a +night forgot his own errand. So David had time to escape, and went +straight back to Saul's court, the place where he had been in such high +favour only a short time before. He went to find Jonathan, his friend, +who had been eagerly waiting for news of him. The meeting of the youths +was a glad one, but there was no time for discussing anything except +what David had come to get advice about. At once he asked Jonathan: + +"What have I done? What is my sin before your father, that he seeketh +my life?" + +And Jonathan loved him with a great love and was deeply troubled for +his safety, and he answered David: + +"God forbid. Thou shalt not die. Behold my father will do nothing +either great or small, but he will show it to me, and why should he +hide this thing from me? It is not so." + +But David knew the truth and he answered: + +"Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found favour in thine eyes, +and he said 'Let not Jonathan know this lest he be grieved' but truly, +as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between +me and death." + +A solemn thing for a young man, so strong, so full of the joy of life, +to believe and to say, and as he said it, his voice trembled, and +Jonathan's cheeks were white with fear. Only for a moment was Jonathan +silent, then looking straight into David's eyes, he said: + +"Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee." + +Could there be any better proof of friendship than that? + +Then David, who had been thinking what was wisest to do, told Jonathan +of the plan which must be carried out in order to find out Saul's +intentions with regard to him. There was to be a great festival on the +following day, to which Saul had invited David, just as if he and David +were on the best of terms, and David told Jonathan that instead of +going to the feast, he would hide in a field near by, while Jonathan +must go to the feast and see how his absence affected Saul, and also +draw him on in every way, to show his feelings for David. Then, as soon +as Jonathan had found out his father's feeling towards David, he was to +go to the field where David was hiding and shoot three arrows as if +shooting at a mark, and send a boy to pick them up. If he should shoot +on this side of David's hiding-place, it would mean that David could +come out in peace and safety, but if the arrows were shot beyond the +place where David was, it would be a sign that he must again flee, for +his life would be in danger if he remained. + +And so David hid himself in the field and Jonathan went to the feast, +as they had planned that he should do, and at first Saul did not notice +David's absence, then presently, he asked Jonathan where David was, and +Jonathan answered as David had told him to, that David had gone to +Bethlehem to attend a family festival there. Then Saul was very angry +at both David and Jonathan, and exclaimed: + +"Thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion. Surely as +long as he liveth, thou shalt not be established in the kingdom. +Wherefore, now send for him that he may die." + +Although Jonathan was perfectly conscious of his father's bribe of the +kingdom should he bring David to be killed, and of the cleverness of +Saul's appeal to his desire for power, he had no thought for himself, +but only anger that his father could be so hard at heart. But he +controlled his temper and merely said: + +"Wherefore shall he be slain? What hath he done?" + +At this Saul's fury knew no bounds; that he, King of Israel should lose +not only his sovereignty, but the loyalty of his own son, because of +this lad of Bethlehem, was more than he could bear. With the rage of a +frenzied animal, Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him, but as +David had done, Jonathan dodged the deadly weapon, and left the feast, +refusing to sit any longer at the table with a father who was so cruel +and capricious. + +And as soon as possible, Jonathan hastened to David's hiding-place, +taking with him his bow and arrows, and a lad to fetch his arrows for +him. + +And he said to the lad: + +"Run, find out the arrows which I shoot!----" and as the lad ran, he +shot an arrow beyond him. + +And when the lad found the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried +after him: + +"Is not that the arrow behind thee? Make speed--haste--stay not." + +And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows and brought them to his +master, and he knew nothing about the meaning of that which he had +done. Only Jonathan and David knew that, and then because he was eager +to be alone with David, Jonathan gave the lad his bow and arrows and +bade him take them to the city. + +As soon as the lad was out of sight and hearing, David who had heard +all that had passed between Jonathan and the boy, came from his +hiding-place, and as there was no one to see or hear them, those lads +of Israel in that far off land, sat together and talked as lads of +to-day might talk, while the sun was sinking low in the west, although +by doing so, they took a very great risk should they be found together. +But both of them were forgetful of all but the joy of being together. +Then with slow step and arm linked in arm, they walked together to the +spot where David had been in hiding, and with a quick realisation of +the danger ever shadowing David's life, both boys were overcome by the +depth of their affection for each other, and by the fear that something +was going to part them, and in the custom of the Orient at that time, +they clasped hands and made a solemn covenant, or vow, of eternal +friendship and mutual help, to extend after the death of either to +their descendants. + +It was indeed a solemn moment, and the deepest feeling in the boyish +hearts was stirred when they made their vow under the wide blue sky, +and looked long and sadly into each other's eyes. Then Jonathan said to +David: + +"Go in peace because we have sworn, both of us, in the name of the +Lord, saying, 'The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and +thy seed for ever;' and then, with a lingering good-bye, Jonathan went +back to his home, with a heart aching, not only with loneliness for +David, but full of fear of what he would have to suffer and bear in the +coming days, and of regret for that weakness of character which he knew +his father had allowed to go beyond his own control. And David went to +Nob, a city north of Jerusalem, where there was at that time the chief +place of worship of the Israelites, and where David naturally turned +his steps for instructions and also for food. The story of his flight +had not reached the little town among the hills, and he was received +with the honour due to the King's son-in-law, although Ahimeleck, the +chief priest, was astonished that he came without an armour-bearer or a +retinue of attendants. Seeing his surprise, David pretended to have +come on urgent, secret business for Saul, and begged for food. The +priest, believing this, felt that he must treat him with all possible +honour, and as there was no other food ready, gave him the bread which +was for use on the altar. Meanwhile, David's quick eye had caught a +glimpse of a face staring at him through the cracks in the simple +forest building. It was Doeg, the Edomite, Saul's savage herdsman, who +David felt sure had recognised him. A chill of foreboding crept over +David and made him at once demand arms from the peaceful priest. There +were none to give except Goliath's sword, which David had taken from +the giant when he killed him, and which had been there at Nob, wrapped +in a cloth, ever since. With eager joy, David exclaimed: + +"There is none like _that_, give it to me!" and seizing the matchless +weapon, he fled with it, knowing that Doeg was even then hastening to +Saul with news of his whereabouts, and that soon Saul's messengers +would be in hot pursuit of him. His next move was a bold one. Leaving +Nob, he and his few followers struck across the country in a southwesterly +direction, keeping well within the dense forests, until they looked +down on the city of Gath. David's condition was desperate now and he +resorted to desperate measures. The nearest Philistine city was Gath; +the glen where he had killed the giant was close beside him. It was a +dangerous thing to trust himself in Gath with Goliath's sword dangling +in his belt but David was nothing if not courageous. Danger in some +form he must face, the Israelites were behind, the Philistines before +him, and he made the plunge and took refuge in Gath. But the move was a +fatal one, his identity was at once discovered, to have his life he +resorted to the least heroic trick of his whole life. Pretending to be +a madman, he raved and stormed and twisted about with horrible +contortions, pounded upon the gates of the city, let the spittle run +down on his beard, and acted his insane part so perfectly that he +completely deceived the King, who laughed at the report that this was +David, the Israelite, and ordered him sent from the city, saying that +there were enough madmen in it for all practical uses. + +David's hasty flight ends this episode and we can fancy his sigh of +relief when he had once again escaped so narrowly from danger. + +Once more a fugitive, and a real outlaw now, he took refuge in the cave +of Adullam, where as soon as it became known that he had taken up an +outlaw's life, he was at once joined by a number of men who for some +reason were either discontented with their position at court, or +fugitives from justice, and had trust in David's ability to achieve +victories over enemies and circumstances. Even his own brothers, who +had hated and envied him in his earlier days, and his parents, who were +now old and feeble, came to join his band of followers, and soon he was +the chief of a band numbering about four hundred outlaws, among them +some famous warriors who later became noted captains in his army, after +he became King of Israel. + +Although the wild, free life of the forest was what exactly suited +David's own youth and vigour, he felt that his parents were too infirm +to bear it, and with characteristic thoughtfulness, he went at once to +the King of Moab and begged him to give a home to the old people until +he should have a safer place of shelter for them. David's grand-mother +was Ruth the Moabitess, which according to the rule of Eastern +hospitality, entitled all her relations to whatever aid they needed +from any of the tribe of Moab, and so the King of Moab cordially +assented to David's request, and received Jesse and his wife as inmates +of his home. + +Among David's first followers were some clever warriors of the tribe of +Gad, men fierce in war, and strong and swift of foot. With him also was +the prophet Gad himself, and there were even some men from the tribe of +Benjamin, the tribe to which King Saul belonged, who joined David's +company. It seems to have been a peculiarity of the Benjamites that +they could use either hand with equal skill, and those who joined David +were armed with bows, and were very valuable allies because they could +use both the right hand and the left at once in hurling stones, and +shooting arrows, and never miss their aim. At first David feared +treachery from these Benjamites, but when he asked them frankly what +their intentions were, they said: + +"We are thine, David, peace be unto thee and thy helpers, for thy God +helpeth thee." Then David received them, and made them captains of his +army, and they became enthusiastic admirers of their young leader, as +were all David's band. + +One incident shows what passionate affection his men felt for him. +Saul's army in losing David had lost the one captain who could keep the +Philistines in check, and they were over-running the country in +numerous bands, having their headquarters in the valley of Rephaim, +near Jerusalem. One night, in a moment of fond recollection of a +happier past, David cried out in an intense longing for a drink of +water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem by which he had often +driven his sheep in his younger days. At once, three of his men, +without telling him what they were going to do, forced a passage +through the Philistine lines and brought him the water for which he +longed. Touched by the act, but always modest, David refused to allow +men to risk their lives simply for his gratification and poured out the +water as a sacrifice to God, according to the religious ceremony of +that time, for it was as good as blood, David said, and the three men +who brought it to him were afterwards counted among the mightiest of +his heroes. + +Besides these men, all the others of his little band were devoted to +him, seeing his courage and his unconditional dependence on God under +all circumstances. The wild, rough life brought out all the manhood +there was in his little band of outlaw warriors who were occupied +mainly in guerilla warfare with marauding tribes and in eluding the +pursuit of Saul, and in this way several years passed, during which +time, David's life was full of stirring events, but many a night as he +wandered underneath the stars, his thoughts turned in passionate +longing to Jonathan, for whom his heart cried out--for Jonathan, whose +life was as different from David's, for he had all the comforts of +luxurious living, and all the elegance and pomp which were the natural +surroundings of a King's son. And yet he was far from happy, for he too +longed for David, and he was obliged to spend a large part of his time +in watching over his father, whose weakness of character he understood +perfectly, and to keep the King from dangerous acts and damaging +outbursts of temper, required all of young Jonathan's tact, and most of +his time and strength. + +Meanwhile, the prophet Gad whose advice was supposed to be divinely +inspired, told David that it was no longer safe to remain in the cave +of Adullam, so the little band of outlaws left the place where they had +been for so long encamped and as outlaws have always done, they took +refuge in a forest, somewhere among the hills of Judah. + +It was now the end of harvest time in May, and news was brought to +David that the town of Keilah was being harassed by plundering bands of +Philistines. As the town evidently did not belong to Judah at this +time, Saul did not move a finger to protect it, although the enemy had +shut up the citizens within their own walls and were robbing the loaded +threshing floors outside. David deliberated long and prayerfully, +together with the priest Abiathar, who was one of his followers, +deciding whether he might successfully attack the bands who were +robbing Keilah. His men were rather fearful of the enterprise, but when +Abiathar decided in favour of it, David's band at once marched over the +highlands of Judah, and surprised and defeated the Philistines with +great loss, and took much booty. David even established himself in the +town, but when Saul discovered that fact, he called out all the forces +of Israel, and prepared to besiege David, full of fiendish joy that the +prey he had so long sought was in his hands at last, for the capture of +four hundred men in a fortress however strong, could only be for his +large army, a question of time. All this became known to David, who was +warned by Abiathar that the inhabitants of Keilah would be compelled +for their own safety to give him up to Saul, and his four hundred men +only saved themselves by a hasty flight breaking up into detachments, +and fleeing wherever they could go, while David with only a handful of +his army, made his way once again into the hospitable wilderness which +stretches from the hills of Judah to the shores of the Dead Sea, and +there he hid in secret places among the crags and tangled brush, while +with fiendish perseverance, Saul sought him every day. But every day +God saved him from capture, yet as the days passed he became weary and +discouraged in heart. Then in a lonely hour there came a rare joy to +David--Jonathan, his friend, stood beside him with outstretched hands +and beaming eyes, joy expressed on every line of his sensitive, +delicate face. + +David has no words ready for such a joyous moment--he is no longer the +brave warrior--leader of men. He throws his arms about Jonathan's neck, +and tears come,--yes, tears,--and Jonathan too, is unnerved, but there +is no time to lose, they may be discovered any moment and that will +mean death for at least one of them. Jonathan is the first to speak, +clasping David's hand closely. + +"Fear not," he says in a clear, calm voice, "the hand of Saul, my +father, shall not find thee, and thou shalt be King over Israel, and I +shall be next unto thee, and that also my father knoweth." + +So spoke Jonathan, and the words came from his heart, for knowing as he +did of all the courageous acts of David, and of all the diplomacy he +had used to help others as well as himself, Jonathan's heart told him +that his friend was truly worthy to be King of Israel rather than he, +the rightful heir to the throne, and with deepest love and admiration +in his eyes and voice, and at peril of his life, should he be found +with David, he told David this, and David's eyes shone with joy and +pride in his friend's appreciation, and his hand-clasp grew firmer, and +there was deep, intense silence while the two friends thought of past +and future, and looked into each other's eyes as comrades look who +trust and understand. + +Then, Jonathan renewed his covenant of friendship for David, and of +loyalty to his descendants for ever, and David began to give his +answering promise, but he could not finish the words because of a great +sob which burst from him. And Jonathan could say no words of comfort, +for his soul was full of misery too, because he must so soon part from +David. Then David who was quick to see and feel Jonathan's pain, turned +away, and hastily, with a mighty effort controlled his misery, that his +friend might not see sorrow on his face, and with one last look +Jonathan turned and silently went from the forest, out into the larger +world and back into the less free life that was his at the Court of his +father. Back to his own duty which he never shirked, went Jonathan, and +to David remained only the fulfilling of that renewed covenant of +comradeship. And fulfil it he did. + +In the following months Saul still sought daily to kill him, but daily +failed to do so, and instead David had an opportunity to capture and +kill Saul, when he came upon him by night sleeping, with his spear +stuck in the ground at his head, and surrounded by Abner and his people +who were sleeping too. Think what a temptation that was for David to +resist! But even though it would have freed his life of a dangerous +enemy and raised him to the throne, David would not yield to it, for he +said: + +"Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be +guiltless? The Lord shall smite him, or his day will come to die, or he +will descend into the battle and perish, but God forbid that I should +stretch my hand against him." + +And never did he raise his hand against Saul, though still Saul pursued +him with relentless hatred, but still David escaped from his hand, and +he and his band of followers became daily more famous for their deeds +of valour, and for the brave warfare they waged against their enemies. + +War again broke out between the Israelites and the Philistines. David +and his men who were not now with either army, but who had just +captured the Amalekites and taken from them large booty, were rejoicing +over this victory, when joy was turned to sorrow. News was brought to +David that both Saul and Jonathan had fallen in battle against the +Philistines at Gilboa. + +Jonathan gone from him! Jonathan, his friend, gone beyond his sight for +ever! David refused to believe this until he who brought the sad +tidings had again and again given proof of its truth. Then David gave +way to his grief, and he and all his men who sorrowed with him, wept +and mourned and fasted until evening, for Saul, the king, and for +Jonathan, his son, and David mourned as one who cannot be comforted. + +Although David had known only too well the truth about Saul's great +weakness, and had feared him as his most dangerous enemy, still to him +was Saul always the King of Israel, mighty in strength of character, +and in all the pomp and power of a nation's ruler; still the king of a +shepherd boy's dreams and also he was the father of Jonathan, and +because of David's childhood's ideal of Saul, the king, and because of +his great grief for Jonathan his friend, David, who was now the King of +Israel, expressed his true feelings in this wonderful poem in memory of +Saul, and of Jonathan his friend: + + The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places + How are the mighty fallen! + Tell it not in Gath + Publish it not in the streets of Askelon, + Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice + Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph, + Ye mountains of Gelboa, let there be no dew, + Neither let there be rain upon you! + For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, + The shield of Saul, the anointed of the Lord. + From the blood of the slain, + From the fat of the mighty, + The bow of Jonathan turned not back + And the sword of Saul returned not empty, + Jonathan and Saul + Were lovely and pleasant in their lives + And in their deaths they were not divided; + They were swifter than eagles, + They were stronger than lions, + Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, + Who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, + Who put on ornaments of gold on your apparel, + How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! + O Jonathan, thou wast slain + I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan! + Very pleasant hast thou been unto me, + Thy love to me was wonderful, + Passing the love of women, + How are the mighty fallen, + And the weapons of war perished! + + + + +LOUIS SEVENTEENTH: + +The Boy King Who Never Reigned + + +It was the early morning of a bright June day, and the famous gardens +surrounding the palace at Versailles were gay with bloom and heavy with +scents as rare as was the morning. King Louis Sixteenth of France +looked from a window out over the terraces in their vari-coloured +beauty, and saw among the blossoms, a little figure busy with spade and +rake, and although the King's heart was heavy with sorrow because of +the death of his elder son, the Dauphin, as the eldest son of the King +of France, and heir to the throne, was always called, yet he was filled +too with pride as he looked out at the little Louis Charles, to whom +only three short hours before had descended the titles and honours +which had belonged to his brother. + +The King's long and earnest glance at the little Dauphin attracted the +child's attention, and dropping his tools, he waved frantically towards +the window, crying out: + +"Papa, see the beautiful flowers. I am pleased with myself. I shall +deserve mamma's first kiss to-day, I shall have a bouquet for her +dressing-table. May I come and show it to you?" + +The king bowed his head in answer and smiled a sad smile as he turned +to the queen, Marie Antoinette, who even then stood beside him, weeping +bitterly for the other son who had gone from her for ever. + +So absorbed was King Louis in his attempt to comfort her, that he +forgot the new little Dauphin, until the door opened softly, and he saw +the small figure standing just inside the door, holding tightly in his +hand a bouquet of violets and roses. Charming in his childish grace and +beauty was little Louis as he stood there, watching his father and then +his mother, with grave concern at their evident sadness, and quickly he +held up his flowers to his mother and said with sweet grace: + +"Mamma, I have picked you some flowers from my garden." + +Still Marie Antoinette could not speak, but the king caught the child +up in his arms, saying: + +"Marie, he too is our son. He is the Dauphin of France." + +Slowly Marie Antoinette turned, clasped his bright, lovely face in her +two hands, and stooping, kissed him tenderly on his forehead. + +"I had forgotten," she said. "God bless and protect you, Dauphin of +France. I only pray that the storm clouds which now darken our sky may +be long past, when you ascend the throne of your fathers!" + +Little Louis' forehead was wrinkled with perplexity. + +"But, mamma," he asked timidly--"why is it you all call me Dauphin +to-day, when I am just your little Louis, who is called the Duke of +Normandy?" + +"My son," said the King, solemnly, "each day differs from the last, and +this new day has brought you a new name and a new position. Your poor +dear brother has left us for ever. He has gone to God, and you are now +in his place, the Dauphin of France." + +"And is that why mamma is crying, and will Louis never come back?" + +"No, dear, he will never come back, and so your mamma is grieving." + +Quickly little Louis' arms went around her neck. + +"Oh," he cried, "poor, dear mamma! I don't see how anyone can leave +you, and not come back? _I_ will never leave you, never, never!" + +"God grant it!" sighed the queen, pressing him tenderly to her. "May He +grant it--oh, my precious child!" and then with his face close to hers, +and a little hand held tight in the big one of his father, whose arm +was around them both, Louis continued: + +"If it is mine now, please tell me what it means--that name, the +Dauphin." + +The king answered: + +"My son, this is what it means. You are now the eldest son of the King +of France, and some day you will be the king, and to you belong now the +titles and honours that were your brother's. Do you understand?" + +Instead of showing appreciation, Louis' blue eyes looked entreatingly +at the Queen, and his lips quivered. + +"Mamma," he whispered, "I like being Duke of Normandy best. Will you +love me any better if I am called the Dauphin?" + +"No, dear child," answered the Queen tenderly, "I shall not love you +better, but you are no longer the Duke of Normandy. You are the Dauphin +now, the future King of France!" A sob choked the words as Marie +Antoinette turned hastily away to hide her grief, and in doing so, she +put her foot on the flowers which little Louis had brought her. His +face clouded as he saw this, then with a bright smile he looked into +the Queen's face, saying quickly: + +"Mamma, I wish you always walked on flowers I picked for you." + +Without a word Marie Antoinette turned, and clasping him in her arms, +was comforted. Then, reminded of state duties to be done, she was about +to release him when he whispered: + +"Did my poor dear brother only leave me his title? Oh, mamma, I do not +want it. But there is something of his that I _do_ want to have very, +very much now that I am the Dauphin." + +The King looked bewildered, but the Queen smiled through her tears. + +"I think I can guess what it is," she said, "see if I can, little +Louis," and putting him down, she softly left the room, and when she +came back there ran and frisked about her, jumping for joy of +comradeship, a tiny black dog who rushed up to Louis, and jumped on him +over and over again, and the child clasped it in his arms, while the +dog put its paws on Louis' shoulders and licked his rosy cheeks with +frantic affection. + +"Now, my Louis," asked the Queen, "did I guess right? Wasn't that what +you wanted so much?" + +"Oh, yes it was! It was!" exclaimed the boy, his eyes shining with joy. +"Is he really mine now? Does he belong to my inheritance?" + +The Queen could not answer, but the King spoke sadly. + +"Yes, my son, he belongs to your inheritance." + +The Dauphin shouted with joy. + +"He is mine! He is mine!" and as he held the little dog close to him, +the picture was a pretty one, the boy with his round rosy face, dimpled +chin and deep blue eyes shaded by long, dark lashes, with his high +forehead, and heavy golden hair, all the delicacy of his colouring and +features thrown into relief by the dark blue velvet of his suit, all +the charm of his expressive face shone in his joy over the new treasure +which he was clasping tight. What to the little Dauphin was the silver +star embroidered on his left shoulder, which showed his princely rank +and removed him from the rank and file of other boys? What was a crown, +a title--even the throne itself? They were less than nothing to him in +comparison with the little dog nestling in his arms and licking his +face, and while the King and Queen watched the pretty picture they +sighed for the simple joys of childhood, and Marie Antoinette, looking +into her husband's face murmured: + +"God keep him in His care!" + +Although the little Louis' new title was of such small value to him, +yet the possession of it changed the whole of his life, and as soon as +he became the Dauphin, his education and training were of the gravest +importance, for he would some day rule in his father's place. + +Accordingly, every possible advantage that could be given him was +secured, and while his father saw to it that he should have enough +out-of-door exercise to keep him sturdy and strong, his mother +superintended his lessons, as well as those of his sister, Therese. +Although Marie Antoinette was young and pleasure-loving and was often +called frivolous because of the spontaneous gaiety into which her +nature often led her, yet she was a devoted mother, and every morning +at ten o'clock, Therese, the Dauphin, and their teachers went to the +queen's rooms, and there learned and recited lessons. + +The little Dauphin was a brilliant scholar and said such bright things +that all the courtiers took great pleasure in asking him questions, +that they might hear his answers. One day while saying his lessons, he +began to hiss loudly, for which his mother reproved him. + +"I was only hissing at myself," he said, "because I just said my lesson +so badly." + +On the evening before the queen's birthday the king told the Dauphin +that he would buy him a handsome bouquet to give his mother for a +birthday present, but that he wanted him to write a letter of +congratulation to go with it. To his surprise the Dauphin did not show +as much pleasure as he expected at this and finally on questioning him +he discovered the truth. + +"I have got a beautiful everlasting in my garden," Louis said, "I want +to give it to her, please, papa, it will be my bouquet and my letter +all together, for when I give it to mamma I shall say, 'I hope mamma, +that you will be like this flower.'" + +The idea was so pretty and the boy so eager, that he had his way, and +King Louis' pride in this clever child was great. + +He was no prig, no saintly child, this little King Louis Seventeenth to +be, he was just a sensitive, affectionate boy, whose winning manner and +charm of person attracted all to him, and made him an especial pet of +the older people from whose conversation he gathered much information +which they never thought he understood. + +One day when playing in the garden, full of excited vigour, he was just +going to rush through a hedge of roses, when an attendant stopped him +and warned him, saying: + +"Monseigneur, one of those thorns might blind you or tear your face." + +But the Dauphin persisted, and when halfway through the hedge, called +back: + +"Thorny paths lead to glory"--a phrase so ominous of the poor little +Dauphin's future that it has ever been remembered as one of the most +remarkable of his sayings. + +For some time, the Dauphin who was quick to respond to joy or sadness +in those around him noticed many signs of distress, not only in the +faces of his father and mother, but in those of others whom he saw +daily, and many an hour when no one knew it, his childish mind spent in +wondering about the situation, trying to understand the heated words he +heard, the tears he saw, and sometimes he would creep up to Marie +Antoinette and pat her smooth cheek reassuringly, and kiss her +lovingly, and though this comforted, it added to the pain of the Queen, +who feared for the happiness of the future King of France. + +The Reign of Terror was at hand. The Revolutionists, fierce and strong +in their murderous frenzy had risen, risen to kill monarchs and +monarchy. Louis Sixteenth was on the throne--therefore Louis Sixteenth +must go; Marie Antoinette was his wife; she had danced, and spent money +like water while they, the people had needed bread, so they said--and +Marie Antoinette must go. Little Louis was heir to the throne--that +throne whose power must be overthrown, and so Louis the Dauphin must +go. + +The rulers of France had for generations proved so false to their trust +and to their kingly responsibility that the love of the people had at +last been changed into hate. Louis Fourteenth and Louis Fifteenth had +sinned so deeply against those whom their oath of office bound them to +protect, that now at last there was no feeling but revenge and hatred +in the hearts of the subjects of the King of France, and on the heads +of the reigning sovereigns, Louis Sixteenth and Marie Antoinette fell +the horrors of the Reign of Terror, which was now reaching a point +where only torture and bloodshed could appease the fiends who were +rapidly becoming all-powerful. It was claimed that the taxes collected +from the people for the expenses of war and government were being +misused for the extravagances and frivolities of the royal family. It +was even claimed that the people were starving for bread while the King +and Queen were living in luxury, and this because the fiends of the +revolution had caused all bake-shops to stop baking bread, so that the +cry of starvation might be raised among the people, who could then be +incited to storm the palace and demand bread of the royal family. + +The very scum of civilisation, the dregs of the population of France, +were roused in fierce and unjust revolt against the royal family; yes, +in revolt and in power, and on a day of early October, 1789, a howling +mob of frenzied men, women and children swept up the peaceful avenues +of Versailles, shrieking their fiendish cries for vengeance on the +royal family, and then they invaded and took possession of the royal +apartments. Aghast at the outrages committed in the name of the French +people, the King and Queen tried in every way to restore the mob to +peace, but in vain. The leaders of the rebellion demanded the immediate +appearance in Paris, which was the seat of the revolution, of King +Louis and his family, where they could be closely watched by their +enemies, describing in alarming terms, the danger to his majesty if he +did not comply with the request. Accordingly, after hours of +indescribable horrors and humiliation and anguish, the king was obliged +to give his consent to the plan, and the royal family made ready for +their departure from Versailles. During their seven hours' journey to +Paris, they were followed by a rabble of such human fiends as had +invaded the palace at Versailles, and although throughout the whole +terrible trip, Marie Antoinette and the King bore themselves with sad +and dignified composure, yet the strain on them both was almost too +great to be borne. Through all the agony and excitement, the Dauphin +frightened though he was, seeing his mother's tears, tried to smile +courageously into her face, and to keep back words of complaint, and +the sight of his courage almost broke his mother's heart. What would +this all mean to him, the future king of France? Alas, poor little +Dauphin! + +At last they reached the Tuileries, the royal palace in Paris, where no +French King had lived since Louis Fifteenth was a young man. There had +been no preparations made for the coming of the royal family. The +palace, so long uninhabited was in a state of dilapidation, and there +were no comforts in it, and very few necessities. But the travellers +were too much exhausted to heed anything but that they had reached a +temporary shelter and were relieved that death, which the day before +had seemed so imminent, had been, for the present, put aside. + +Exhausted to the breaking point, Marie Antoinette slept soundly that +night, and on the next morning as she sipped her chocolate in a room +which had been hastily transformed into a sitting-room for her, she was +thinking sadly of life and its changes when the door opened and the +Dauphin ran in and flung himself into her arms. + +"Oh, mamma," he cried, "please let us go back to our beautiful palace +at home. This big house frightens me with its shadows. Why have we come +here, mamma, when we have such a lovely palace and garden of our own?" + +The queen sighed. + +"My son," she said, "this palace belongs to us too, as well as +Versailles, and it is considered a beautiful palace. It is where the +great Louis Fourteenth lived, you know." + +"Well, I don't like it at all and I wish we could go away," whispered +the Dauphin, casting a homesick look around the great bare room, +furnished so meagrely with faded furniture. + +"I wish so too." The queen scarcely breathed the words, but the +sensitive child's ears caught them, and he answered eagerly. + +"Then why do we have to stay? I thought a queen could always do what +she wanted to do." + +In answer the poor, sore-hearted queen burst into tears, whereupon the +Dauphin's tutor tried to take the child from her, saying severely: + +"My prince, you see you trouble the queen, and her majesty sorely needs +a rest. Come with me for a walk." + +But Marie Antoinette shook her head and clung to the child whose hand +was now gently stroking her cheek, and whose tears were mingled with +her own. + +Then from the street came the dreaded sound of loud shouts and cries +and threats, and the Dauphin clung more tightly to his mother, both +shivering with dread but both brave. + +"Mamma," asked the Dauphin, "is to-day going to be just like +yesterday?" + +His question was answered by the king himself, who entered the room +just then and flung himself into a chair, telling the queen that those +who had aided the mob in their violent acts were about to be brought to +trial for them, and he added his request that the queen should receive +the committee who had come to judge the people for their violence. + +In stately dignity, Marie Antoinette then left the room to receive +other subjects, who still considered her the queen of France, and after +her going, King Louis and his little son were left alone. + +The king, exhausted in body and mind, closed his eyes and lay back in +his chair, ready to sink into a light doze, when he was roused by a +gentle touch on his arm. + +Beside him stood the Dauphin, his great blue eyes full of grave +thoughtfulness. When he saw the King's eyes open, he spoke. + +"Papa," he said, hesitatingly, "I should like to ask you +something--something really serious!" + +"Something really serious!" replied the King, smiling in spite of +himself. "Well, what is it? Let me hear." + +"Papa," answered the Dauphin, with an air of one who has thought deeply +on a subject. "My governess has always told me I must love the people +of France and treat them kindly, because they love you and mama so +much. But if they do, papa, then why do the people act so badly to you? +And oh, papa, I have been told that your people owe you obedience and +respect, but they were not obedient nor respectful yesterday and they +said dreadful things I never heard before. What does it mean, papa?" + +The king drew the child on to his knee and put an arm around the grave +little questioner, telling him that he would explain it to him, but +that he would have to listen carefully if he wished to understand such +grave matters. + +"Oh, I will, I will," answered the Dauphin eagerly. "I know that I am +one of your subjects, and that as your son and a subject too, I must +give a good example to the French people of loving and obeying the +king. But it seems that my example has not done any good at all yet. +How does that happen, papa?" + +In answer, the King told him that wicked men had said to the people +that he did not love them, that they had listened and believed this, +that France had had great wars, and wars cost a great deal. And so, +because he was the King, he had asked money of his subjects, just as +had always been done by other Kings. + +"Oh, but papa," cried the Dauphin, "why did you do that? Why did you +not take my purse and pay out of that? You know that I receive every +day my purse filled with bright new francs and I could have helped you +easily. And, oh papa, do your people have more money than you have +yourself?" + +King Louis answered that a king receives all his money from the people, +but gives it all back to them again, that he governs those people, and +they owe him respect and obedience and have to pay taxes to him, and so +if he needs money he raises it by laying extra taxes upon them. Then he +asked, "do you understand that, little Louis?" + +"Oh, yes, indeed!" The Dauphin was breathless with interest now, "I +have been told about that, but I don't like it. It seems to me that if +a man is the king, he ought to have all the money and give it to the +people when they need it. They ought to ask him for it, not he ask +them." + +To this the king agreed, but added with a sigh, that kings had so +misused their power and authority that the people no longer trusted +them, and that now a king could not pay out money unless the people +knew what it was to be used for, and were willing. + +"Have you used people's money, papa, without asking their leave?" cried +Louis eagerly. "Was that why they came to Versailles yesterday and were +so wicked to us? For those bad men and women were the people, weren't +they?" + +King Louis shook his head. "No, my son," he said. "The people can not +come to me in such great masses. They have to send representatives. +Those representatives I called to me at Versailles and asked of them +money for the outlays I had to make, but they asked things in return, +of me which I could not grant, either for my own sake or for yours, my +son, who are some day to be my successor. Then the people were led to +believe that I did not love them, but I am determined to show them that +I do love them and am ready to share everything with them. That is why +we have left lovely Versailles and come to live here, where we have to +do without so much that we enjoy. And we must try to be contented here +and share all the disagreeable things that the people have to bear, +which is what a true King should do." + +The Dauphin had sat like an old man, listening, and now as his father +stopped speaking, the boy laid a hand on his breast, saying solemnly: + +"Papa, I have understood everything, and I am very much ashamed that I +complained at all. And I promise you I will take pains to give +everybody a good example. I will be happy and contented here." + +And the Dauphin kept his word; he took pains to be contented, and never +said another word about Versailles, but tried to get all the pleasure +he could from the dreary old palace and its garden, so different from +that at Versailles, where the Dauphin had so much ground in which to +work. Here in the garden, there was only one small corner set aside for +the use of the royal family. This was surrounded by iron palings, +through which faces full of hate and malice would often peer at the +little Dauphin while he was busy gardening. One day he heard such words +and saw such threatening faces that he shrank back and ran to his +mother, who comforted him as best she could and said that he must be +brave and strong, or she would cry too, and that she must not do this +because it was exactly what the men who were trying to hurt their +feelings, wanted to see her do. + +The boy's eyes flashed. + +"I will never complain again," he cried, "and they shall never again +have the pleasure of seeing you or me cry if I can help it. But, mamma, +tell me--are there no good men in the world?" + +"Yes, Louis," answered the queen. "You must believe that all men are +good and treat them courteously, until you have proved the contrary. If +they refuse your friendly kindness, it will not be your fault, and you +will have done what is right, no matter what others do." + +A shadow passed over the child's lovely face. + +"But, mamma," he said, "all men are not good. The men who abused and +cursed us so were not good, and I could never be friendly to them, +never!" + +"We will hope that we shall never see them again," said the queen, "and +I wish you to be so kind and polite to everyone who comes here, that +all men may admire and respect their future king, even though he is +still a child." + +"I will be," cried the boy with spirit, "so that you may be satisfied +with me, mamma. Just for that I will be so!" + +As Marie Antoinette was kissing the pretty boy who was her comforter, +the mayor of Paris and General Lafayette were announced, and the +Dauphin whispered to his mother: + +"That general was at Versailles with the bad men. I can _never_ be +kind to him." + +"Hush," whispered the Queen--"For God's sake, do not let anybody hear +that. No--no--he does not belong to our enemies. He wishes us well. +Treat him kindly, my child." + +And then Marie Antoinette took her son by the hand, and together they +met their distinguished guests, who had come with the unwelcome news +that, according to the old custom of the days of Henry the Fourth, the +people wished to have free access to the gardens of the Tuileries, +which freedom had been denied them since the coming of King Louis and +his family. + +The queen was bitterly opposed to this, for it meant that, for her own +comfort and protection, she must only walk in the garden at certain +times and under escort, and she was speaking with proud and angry +fearlessness to the general about the matter, when the Dauphin left her +side and running forward, extended his hand to Lafayette, crying: + +"General, I should like to salute you. Mamma told me I must be polite +and kind to all who are good to us, and she said that you wish us well. +Let me, therefore, greet you kindly, and give you my hand." + +As he spoke, he raised his blue eyes and looked smilingly and +trustingly into those of the general and then at his mother; and his +hearer, whose heart had just kindled with anger against Marie +Antoinette and her rebellious words, felt anger melt into admiration, +together with reverence and astonishment at the words of the manly +little Dauphin. Bending his knee, in stately grace, he pressed the +Dauphin's small hand to his lips and said gravely as to a comrade: + +"My prince, you have spoken as with the tongue of an angel, and I swear +to you and to your royal mother that I will never forget this moment. +The kiss I have impressed upon the hand of my future king is at once +the seal of a solemn vow and the oath of unchangeable fidelity and +devotion to my king and the royal family. Dauphin of France, you have +to-day gained a soldier for your throne who is prepared to shed his +last drop of blood for you and your house, and on whose loyalty you may +always count." + +General Lafayette had tears in his eyes, and his noble face glowed with +emotion, while the child before him looked at him with wistful eyes and +a happy smile. Close by stood Marie Antoinette, her air of proud +defiance turned to one of gentle sweetness. She knew what that moment +meant in the history of France, and her heart thrilled with pride in +her little son, the Dauphin. Stooping, she kissed his golden hair, and +then, without an attempt to conceal the emotion, she finished her +conversation with the general and mayor, and then, making her adieus to +them beckoned to the Dauphin to go with her from the pavilion in which +the interview had taken place, and to return to the palace. + +Instead of walking beside her, the Dauphin paused and asked: + +"Mamma, please let me walk alone. I want the people to see I am not +afraid, as they may think if I let you lead me. I want to be like the +Chevalier Bayard, that the Abbe talked to me about the other day. I +want to be _sans peur et sans reproche_--like Bayard." + +The queen smiled through tears. + +"Very well, my chevalier," she said. "You shall walk alone." + +"And before you, please. The knights always walk in advance of the +ladies, to protect them from danger. I am your knight, mamma, and I +want to be, as long as I live." And he added with a pretty, playful +bow, "Will you allow it, my royal lady?" + +"I allow it! So go in front, chevalier, little Louis. We will take the +same way we came." + +The Dauphin sprang along the path for quite a distance, when he stopped +suddenly and turned round to the queen, who with her two footmen was +walking quietly behind him. + +"Well, Chevalier Bayard, what are you stopping for?" asked the queen +with a smile. + +"I am waiting for you," he said gravely, "because this is where my +knightly service commences, for it is here that danger begins." + +"It is true," said the Queen, and even as she spoke, there came to her +ears a sound of shouting as loud as the booming of cannon. "Oh, my +child," cried Marie Antoinette, "the sound is like the thundering of a +storm at sea! But such storms lie in God's hand and He protects those +who trust Him. Think of that, little Louis, and do not be afraid!" + +"Oh, I am not afraid!" cried Louis, running happily on. And yet, +outside the fence behind which they were walking, was a dense mass of +angry people muttering curses on the queen and the Dauphin. + +All at once, the mother's heart almost stopped beating from fright and +horror. A man had extended his bare, powerful arm through the paling of +the fence, to bar the Dauphin's way when he should try to pass it. + +The boy saw the arm, hesitated a little, then went bravely forward. The +queen hurried that she might be near him when he reached the danger +point. On walked the Dauphin in proud courage. On hurried the queen and +as she reached him, she cried: + +"Come here, my son. Give me your hand." + +But instead of responding to her cry, the little prince sprang forward +and stood directly in front of the outstretched arm, and reaching out +his small white hand, laid it on the brown clenched fist that had been +ready to clutch him as in a vise, while a chorus of cheers at his +courage went up from outside the wall. + +"Good-day sir," he said in a loud voice, "Good-day!" As he spoke he +took hold of the great rough hand and shook it. + +"Little fool," roared the man, "what do you mean, and how dare you lay +your puny paw in the claws of a lion?" + +The Dauphin smiled. "Sir, I thought you were stretching out your hand +to reach me with it, and so I give you mine and say good-day, sir!" + +"And if I wanted, I could crush your fingers with my fist," cried the +man, still holding the little hand firmly. + +But from a hundred throats outside the fence came the cry "You shall +not do it, Simon. You shall not hurt the boy!" + +"Who can hinder me if I choose to do it?" asked the cobbler, whose name +was Simon, with a coarse laugh. "See, I hold the hand of the future +King of France, and I can break it if I choose, and make it so it can +never lift the sceptre of France. The little monkey thought he would +take hold of my hand and make me draw it back, but now my hand has got +hold of his, and holds it fast. And mark this, boy, the time is past +when kings seized us and trod us down, now we seize them, and do not +let them go unless we will." + +"But, Mr. Simon," said Louis, "you see very plainly that I do not want +to do any harm, and I know you do not want to do me any harm, and I ask +you to be so good as to take away your arm, that my mamma can go on +with her walk." + +"But suppose I do not do as you want me to?" asked the man defiantly. +"I suppose then your mamma would dictate to me, and perhaps call some +soldiers and order them to shoot the dreadful people?" + +"You know, Master Simon, that I give no such commands and never gave +such," said the queen quickly. "The king and I love our people and +never would give our soldiers orders to fire on them, and now, sir--the +Queen of France and her son will no longer be detained!" With a quick +movement she struck back the arm of the cobbler, Simon, snatched the +Dauphin away like lightning and passed by before Simon had time to put +his arm back. + +The crowd watching were filled with enthusiasm by the courage of the +queen. They applauded, laughed and shouted, while the cries, "Long live +the Queen! Long live the Dauphin!" passed like wildfire among the +throng behind the fence, and although in the eyes of Simon whose evil +design had been frustrated by a little child, there still shone hatred, +Marie Antoinette, who was now hand in hand with the Dauphin, reached in +safety the little garden reserved for the use of the royal family. Once +within its iron gate, decorated with the arms of the kings of France, +she felt as if all power had gone from her, and she could no longer +hide her fear and grief, but, no, she must be cheerful for her son's +sake, and her servants must not see her brow clouded, and so, with head +erect and flashing eyes, she walked on. + +"Mamma," cried the Dauphin, interrupting her thoughts. "There comes the +king, my father. He will be glad to hear I was so courageous." + +The queen quickly stooped and kissed him. "Yes, truly my little Bayard," +she said, "you have done honour to your great example and been really a +little chevalier '_sans peur et sans reproche_,' but remember, Louis, +true bravery does not glory in its great deeds and does not wish +others to admire them, but keeps silent and leaves others to talk of +them!" + +"Yes, and I will be silent too," cried Louis, with sparkling eyes. "You +will see that I can be silent too," and child though he was, he showed +from that moment a quick understanding and appreciation of the humility +necessary to real greatness. + +That winter in the Tuileries was a dismal one indeed, for the royal +family had none of the gaiety and freedom which had been part of the +happy life at Versailles, and even when the King wished to go to his +summer palace at St. Cloud for rest and change, this was not allowed. +At last, weary of the insults and restraints heaped upon them, the +royal family attempted to escape secretly from Paris, but the plot was +discovered, their carriages stopped, and they were escorted back to the +Tuileries by a shouting shrieking mob of men and women who were +fiendishly glad of their capture. After that the King and Queen and the +Dauphin were always treated as prisoners in their own palace, with +guards set over them to watch their every movement, and the poor little +Dauphin could not go out nor play freely and happily as could the +poorest peasant child in France. After some months had passed, however, +the fury of the people grew somewhat less, and they were allowed to +close the doors of their rooms when they wished, and to walk out in the +gardens once more. It even seemed for some time as if what King Louis +had done to win back the trust of his people had been successful, and +that the throne of France might regain its dignity and power before +that time when Louis the Dauphin, should come into his inheritance. + +He, meanwhile, was filling this period of calm with such affairs as +interested and amused him, and his greatest joy was that he was again +allowed to work in his garden. Although it was so small in comparison +to that at Versailles, it was yet a bit of paradise to him, and as soon +as his study hours were over, he always hurried out to dig his ground, +and water and pick his blossoms, and it was the great delight of those +subjects who loved the manly little fellow, to stand outside the fence +and watch him as he worked. The Dauphin was generally accompanied, when +he went outside the palace, by several soldiers from the detachment of +the National Guard, who were on duty at the Tuileries, and the boy +himself, who was now having military drills, generally wore the uniform +of the National Guard, and so charming and so manly was this little +National Guardsman of six years, that he became the idol of Paris. Fans +and lockets were decorated with his picture, which society women wore, +and everywhere the beauty and wit of the little fellow were talked of. + +The boys of Paris shared the enthusiasm of their elders, and formed +themselves into a regiment, which was called the Regiment of the +Dauphin, which, with the king's permission, marched to the Tuileries to +parade before the Dauphin. As usual, he was found in his garden, and +was anxious to show his treasures to them even before he answered their +request that he become Colonel of their regiment. When he accepted the +honour urged upon him, one of the officers said: + +"But that will mean giving up gathering flowers for your mamma." + +"Oh, no," said the Dauphin, quickly, "that will not prevent me from +taking care of my flowers. Many of these gentlemen tell me that they, +too, have little gardens, and if they love the queen as much as their +colonel loves her, mamma will have whole regiments of bouquets every +day." + +A cheer showed the boys' appreciation of their little colonel's +sentiment, and the regiment of the Dauphin became one of the most +popular organisations in Paris. Their uniform was a miniature copy of +the French guards, with their three-cornered hats and white jackets, +and whenever they marched through the Place de la Carousel, the people +crowded to see the army of sturdy boys with their handsome little +colonel. + +So great was the boys' love for the Dauphin that the officers of the +regiment came to the palace one day to make him a present, in the name +of the whole regiment, and they were enthusiastically received by their +colonel. + +"Welcome, my comrades," he cried. "My mamma tells me you have brought +me a present. But it gives me such pleasure to see you that nothing +more is needed." + +"But Colonel, you will not refuse our gift?" said a little officer +named Palloy, and he added proudly: + +"We bring you a set of dominoes made entirely out of the ruins of the +Bastile."[1] + + [1] The Bastile was the national prison, which had been entirely + destroyed by the Revolutionists. + +Taking the wrapper from the white marble box, bound with gold, he gave +it to the Dauphin, at the same time reciting the following lines: + + "Those glowing walls that once woke our fear + Are changed into the toy we offer here + And when with joyful face the gift you view + Think what the people's love can do." + +Joyfully the Dauphin received the beautiful present and listened +eagerly to the explanation of how to play the new game. On the back of +each domino, in the black marble, was a gold letter, and when the whole +set of dominoes was arranged in regular order, they formed this +sentence, Vive le Roi, Vive la Reine, et Vive le Dauphin (Long live the +King, the Queen and the Dauphin). The marble of the box was taken from +the altar-slab in the chapel of the Bastile, and in the middle, in gold +relief, was a picture of King Louis. + +"That is my papa!" cried Louis joyfully, when he saw it. + +"Yes," said Palloy. "Every one of us bears him in his heart. And like +the King, you will live for the happiness of all, and like him, you +will be the idol of France. We who shall one day be French soldiers and +citizens, bring to you, who will then be our commander-in-chief and +king, our homage as the future supporters of the throne which is +destined for you and which the wisdom of your father has placed under +the unshakable power of law. The gift which we offer you is small, but +each one of us adds his heart to it." + +"And I give you all of my heart in return for it," cried the Dauphin, +joyfully, "and I shall take great pains to do my lessons well so I may +be allowed to amuse myself playing dominoes." + +The delight of the Dauphin was so evident that his comrades who had +brought him the present felt a keener affection even than before for +their little Colonel, and the Queen who had been present during the +whole scene spoke in friendly words of thanks to the boys, who then +withdrew, escorted by the king and the Dauphin, who had no knowledge, +child of destiny that he was, of the omen contained in that present. +But Marie Antoinette knew only too well, and her heart was heavy when +she saw the present made from the stones of the Bastile. But of this +she gave no sign, and from that day attempted more than ever to endear +herself and her son to the people who had so little trust in her. One +day when a crowd of fiendish women behind the fence called out cruel +things about the Queen, the Dauphin could be no longer silent. + +"You lie, oh, you lie!" he cried angrily. "My mamma is _not_ a wicked +woman, and she does not hate the people. She is good. She is so good +that--that----" tears choked him, and ashamed to show such signs of +weakness, he dashed out of the garden into the palace, but as he +reached the queen's apartments he choked back the tears, saying, "I +will not cry any more, for that will only trouble mamma and I can see +she has trouble enough without that. I will laugh and sing and jump +about, and then she may smile a little instead of crying, as I often +find her doing." + +His tutor, the Abbe Davout, heartily approved of this, and the Dauphin +sprang into his mother's presence with a merry smile which gladdened +the queen's heart and made her forget her sorrows for awhile. This +pleased the Dauphin greatly, and he re-doubled his efforts to be merry, +making the little dog stand on its hind legs, while Louis put on its +black head a paper cap which he had made, painted with red stripes, +like those worn by the Jacobins or Revolutionists and cried: + +"Monsieur Jacobi, behave respectfully. Make your salutations to her +majesty, the Queen!" + +He was rewarded by a hug and a kiss from the Queen and then ran off +with the dog barking at his heels. + +Little Louis was, as we have seen, an eager and brilliant scholar and +one day he begged the Abbe to give him lessons in grammar which he had +begun to learn some time before. + +"Gladly," answered the Abbe, "your last lesson, if I remember rightly, +was upon the three degrees of comparison--the positive, the comparative +and the superlative. But you must have forgotten all that." + +"You are mistaken," answered the Dauphin, "and I will prove it to you. +Listen:--the positive is when I say, 'my Abbe is a kind Abbe'; the +comparative is when I say 'my Abbe is kinder than another Abbe,' and +the superlative," he continued, looking at the Queen who was +listening--"is when I say, 'mamma is the kindest and most amiable of +all mammas!'" + +The retort was so clever, the manner of saying it so charming, that the +Abbe and Marie Antoinette exchanged glances of amusement and pride, but +the little prince was unconscious of having said or done anything +unusual. + +Besides grammar, Louis studied Italian, which he could speak and read +fluently; he also studied Latin, and some of the sentences he +translated have been preserved, such as "True friends are useful to +princes." "I know a prince who easily flies into a passion." +"Flatterers are very dangerous to princes." From these sentences it is +evident that the Abbe was trying to teach his clever little scholar +more than one thing at a time. Louis was also taught arithmetic, +geometry and geography, this last by means of a huge hollow globe lit +by a lantern, which had been invented for the special use of the +Dauphin, by a celebrated professor in the University of Paris. Louis +also was trained in all sorts of athletic sports and when he was seven +years old was sturdy of body and far more mature of mind than many +older boys. At seven, according to the court custom of France, he was +obliged to be given into the care of a governor. The people wished to +choose this governor and named several candidates who were utterly +unworthy of the position, but they were obliged to set aside their +wishes and accept a man named by the king, who also himself continued +to superintend his son's education. + +At this time the clouds of political disaster were again hanging over +the palace, and even the Dauphin could see and feel the uneasiness that +surrounded him. + +On June 20, 1792, King Louis refused to sign two decrees which the +people wished him to sign, and with his refusal the storm of riot and +revolution burst forth again. An immense mob of shrieking, howling +people stormed the Tuileries, where no measures had been taken in +defence, and the king gave orders that the doors of the palace be flung +open and the people be allowed to pass in unhindered. In a few minutes +every inch of space in rooms and corridors and halls was filled with +the dense crowd. Only one room was locked, and in that room were the +king and queen, the Dauphin and his sister, Therese with a few loyal +friends. Therese was terrified and would have screamed with fright, but +the manly little Dauphin watching her, held back his own tears and kept +her terror under control by his words and manner, acting with the +dignity of a grown-up guardian. + +Breathlessly, the little company gathered there listened to the sound +of an axe, doors were being battered down, the door of the royal +apartment was opened, and an officer of the National Guard knelt before +the King, beseeching him to show himself to the frenzied mob. The +expression on all faces, the sounds from without were too much for the +Dauphin's self-control. He burst into sobs and begged the queen to take +him to his room, and while Marie Antoinette was comforting him as best +she could, the king went out and stood in the middle of the hall, +surrounded by the rabble, speaking in quiet words, of his love for his +people. The crowd was delighted at this, but in the meantime, the still +greater crowd outside the palace surged through the hall and into the +room where the queen and her children were. The National Guards quickly +rolled a table up between the queen and the mob, and stood at either +side, ready to defend them. Only a table now separated the queen from +her enemies, but she was calm and courageous and stood proudly erect +with a child on either side of her, wide-eyed at the sights they saw. +Suddenly, the queen trembled with a deathly fear. Before her stood the +man whose brawny arm had reached through the paling to grasp the +Dauphin. Simon, the cobbler, stood there, hatred and desire for revenge +on his face, and Marie Antoinette knew with a quick instinct that this +man would bring no good to her child. Then the cries of the Jacobins +rent the air and they surged into the room with the fury of wild beasts +sure of their prey. + +The queen lifted the Dauphin up and set him on a table and whispered to +him that he must not grieve or fear or cry, but be a man now, and the +child smiled and kissed her hand. Just then a drunken woman flung a red +cap--the cap worn by the Jacobins--on the table, and commanded the +queen, on pain of death, to put it on. + +Calmly, the queen turned to a general standing beside her and told him +to place it on her head. + +The general, pale with rage at the insult, obeyed in silence and the +woman howled with pleasure. But in a moment, the general took the cap +off the queen's hair and laid it on the table. + +Ever since the King had vetoed the bills, the people had called the +King, Monsieur Veto; Marie Antoinette, Madame Veto, and the Dauphin, +Little Veto, and now from all sides burst forth the cry, "The red cap +for the Dauphin! The tri-colour for little Veto!" + +"If you love the nation," cried the woman to the Queen, "put the red +cap on your son." + +The Queen motioned to one of the ladies to put the red cap on the +child, and he, not understanding whether it was a joke or not, stood +there in easy grace, as handsome a little prince as ever a nation had. + +One of the revolutionary leaders, who had looked complacently at the +scene, now stood near the queen, and as her eyes met his in calm +defiance, he felt a thrill of pity for her and for the little Dauphin, +and when he saw the perspiration rolling down the boy's forehead from +under the thick woollen cap, he called out roughly: + +"Take that cap off the child--don't you see how he sweats?" + +The queen's gratified glance thanked him, as she took the cap herself +from the Dauphin's head. While this was occurring, the Mayor of Paris +had entered the outer hall and was quieting the mob, bidding them +disband and leave the palace at once, which they did. + +The King sank into a chair, exhausted and agonised, and cried out: + +"Where is the queen? Where are the children?" and in a moment the royal +victims were together. + +The Dauphin's spirits were never long cast down and now he was bubbling +over with joy. + +"Papa," he cried. "Give me a kiss! I deserve it, for I was truly brave +and did not cry or even speak when the people put the red cap on my +head." + +The king stooped with a dignity which was almost reverent, kissed the +boy's broad forehead and pushed back his thick golden hair, then turned +to answer a question put by one of the representatives of the people; +several of whom were in the room. And all at once these men gathered +around the little Dauphin, of whose brilliant mind they had heard so +much, and began to question him eagerly on all kinds of subjects, +especially about the boundaries of France, and its division into +departments and districts, and every question he answered quickly. +After each answer he glanced up at his mother inquiringly, and when her +face showed that he had answered correctly, his face beamed with +pleasure, and he enjoyed seeing the astonishment on those faces +crowding around him. One of those present asked: + +"Do you sing, too, Prince?" + +The Dauphin glanced again at the queen. + +"Mamma," he asked, "shall I sing the prayer I sang this morning?" + +Marie Antoinette nodded assent and the Dauphin knelt beside her, and +folding his hands and looking up with a sweet look of reverence in his +blue eyes, sang in a clear voice: + + "Oh heaven, accept the prayer + I offer here, + Unto his subjects spare + My father dear." + +There was absolute silence in the room, while those faces, before so +hard and stern, softened. Then with a single glance at the lovely boy, +who was still kneeling, with a look on his face as if in a happy dream, +one by one, those revolutionists silently left the room. + +But even the prayer and the faith of the Dauphin could not longer save +the royal family from their fate. + +The people, inflamed to fury by every desire of which the +revolutionists could make use, now demanded the dethronement of the +King, and the giving of the crown to the Dauphin, in whose name, as he +was not yet of age, they intended to govern by means of a committee +chosen by themselves. To this the King naturally would not give his +consent, and amid scenes and sounds terrible beyond all description, +the royal family were declared prisoners of the people, and told that +they were to thereafter live in the Temple, which was now the royal +prison. As the Tuileries had already been pillaged by the mob, the +royal family found themselves without food or clothing, except what +they wore. The Dauphin was entirely destitute, but fortunately the +Duchess of Sutherland had a small son the age of the Dauphin, and she +sent the young prince what he needed in the way of clothing for their +departure. On August 13, 1792, the sad procession of royalty left the +Tuileries in the late afternoon and were escorted by a great mob of +frenzied men and women who acted more like wild beasts than like human +beings. At night-fall the carriage reached the Temple and the royal +prisoners were taken to that part of the building called "the palace," +where they found no comforts or necessities of any kind, and torn +sheets even had to be used on the Dauphin's bed. Later while the furies +who had the prisoners in their power, were converting the principal +tower of the building, not only into a prison, but into the worst one +imaginable, the king and his family continued to remain in the palace +during the day time, but at night, they were all shut up in the small +tower--in four cells whose doors were guarded by soldiers. Two men who +had been for years in the service of the king, were allowed to remain +with him, and they and their sovereigns passed the time in such +occupations as were possible. The King found his principal pleasure +in superintending the Dauphin's education, giving him lessons every +morning, then at one o'clock if the weather was fine, the royal +family would all go into the garden, and the Dauphin would play ball +or quoits or run races, as was suitable for his age and activity of +body. At two o'clock dinner was served, and afterwards, the Dauphin +again had a play hour while the king enjoyed a nap. As soon as he +awoke, Clery, who had been with the Dauphin for several years, would +give him writing and arithmetic lessons, and then he would play ball +or battledore-and-shuttlecock for awhile, and then there would be +reading aloud until it was time for the Dauphin's supper, after +which the king would amuse his children with all sorts of riddles +and puzzles and games, and then the Dauphin went to bed. + +Little Louis was seven and a half years old when he was first shut up +in the Temple, and in those months the king taught him to recite +poetry, to draw maps and to make use of arithmetic, but his lessons in +arithmetic had to be discontinued because an ignorant guard noticed the +multiplication tables that the Prince was learning and reported that he +was being taught to speak and write in cipher. One of the king's men +was removed from the Temple because it was said that he had used +hieroglyphics in order to make secret correspondence between the king +and queen easier, and even his explanation that the figures he had made +use of were only arithmetic tables which he laid by the Dauphin's +bedside every night before retiring, that the young prince might +prepare his lesson before breakfast, did not pacify his accusers. So +little Louis Charles was taught no more arithmetic, but he continued to +learn eagerly all that was offered his quick retentive mind to +assimilate. His playfulness and mischievous pranks were a great comfort +to the failing spirits of the king and queen, and the tact he showed in +his manner and words were nothing less than wonderful in so young a +boy. He never mentioned Versailles or the Tuileries or anything which +would rouse sad memories in the minds of his parents, but seemed to be +constantly on his guard to protect them both from any hints of sorrow +which he could prevent. + +The royal prisoners were soon removed to the principal tower of the +Temple, where the Dauphin occupied a room with the king, until after +Louis was taken away for trial, when the Dauphin was placed in his +mother's care, and after that time he saw his father only once. The +king was condemned to death. Having foreseen it, calmly he had accepted +the decree, asking only that he might see his family once to say +farewell. This privilege was granted and during the scene which lasted +almost two hours, little Louis, born to inherit not glory but +misfortune, held his father in his arms and kissed and comforted him in +the fashion of a strong man rather than a little child. He did not +understand causes, but he saw effects, and he was brave because mamma +and papa needed someone beside them, who smiled, and so he held tears +back until the time when they were a natural consequence of the final +parting with his loved father. + +And now little Louis was no longer the Dauphin, but rightful King of +France--King of France, only think of it, and scarcely eight years old! +Marie Antoinette, from the hour of separation from her husband devoted +her entire strength and time to the education of her child, the little +King. She felt she had no time to lose, and every moment of the day was +made to serve some useful end. Even the games he played had each a +purpose. It was a touching sight to see him leaning his elbows on a +tiny table, absorbed in reading the history of France, then eagerly +telling what he had read, and commenting on it. The queen made a +special point of talking to the little King of his royal office, told +him of his father's gentleness and mercy to his enemies, and made him +promise to be as merciful if he should ever reign, and he soon was made +to feel that greatness comes not with titles, but with character, and +once in his sleep was heard to murmur: + +"I will be good and kind; for I am king." Poor little Louis! + +At this time there were wars and rumours of wars outside the walls of +the Temple. Plots to liberate the queen and her son and to restore +little Louis to the throne were set on foot by friends of the royal +family, and though one and all failed of execution, they vitally +affected the young king's life. When the plots were discovered by which +Louis was to be abducted and publicly declared king, the revolutionists +became so fearful that the plan might be really carried out, that they +decided it was unwise to let him remain with his mother any longer, and +the decree went forth that the son of Louis Sixteenth was to be taken +from his mother and sister, and given into the care of a tutor to be +chosen by the committee representing the people. + +The queen was driven almost to madness by this unexpected decree, and +when men came to take Louis away from her and carry him to another part +of the Tower, she frantically placed herself in front of his bed, and +insisted that he should not be taken, but power and force were on the +wrong side, and at last, the officers tore the child from his mother's +arms and carried him dazed and trembling with fright to his new +apartment. + +King of France was little Louis in title, but the most lonely, most +frightened of all children in the land. For two days and two nights he +refused food and held out his arms to his so-called tutor, constantly +pleading to be taken back to his mother and sister. And who was his +"tutor"? No other than Simon, the cobbler, he whose brawny arms had +once stopped the Dauphin's way in the garden of the Tuileries. Simon +and his wife had been chosen to guard and care for the little King of +France, because they were staunch revolutionists who could be relied on +to protect the interests of their party. Historians differ in their +accounts of the treatment of the young King by this rough couple, but +it seems pretty sure now that during their stay in the Temple they were +not altogether cruel to little Louis. He was allowed to play both in +his rooms and in the garden, had a billiard table, and a case of +mechanical birds for his amusement, and when he grieved for his +sister's companionship, another little companion of his own age was +found to play with him, and it is also known that during his two +sicknesses, Simon and his wife cared for him with as much devotion as +if he had been their own child. Whether this was because of the fine +salary attached to the position, or from some native kindness +underneath his coarse rough exterior, we do not know, but be this as it +may, Simon evidently gave only such measure of cruelty to his charge as +was insisted on by those who employed him, and it was doubtless, they +who forced Simon to do what he did to destroy the child's mental and +bodily faculties. Louis was made to share their political opinions, to +imitate their coarse manners and even to sing their revolutionary +songs, while in place of the mourning he had worn for his father, he +now wore the coarsest garments and the red cap of the Jacobins, and was +often made to drink and eat far more than was good for him, until at +last he was in a condition of body and mind such as his tormentors +desired, when he could be made a tool to suit their own ends, because +of his weakened and abnormal condition. + +No page of history is written in so black an ink nor with so many blots +as that on which is recorded the imprisonment and torture of little +Louis Seventeenth, the King who never reigned, and no page of history +offers a more bewildering puzzle for solution, from the moment of his +being taken from his mother's care--a puzzle to which there have been +more answers, and about which as much mystery hangs, as about any other +incident on the pages of history, and no page has been oftener read and +re-read than this which offers for solution the problem of the ending +of this little King who never reigned. + +We see him last as a prisoner; thin, haggard, sick unto death, with no +sparkle in his lustreless eyes, no motion in his swollen joints, no +pretty retort on his lips as of old, and with a sigh we turn from the +ghastly sight to the pages of French history where we again read in +detail the accounts of his life and death, and then it is for us to +decide upon our answer to this riddle which offers more than one +solution. + +Louis Seventeenth of France, in his ninth year, was imprisoned by the +revolutionists and subjected to every kind of torture that a human +being could be made to suffer. As a result of that treatment, and of +loneliness and cruelty, did he pine and sicken and die a natural death +as some accounts say? + +Did he, as some say, deliberately resist all the attempts made by his +persecutors to enter into conversation with him, by maintaining a +complete silence of fifteen months; or had a dumb child been put in his +place by friends who had secretly rescued the real little king from his +prison, and hidden him in a garret room of the Temple until they could +safely liberate him? Then finding the dumb child too healthy to suit +their plans, did they, as it is said, replace him by a very sick child, +who died in the room where the little king was supposed to be +imprisoned, and announce his death to the French nation as that of +Louis Seventeenth, the royal prisoner? While the poor little substitute +was lying in what was supposedly the coffin of little Louis, had the +real King been given a strong dose of opium, and hurriedly placed in +the coffin, instead of the substitute, as has been said? + +Was the dead substitute carried hastily to the room in the Tower where +the little King had been hidden, while Louis himself, alive and well, +was being carried in the coffin to the cemetery? It has been said that +the carriage in which the coffin was carried had been especially +arranged for this scheme, and that while being driven to the cemetery, +Louis was taken from the coffin, and placed in a box under the seat of +the carriage, while the coffin was filled with papers that it might not +seem too light when the bearers carried it to its final resting-place. + +Is it true, do you think, that when the young King awoke from the +effects of the drug he had been given, he found himself in a strange +place, in a bed in a clear bright room, alone with a faithful woman who +knew and loved him? And the plot to rescue him having been immediately +discovered, was he hastily sent out of Paris in disguise, while to put +his enemies on the wrong trail, another little boy was sent with his +parents under the name of Louis, in another direction? + +And in spite of the terrible sickness he had, as the consequence of all +he had endured, did Louis Seventeenth of France, actually live and +escape, to grow up a free citizen in a free country where were neither +kings, queens nor tyranny, but liberty, equality and fraternity, not in +word but in truth? Who can say positively when so much has been +affirmed on all sides of the much argued question? + +Difficult, indeed, it is to decide whether little Louis Seventeenth, +the Dauphin of France, the king who never reigned, died in the Temple, +a victim of the Reign of Terror, or escaped to new lands and a new +life. + +As we turn the pages of history and read the thrilling story, let each +decide for himself the fate of the courageous, charming little +sovereign. Each must study out the mystery, and solve the riddle if he +can. And whatever one may read or decide, there in the church of the +Madeleine in Paris, may be found this memorial to the little King who +never reigned. + + IN MEMORY + of + LOUIS XVII + WHO + AFTER HAVING BEHELD HIS ILLUSTRIOUS + PARENTS + SWEPT AWAY BY A DEATH + WHICH SORROW REFUSES TO RECOUNT + AND AFTER HAVING DRAINED TO THE + VERY DREGS + THE CUP OF ADVERSITY + WAS, WHILE STILL YOUNG + AND ALMOST ON LIFE'S THRESHOLD + CUT DOWN BY THE SCYTHE OF DEATH + HE DIED JUNE VIII--M. DCC. LXXXXV. + HE LIVED X YEARS, II MONTHS & XII DAYS + + + + +EDWARD THE BLACK PRINCE: + +The Boy Warrior + + +Many of you who have visited Queens College, Oxford, will have seen +there, hanging in the gallery above the hall, an old engraving of a +quaint vaulted room, where it is said the greatest soldier of his age +lived while a student in the college. + +This afterwards famous student, who was then about twelve years old was +Edward Plantagenet, Prince of Wales, later called the Black Prince. He +was also sometimes called the Prince of Woodstock, doubtless, from the +fact that he was born in the old palace at Woodstock, in 1330. + +He was the son of Edward Third and Queen Philippa, and was one of those +rare persons who combine in their characters qualities of both his +father and mother. Everyone knows the story of the siege of Calais, +when the sternness of King Edward and the gentleness of Queen Philippa +were so strikingly shown, and it was the union of those two qualities +which gave their son, Edward, that high place which he justly occupies, +not only among our English princes, but in the history of all Europe. + +He was undoubtedly sent to Queens College, not only because it was the +most famous college of that day, but also because it took its name from +his mother, Queen Philippa, having been founded by her chaplain. + +There, at Queens College, we first see the young prince, and although +six hundred years have gone by since then, many of the customs of +to-day were those of young Edward's time as well. The students then +were called to dinner by the blast of a trumpet as they are to-day, and +then, as now, the Fellows (or post graduates) all sat on one side of +the table, with the Head of the college in their midst, in imitation of +the pictures of the Last Supper. + +The prince must have seen, too, some customs which we know prevailed in +his day, but do not see in ours. Thirteen lame, deaf, blind and maimed +beggars came each morning into the college hall to receive their +portion of food for the day. The porter of the college made his rounds +early every morning, to shave the beards and wash the heads of the +Fellows, but these and many other quaint customs have perished long ago +and still the picture of the Black Prince hangs on the college wall. +Tradition tells us that while the proud young prince was receiving such +education as befitted his rank in life, a poor boy in the shabbiest of +clothes and forgetful of everything except the books and study he +loved, was at Queens College too. The characters and lives of John +Wycliff, the great reformer, and Edward the Black Prince, were indeed +opposite, but it is interesting to feel that they were educated in the +same place, that possibly once in youth, their lives touched, although +in later days, one was great in the making of peace and one in the +making of war. + +The young prince may have been studious, but he also doubtless took +advantage of all such diversions as Oxford life offered, and it is +natural to picture him in drill and hunt and sports such as were best +fitted to his manly vigour, and foreshadowed his enthusiasm in later +days for the strenuous game of war. + +A mere lad at Queens, we see him first--then a youth, out in the great +world watching with keenest interest the doings of courtiers and king, +and then we find him a young knight, following the king, his father, in +his first great campaign, and a fine young warrior he was both in looks +and character, fearless and strong in his black armour which threw into +sharp contrast the fairness of his complexion. A brave, handsome young +knight was he, Edward Plantagenet, at the time when the English people +under King Edward became inspired with a passion for continental +dominion. + +The Normans had conquered England and now the English were eager to go +out and themselves become conquerors, and to further that ambition King +Edward and his army set out and ravaged Normandy, pillaging and +plundering their way almost to the gates of Paris, and their march was +perfectly consistent with the feudal manner of waging war, which was to +desolate the country through which they passed, to burn any town that +resisted invasion, and to plunder its inhabitants even though they +peacefully submitted to the invaders. In this way, King Edward and his +army, which included the young Prince Edward and many other noblemen, +passed through Normandy, burning and devastating land and property as +they went, and they advanced up the left bank of the Seine--their +object being, to cross the river at Rouen and then march on to Calais, +where they were to be joined by an army of Flemish archers. But their +plans received a sudden checkmate. + +Philip, the King of France, was at Rouen before them, and had not only +encamped on the right bank of the river, but had destroyed the bridges +and set guards over all the fords of which the English might make use +in crossing. + +The English were in a very dangerous position, whether they retreated +or went forward. They were separated from the Flemish allies by not +only the Seine, but the Somme River, and Philip with his army, which +was daily increasing in numbers, was marching towards Calais on the +right bank of the Seine, as were Edward and his army on the left bank. + +Edward was as firm in his purpose to meet and defeat the enemy, as was +Philip in his, and Edward determined to press on at all odds and face +and conquer the French forces, and fortune favoured him. + +With extreme difficulty, finally, at low tide, he was able to cross the +Somme whither Philip was eager to follow, but before Philip's forces +were ready to cross the river, the tide had turned, and he was obliged +to wait till morning, while Edward now already on the other side of the +river, was pressing forward into the country of Ponthieu, which had +been part of the marriage portion of his mother, Isabella of France. It +was for this special reason, some historians say, that King Edward +encamped there, in the forest of Crecy, fifteen miles from Abbeville, +saying: + +"Let us take here some plot of ground, for we will go no further till +we have seen our enemies." + +He also added: + +"I am on the right heritage of Madam, my mother, which was given her in +dowry. I will defend it against my adversary, Philip of Valois." + +We do not, of course, know his motives positively, but we may be pretty +sure that he would not have been so eager to defend his mother's +possessions, had he not felt sure that it would be to his advantage to +do so. Accordingly he and his forces encamped in the little village of +Crecy, behind which the ground rises into a broad ridge and from here +could be seen the surrounding country through which the French army +must advance, and the young prince eagerly strained his eyes in search +of the advancing enemy, so eager was he to take part in a real battle. + +At midnight, when all the army had been cared for and suitably arranged +in their tents, King Edward lay down for a much needed rest, but was up +again at dawn, when he and the young prince, not only heard mass but +also received the sacrament, and we can fancy how that solemn preface +to a day which proved so momentous to the Black Prince, must have +lingered long in his memory as a sacred recollection. + +It was Saturday, the 26th of August, 1346 when King Edward drew his men +up in three divisions--one commanded by the prince, assisted by the +Earls of Warwick and Oxford, which division consisted of eight hundred +men at arms, two thousand archers and one thousand Welsh-men. The +second division under Lords Arundel and Northampton had only eight +hundred men at arms, twelve hundred archers, while the third division, +under the king's own command, had seven hundred men at arms and two +thousand archers. This division occupied the summit of the hill, from +which the king watched the entire battle, never engaging in it--and for +this reason. + +King Philip was so determined to destroy the English army, that he had +hoisted the sacred banner of France, the great scarlet flag, +embroidered with the gold lily which was the emblem of France, as a +sign that no mercy whatever would be shown to the English, under any +conditions. When this Oriflamme, as it was called, was raised, and King +Edward saw it, he realised how great the chances of his death would be, +should he engage in the battle, and that this would expose, not only +the army, but the whole kingdom to the gravest danger, so throughout +the entire battle he remained in the tower of a wind-mill on the ridge +overlooking the battle-field, while the young prince, who had only been +knighted a month before, was practically left in command of the entire +army, and went forward into the very heat of the combat. + +When the army had been suitably arranged and every earl, baron and +knight knew what he was to do in the hour of battle, King Edward +mounted his small white horse and rode slowly from line to line among +his men, talking earnestly to them of their duty as warriors, and +urging them to defend his rights with all their strength. His words and +smile were so stimulating that the men were filled with courage as they +listened to him, and every man promised to do as the king wished. Then +he ordered them all to eat and drink heartily, that they might be +thoroughly refreshed in body as well as in spirit and after fulfilling +his command, his small army, sat down on the ground at nine o'clock in +the morning with their helmets and cross-bows beside them, and +patiently waited for the attack of an enemy of ten times their number. + +Meanwhile, King Philip and his army having crossed the Somme at last, +were advancing towards them as fast as possible, and when they were +only a short distance from Crecy, King Philip sent four knights ahead +of the army, to reconnoitre and bring back news to him of the position +and condition of the English forces. + +When his knights saw the little army of the English sitting quietly on +the ground, calm and courageous, ready to fight when the moment for +combat should come--they went back to King Philip and advised him to +allow his men who were weary after a long, hard march, to halt and rest +over night, so that they might be as well fitted for the battle as the +English were. King Philip felt that this was good advice and at once +issued the command to halt. The foremost ranks of his horsemen obeyed +the order, but the horsemen in the rear pressed forward regardless of +the order, determined to have the glory of victory at once, and rode on +and on, with fast and furious frenzy until they came in sight of that +little army, sitting on the high ridge, waiting for their attack, when +they suddenly were filled with apprehension and turned back, throwing +all the unmanageable multitude of men behind them into the wildest kind +of confusion, but on they charged, their every step watched by the +English army, and as the young Prince saw them, in his breast beat the +heart of a happy warrior on whose broad young shoulders the burden of +his first great responsibility rested lightly. He had been dressed for +the battle by the king's own hand, in glistening black armour, with +shield and helmet of burnished iron and the horse he rode was as black +as his armour, from which he gained the title of the Black Prince, +which he was called ever afterwards. + +[Illustration: _The Black Prince at Crecy_] + +On came the French, with Philip at their head--and his great reliance +at this critical moment of attack was on the skill of fifteen thousand +archers from Genoa who were his most valued allies. They were extremely +tired after their long march on foot, and wished to rest before the +attack was made, but seeing the confusion into which his ranks had been +thrown, Philip commanded them to give battle at once. They murmured, +but were about to comply, when nature unexpectedly conspired to help +the English forces. + +The sky, a few moments before blue and cloudless, became overcast, a +tremendous storm gathered from the west, broke in all its fury of rain, +hail and thunder and lightning--even a partial eclipse of the sun +occurred. There was a terrible downpour, and to the horror of the +moment was added the hoarse cries of crows and ravens which fluttered +before the storm, and in the gathering darkness, circled around the +heads of the army, terrifying the Italian bowmen who were +superstitious, and not accustomed to the severity of Northern storms. + +At last the sky cleared, the clouds lifted and the sun shone out again +in dazzling brightness, shining directly in the eyes of the Italians, +and not only were they blinded by it, but their bows had become so wet +by the rain that when they attempted to draw them, they found it +impossible. + +The sun was shining at the back of the English archers, who could +consequently see just where to aim, and as they had kept their bows in +cases during the storm, they were perfectly dry, and now the English +began to shoot--shot so well and so fast that their arrows poured down +like rain on the Genoese, who had never before encountered such archers +as these. Unable to stand the storm of shots, they turned and fled +ignominiously and from the moment of their flight the panic of the +French army was so great that the day was lost. + +Seeing the uselessness of the fleeing archers, King Philip was enraged +at them and ordered the soldiers to kill them, as they were simply +barring the way of his other men to no purpose. So the poor archers +were cut down by the swords of their own comrades, and the French +horsemen waded through their blood and approached the English. + +The confusion among the ranks of the French increased. The old King of +Bohemia who was blind, but filled with zeal for the cause, being +surrounded by his followers, asked how the battle was progressing. When +told the truth he begged to be led forward that he might strike one +blow with his sword for the deliverance of France. His followers +consented to his wish, but fearing that they might lose him in the +press of battle, they tied the reins of their bridles together, with +him in their midst, but alas, all were killed together. The crest of +the King of Bohemia which consisted of three white ostrich feathers, +with the motto Ich dien (I serve) were taken by the Black Prince in +memory of that day, and the crest and motto have ever since been used +by the Prince of Wales. + +During all the time that the battle was raging, King Edward was +watching from his hill-top, his glance never for one moment straying +from the panorama of the battlefield, as the combat deepened into a +mortal one. The French cavalry was close upon the Black Prince. He and +his men were in great danger. He was young and inexperienced. The Earl +of Northampton hastily sent a messenger to the king, begging him to +come down to his son's aid. + +King Edward, who had been watching the prince's manoeuvres with +breathless interest, and had determined on his course in regard to the +lad, answered the messenger with a question. + +"Is my son killed?" + +"No sire, please God," replied the messenger. + +"Is he wounded?" + +"No, sire." + +"Is he thrown to the ground?" + +"No, my lord, not so, but he is in the thick of the fray and is in +great need of your assistance." + +"Return to those who sent you," answered the king, "and tell them not +to send for me again while my son is still alive, but to let the youth +win his spurs, for I intend if it please God that this day be his." + +Such a retort as this showed plainly that King Edward had the greatest +confidence in his son's courage and ability and the bold words being +repeated to the prince and his men, so raised their spirits that they +fought more valiantly than before. Again and again the French army +charged on the enemy, but it was of no use. At one moment, the Black +Prince was in mortal danger, having been wounded and thrown to the +ground, and was only saved by a brave knight, Richard de Beaumont, who +was carrying the huge banner of Wales, and who, seeing the prince fall, +instantly threw the banner over him as he lay on the ground, and stood +on it until he had driven back the enemy, after which the prince was +raised up and revived, and took his place again in the battle. + +Through all that long summer evening of August 26th, and far into the +night, the Black Prince and his army fought the army of France, fought +until the flower of the French force lay dead, and their troops were +utterly discouraged, and disorganised. + +Then seeing that the case was hopeless for them, and that the victory +had been won by the sturdy little English army, John of Hainault seized +the bridle of King Philip's horse and led him away, led him away from +the danger and tumult of the battle-field. Out into the quiet country +they rode in silence, with five horsemen only following them. On they +journeyed through the blackness of the night and on until they reached +Amiens. But of their flight or journey or destination, not one of the +victors thought or cared, for the battle-field had become the seat of +wild rejoicing and of revelry. + +On the field of Crecy great fires were being lighted by tired but +jubilant warriors, and torches flamed high to celebrate the victory of +the Black Prince and his army over an enemy ten times as strong in +numbers. And as the torches flashed and the fire-glow flamed high, King +Edward came down from his hill-top and before the whole army, in the +red glow of the blazing fires put his arms around the young prince, his +son, who had given battle so bravely to the French, and said with +solemn earnestness: + +"Sweet son, God give you good perseverance. You are my true son, right +royally have you acquitted yourself this day, and worthy are you of a +crown." + +What a moment that was for the young prince! + +With the reverence due not only to a king but to his father, for so +were sons taught in those chivalrous days, Edward the Black Prince, +though hot with the joy of victory, bowed to the ground before his +father and gave him all the honour, as his king and commander. + +And so ended the great day on which was fought the memorable battle of +Crecy, the result of which was not only deliverance of the English army +from an imminent danger, but also later the conquest of Calais, which +King Edward almost immediately besieged and won, and which remained in +the possession of the English from then until the time of Queen Mary. + +And from that day, the Black Prince became the idol of the English +people, and the terror of the French, who cherished an almost +superstitious fear of his youthful valour and strategy in battle, and +the king, realising that there was stern stuff in his son, from that +day treated him as an equal, and discussed matters of gravest +importance with him, as with one in whose counsel he had implicit +confidence, and on the day after the battle, they might have been seen +arm in arm, walking together on the field of the combat, talking it +over in detail, and as they walked, the king asked his son: + +"What think you of a battle? Is it an agreeable game?" + +What the prince answered we do not know, but we do know that in after +years whenever he had the game of war to play, he played it in such a +masterly manner that his name has come down to us as the most famous +warrior of his age. And he won his spurs, remember, at the battle of +Crecy, when only a boy of sixteen years! + + + + +TYRANT TAD: + +The Boy in the White House + + +At the time when the Civil War was at its height, and Abraham Lincoln, +who was then President of the United States, was staggering under an +almost crushing load of responsibility, because of his great anxiety +for the future of his beloved country, there were many of his enemies, +who were bitterly opposed to the continuance of the struggle between +the North and the South for the freeing of the slaves, who used to call +the good and great president "tyrant" a most unjust word to use in +reference to the big-souled, tender-hearted Lincoln. + +One day an eminent politician who was leaving the White House, met an +acquaintance and in passing him said with a quizzical smile: "I have +just had an interview with the tyrant of the White House." + +Then noticing his companion's surprise at his making such a speech, he +added: "_Tad!_" and passed on, chuckling over his little joke. + +And to Tad the title really belonged--to President Lincoln's youngest +son--who was a small whirlwind of impetuous despotism; and woe to the +man, woman or child who resisted his tempestuous tyranny. + +Few did, and the most willing of all his subjects was the great +President, whom tyrant Tad ruled despotically. + +Before President Lincoln's day there had been a succession of +administrations when no children's voices rang through the stately +rooms and corridors of the White House, so it was indeed a change when +the three Lincoln boys arrived, in March of 1861, bringing with them +all the clatter and chatter which belongs to normal healthy boyhood. +Robert, who was then eighteen years old only stayed in the White House +for his father's inauguration, then went back to Harvard to finish his +education, and Willie, and Theodore or "Tad" as he was always called, +from his own pronunciation of his name, (the little fellow had a +serious defect in his speech which made it hard for him to pronounce +words clearly) were left to make the dignified White House echo with +their merry laughter and conversations, as they romped through its long +passages, careless of the fact that they were on historic ground, as +they scattered their balls, bats, kites and other treasures wherever +they chose. + +They had few playmates, with whom they were allowed to play frequently, +except two boys, the sons of a government official, and the four boys' +fertile brains were keen to think out all sorts of exciting and +mischievous plans which kept their families on the alert to restrain +their actions within the bounds of safety and propriety. The boys who +were playmates of Tad and Willie were Budd and Hally Taft, and although +they were older than the Lincoln boys, they were much like them in +temperament and in looks, Budd was fair like Willie Lincoln, and Hally +dark, and more like Tad, whose eyes were bright and brown, in keeping +with his quick imperious disposition. + +One evening in the spring, the four boys were taken to see a minstrel +show in the city. They were thrilled by what they heard and saw, and +decided on the spot that they would give a show themselves, and began +between the numbers to plan when and where to give it. But, on the +following day, when they discussed it again there seemed to be no room +suited to their plans either in the White House or at the Taft's, but +finally they decided that by having some partitions in the Taft attic, +which was roughly divided into small bedrooms, taken down, they could +be accommodated. However, fortune favoured the preservation of the Taft +home by a sudden shifting of the boys' interest in the direction of the +White House. Mrs. Lincoln was called to New York for a week; Willie and +Tad had such severe colds and the weather was so rainy, that she wished +them to be amused in the house during her absence, and that could only +be done by giving them the society of their playmates. Accordingly one +day Hally and Budd were thrown into a state of feverish excitement by +the arrival of a messenger with Mrs. Lincoln's invitation for them to +spend a whole week at the White House. + +Besides delivering the invitation, the messenger also asked whether +Willie and Tad were there, as they had not been at home since breakfast +time, although they had been traced to the Capitol, where they had been +seen sitting in the gallery of the House of Representatives, and later +treated to lunch in the restaurant of Congress by a gentleman whom the +boys always amused, then they had been seen playing marbles with some +of the pages in the Capitol, but now where were they? The messenger who +was well acquainted with the truants, seemed more amused than alarmed +over their disappearance, and soon carried back a note to Mrs. Lincoln +accepting the invitation for Budd and Hally, provided the truants +should be found! While Budd and Hally were excitedly helping to pack +their clothes in a small valise, for the visit, in walked the +wanderers. They carried a very large and much dilapidated umbrella +which Tad said they had borrowed from the cook--doubtless a Southern +mammy who took an endless delight in the boys' pranks, and aided them +all she could in their mischievous plans. Tad's pockets were bulging +with marbles, which showed how successfully he had played his game with +the pages earlier in the day, and both boys had entirely forgotten that +they had bad colds. All four soon set out in high glee together, while +Tad gave a whoop of joy as they left the house. + +"You bet we'll have a good time!" he exclaimed, and from all +descriptions of that visit, they certainly must have had it. + +On the following day there was a review, and the boys all rode in the +President's carriage, looking as severe and dignified as if they had +never had a mischievous idea, but, with a feeling of mistrust that such +dignity might be only skin deep, a member of the Taft family went to +the White House to find out what was going on. To her relief she saw +that the building was still standing, but on being ushered in, she +noticed that all the orderlies, soldiers and doorkeepers wore broad +grins. Asking where the boys were, and being ushered upstairs she came +upon Tad, who instantly called out: + +"Oh, say, we've got a circus in the attic. We're minstrels. I've got to +be blacked up and Willie can't get his dress on--it's too big. Pin it +up, will you? Hurry!" + +The horrified question, "Does the President know it?" was answered +impatiently by Tad. + +"Oh, yes, he knows it," said Tad. "He doesn't care. He's got some +general or other in there. Come on--hurry!" + +Willie was meanwhile struggling with the long, flowered skirt of a +lilac silk reception dress of Mrs. Lincoln's, and Budd was getting into +one of her ruffled morning wrappers, while Tad began to sing at the top +of his voice: + +"Old Abe Lincoln came out of the wilderness----" + +"Hush," cautioned Budd, "the President will hear you." + +"I don't care if pa does hear, and he don't care either," said Tad. +"We're going to sing that in the show." And sing it they did! + +Another day when Tad was shouting out a campaign song at the Tafts' +about "Old Abe splitting rails," Willie asked Mrs. Taft if she did not +think it was disrespectful of Tad to sing such a song. Tad overheard +what he said, and kicked a chair, as he always did when displeased, and +said: + +"Well, everybody in this world knows Pa _did_ use to split rails!" But +when Mrs. Taft explained to him why she thought he ought not to say or +sing this, Tad said with equal decision: + +"Well, I'll sing John Brown's body then." However headstrong he seemed, +he was really very affectionate, and willing to be convinced that he +was wrong, if any one approached him in the right way. + +There was much to occupy the boys' attention in Washington, and they +were especially interested in the models of locomotives and steamboats +in the Patent Office, where they spent much time, and they were also +sometimes to be found making a survey of the White House grounds under +the guidance of a good-natured engineer. At other times they invaded +the McClellans' house, where they were allowed to play with the baby +and where General and Mrs. McClellan were very kind to them, and of +course they never missed a review, even riding in the staff, when the +bridle of Willie's horse was held by the Duc de Chartres and Budd's by +the Comte de Paris, while Hally and Tad rode in front of the aides, +sitting as erect and stiff as if they were the chief features in the +parade. + +On another day, Tad was not allowed to go to the review, as he had not +been well the day before. The review took place across the Long Bridge, +and after the President's carriage had passed down the line, a rickety +cart came clattering by, drawn by a shambling old horse, and driven by +a grinning negro boy. In it were Tad, Willie, Budd and Hally in new +Zouave uniforms, their swords at a salute! Many a soldier sighed and +smiled as that cart passed by, but there was never a smile on the faces +of the Zouaves, who had paid the darkey a quarter from their precious +circus money to drive that load of glory! + +Having the uniform ready they formed themselves into a military company +called "Mrs. Lincoln's Zouaves." Much amused by their military +enthusiasm she presented them with a flag, and the President formally +reviewed them. Willie was colonel, Budd, major, and Hally, captain, +while Tad insisted on having the rank of drum-major or nothing, and all +of them had old-fashioned swords which were given to them by General +McClellan, who greatly enjoyed their pranks and sometimes suggested new +ones. When other amusements failed, the quartet spent their time on the +flat roof of the White House, which was perfectly safe, being +surrounded by a strong balustrade. There they built a cabin, and the +roof was in turn a quarter-deck, or a fort, and they used to raise and +lower the flag with proper ceremony, and look off through a spy-glass +for a "strange sail," and Budd's sister tells how one day when she +ascended to the stronghold with a stern demand for her scissors, which +had been missing for several days she was received at the "side" with +such strict naval etiquette that she meekly retreated without the +scissors. + +That first year when President Lincoln was in office was a happy one +for his boys and their companions, but all too soon the pleasures came +to an end, for Willie Lincoln was stricken with typhoid fever, of which +he died. Then the Tafts left Washington and moved to the north, so of +the merry group of boys, "Tad" alone remained to enliven the White +House, and to amuse himself as best he could in the long days which +seemed so quiet in comparison to those which he and his companions had +spent together. + +But Tad, who was now ten years old, was equal to any emergency, and as +resourceful as a dozen ordinary boys, and after the first bitter +loneliness had worn off, he made as much commotion by himself as all +four boys had made together, and soon became an object of popular +attention, as he galloped madly around the grounds on his pony, driving +him at break-neck speed, or training his team of dogs on the lawn, or +urging his goats to do some impossible feat. + +One of the stories told about him at that time was that on a certain +day a party of dignified ladies were solemnly and with due reverence +inspecting the famous East room, when they heard a deafening clatter at +the end of the corridor where the Lincolns' private apartments were, +then came a shout of "Get out of the way there!" and Tad the +irrepressible, galloped into the room driving a tandem team of goats +harnessed to a chair! Up the room and down again and out of the front +entrance went the goats and Tad like a flash of lightning, leaving the +ladies aghast at a spectacle to which they had found no reference in +their guide books. + +To his mother's great distress, an interested but not over-thoughtful +friend, gave Tad a tool chest, which of course delighted him, and which +at once suggested to him the idea of opening a cabinet shop to +manufacture furniture for hospital use, but he fortunately discovered +an old wagon to experiment on, and forgot the shop; turning his +attention also to any and every object which he could bore, chisel, saw +or hack with his tools. Nothing was said in remonstrance until he began +to experiment on the old-fashioned mahogany furniture in the East room, +when that tool chest mysteriously disappeared and no amount of +searching ever brought it to light again. + +As he was unable to exist without some new outlet for his feelings he +decided to have a theatre and give shows, for which purpose he +appropriated an unused room in the White House, and had a fine time +fitting it up with a stage, seats, orchestra, drop-curtain and all. At +that time, Mr. Carpenter, an artist, was at work on a portrait of +President Lincoln and his Cabinet, and when it was found necessary to +take several photographs of the room in the White House which was to be +the background for the painting, Tad's theatre was offered to the +photographers to use in developing their pictures, and Mr. Carpenter +used to tell with a chuckle of delight how all went well till Tad +suddenly discovered the invasion of his room, when he fell upon the +artist and blamed him in a fiery burst of temper, for letting the men +into his room, and then went up and calmly locked the door, pocketed +the key and walked off, leaving the astonished photographers without +occupation, as their apparatus and chemicals were in the room. But that +made no difference to tyrant Tad--no one should go into his theatre, he +said, and no amount of urging moved him. Finally the President was +asked to deal with the young rebel, as was usual when Tad's behaviour +presented impossibilities to the general public. Mr. Lincoln was +sitting ready to be photographed at the time. He listened quietly to +the story, and then called Tad and told him to go and open the door. +Tad rushed off, muttering and shaking his head but he absolutely +refused to obey, even though Mr. Carpenter made use of all the +arguments he could think of, to make him yield. Reluctantly the artist +went back to the room where the President sat and he at once asked: + +"Has the boy opened that door?" + +Mr. Carpenter was obliged to say that he had not, and Lincoln slowly +rose, compressing his lips and strode out of the room. Soon he +returned, carrying the key, which he handed to the artist saying +apologetically: + +"He is a peculiar child. He was violently excited when I went to him. I +said 'Tad, do you know you are making your father a great deal of +trouble?' He burst into tears and at once gave me the key." + +This little incident shows the affectionate side of tyrant Tad who +could always be led, but never driven, and it was to his father's +gentle diplomacy that the fiery, impulsive little fellow always +responded. + +Often Tad would perch on his father's knee, or even on his shoulder, +while weighty conferences were going on, and sometimes would insist on +spending a whole evening in the executive mansion, finally falling +asleep on the floor, when the President would tenderly pick him up and +carry him off to bed. + +At other times, with affairs of the gravest importance awaiting his +consideration, President Lincoln would sit with his arms around the +boy, telling him anecdotes and stories of which he had an endless fund, +until the boy's drowsy eyes closed, when President Lincoln would gently +carry him to his room, and then go back to ponder on weighty matters of +national importance far into the night, but never retiring for the +night without a last look at the little fellow who was the supreme joy +and comfort of his life. + +He was very fond of animals, and for a long while goats were his +special favourites, during which time a large and flourishing family of +them decorated the lawns and roads about the White House, and that the +goats were very important members of the family is shown by the fact +that at a time when Mrs. Lincoln and Tad had gone away for a week and +the family were living at the Soldiers' Home, Lincoln wrote to his +wife: "Tell dear Tad that poor Nanny Goat is lost and we are in +distress about it. The day you left, Nanny was found resting herself +and chewing her little cud on the middle of Tad's bed, but now she's +gone! The gardener kept complaining that she spoilt the flowers, till +it was decided to bring her down to the White House, which was done, +but on the second day she disappeared and has not been heard of since." + +Tad was evidently consoled for this tragic event by not one goat, but a +whole family of them, for about a year later Mr. Lincoln ended a +business telegram to his wife in New York with the words: "Tell Tad the +goats and father are very well," and with a gleam of that humour for +which he was famous, the great-hearted, patient man added, "especially +the goats!" + +[Illustration: _Tyrant Tad and Abraham Lincoln_] + +Again a friend of the Lincolns' sent them a fine live turkey to be used +for the President's Christmas dinner, but long before that time the +turkey and Tad had become bosom friends. Tad named him Jack and used +more patience in trying to teach him tricks than he could ever be +persuaded to give to his lessons. One day just before the holiday, +while President Lincoln was discussing a matter of gravest importance +with his cabinet ministers, Tad burst into the room as if shot out of a +cannon and sobbing as if nothing could ever comfort him. Of course, +business came to a standstill while Tad explained; Jack was about to be +killed, he must not be killed, it was wicked, and Tad had forced the +executioners to stay their hands while he laid the case before the +President. Jack should _not_ be killed! sobbed out the indignant little +tyrant. + +"But," said the President quietly, "Jack was sent to be killed and +eaten for this very Christmas." + +"I can't help it," roared Tad, between his sobs. "He's a good turkey +and I don't want him killed." + +The President of the United States paused in the midst of the important +business under discussion, and with the gravity due to a solemn +occasion, took a card and wrote on it an order of reprieve for the +turkey, which Tad seized, and fled with all speed, and Jack's life was +saved. He became very tame, and roamed peacefully about the grounds at +will, enduring petting and teasing alternately, from his capricious +young master. At that time the White House was guarded by a company of +soldiers from Pennsylvania with whom the turkey was a great favourite. +The tents of these soldiers were on the Potomac side of the White +House, at the end of the South lawn, and in the summer of 1864 a +commission was sent down from Pennsylvania to take the votes of the +Pennsylvania soldiers in Washington for the coming election. Tad was, +as usual, much interested in what was going on, and dragged his father +to the window to see the soldiers voting, while Jack stalked around +among them, apparently intelligent and interested. + +"Does Jack vote?" asked Lincoln with a roguish twinkle in his eye. + +For a moment Tad was nonplussed by the unexpected question, but he was +as quick as he was keen, and rallying, he answered: + +"Why no, of course not. He isn't of age yet!" + +Another of Tad's great diversions was to stand around among the crowd +of office-seekers who daily filled the corridors leading to President +Lincoln's office, for their turn to see the President. Tad used to talk +with them, while they waited, asking them all sorts of impertinent +questions which were always taken in good faith, because he was the +President's son, and known to be such a favourite that he might be a +valuable ally. Some of the office-seekers came day after day without +ever obtaining an interview with Lincoln, and with these Tad grew quite +intimate; some of them he shrewdly advised to go home and chop wood for +a living, others he tried to dismiss by promising them that he would +speak to his father of their case, if they would not come back again +unless they were sent for, and with one and all he was a great +favourite, he was so bright and cunning, and too, all were eager to +have the good will of the little fellow, for motives not always the +highest. This, shrewd little Tad discovered, and he decided to put his +popularity to use, so one morning when the line of callers began to +form, they found Tad standing at the foot of the staircase, where he +made every one who passed up pay him five cents for the benefit of the +Sanitary Fund, as he explained while he was gathering in the nickels. + +This enterprise was so satisfactory that he decided to give one of the +Sanitary Commission Fairs which were then being held all over the +country, and placing a table in the entrance hall of the White House he +stocked it with all the odds and ends which his amused friends could be +made to contribute, as well as with some food begged from the pantry, +and some of his own broken toys. One can well imagine the difficulty of +getting in or out of the White House that day with any change in one's +pocket, and when night came Tad's accounts made him chuckle with +delight, and decide on a still bolder enterprise. This required +capital, however, but that did not daunt him, for he had quite an +amount of pocket money saved up, and with it he bought out the entire +stock of an old woman who sold gingerbread and apples near the Treasury +Building, wheedled a pair of trestles and a board from a carpenter, and +set up shop in the very shadow of the stately portico of the White +House, to the horror of some who saw the performance, and to the +intense amusement of others who were always watching to see what Tad +would do next. + +As long as his stock lasted, he did a heavy business, for it was an +excellent chance for those who wished to buy his favour, to do so, and +his pockets were well lined with bills when he shut up shop that night, +but being as generous as he was shrewd, capital and profit were soon +squandered, and it is said the little merchant went penniless to bed. + +In vain were all attempts to make Tad study. He never had any time for +such dull things as books, when there was all out-of-doors for his +restless self to rove in, and his father did not seem grieved or +worried when tutors came and went, shaking their heads over a boy who +was such a whirlwind of activity that they had no chance to become +acquainted with him, although he was keener than they, and weighed them +each in the balance and found them wanting before any one of them had +been with him twenty-four hours. + +When appealed to in regard to the matter, the President would say: + +"Let him run. There's time enough yet for him to learn his letters and +get poky." And so the boy followed out his own impetuous desires, and +although so backward in regard to books, he understood far more about +mechanics and trade than other boys of his own age, and for all his +impetuosity and despotism, he had a very tender conscience and a loving +nature. A friend of Lincoln's tells of sitting with the President once +when Tad tore into the room in search of some lost treasure, and having +found it, flung himself on his father like a small whirlwind, gave him +a wild fierce hug, and without a word, or even giving his father time +to do or say anything, rushed out as impetuously as he had come in. It +is needless to say that he was no respecter of persons, young Tyrant +Tad; he knew no law, he had no restraint that barred him from any part +of the house at any time, but came and went, and did and said whatever +pleased his vagrant fancy. Not unfrequently while the President was +occupied with his cabinet, Tad would burst into the room bubbling over +with some personal grievance which demanded immediate attention or with +some pathetic story about a shabbily dressed caller who was being sent +away by the ushers, to Tad's great anger. At other times he would +become deeply interested in some young person who had come to the +President with a request which Tad had heard first himself, and insist +on dragging him into the President's presence at once to tell the +story, and make his request, and so thoroughly was the President in +sympathy with this tender-hearted trait of his son, that he always +received such proteges of Tad's with interest and helped them if he +could. + +Tad had his likes and dislikes, and took no pains to conceal them, and +one morning when he broke in on his father's privacy and found with him +a Cabinet officer for whom he had no liking, he cried out: + +"Why are you here so early? What do _you_ want?" probably to the +chagrin of his father, who doubtless talked with him seriously later in +the day about showing such discourtesy to an elder. + +Quick to take up a new interest, and as quick to throw it aside, one +day when the Secretary of War, Mr. Stanton, found Tad fussing around +his office, Mr. Stanton, just for the fun of it, commissioned Tad a +lieutenant of the United States Volunteers; this excited Tad so greatly +that he hurried off and on his own responsibility ordered a quantity of +muskets sent up to the White House at once, and then gathered together +the house-servants and gardeners, and organised them into a company, +drilled them for service, and then actually dismissed the regular +sentries on the premises, and ordered his new recruits on duty as +guards. Robert Lincoln, who was then at home, having discovered Tad's +scheme, thought that the men who had been at work all day, ought to be +free at night, and told Tad so, but Tad would not listen to him, so +Robert appealed the case to his father, who only laughed, as he +generally did at Tad's pranks, thought the whole thing a good joke, and +gave no orders to the refractory young lieutenant. Tad, however, soon +grew tired of being on watch himself, and went to bed, when his +recruits were quietly relieved from duty, and there was no guard over +the President's house that night. + +While he sported his commission as lieutenant Tad looked the part, +having from some source got a uniform suitable for the occasion, and in +that proud costume he had himself photographed to the great delight of +his admiring circle of friends. + +Tad's tenth birthday was celebrated by a visit which he made with his +father and a party of friends to the Army of the Potomac, which was +then encamped on the banks of the Rappahannock, opposite +Fredericksburg, the visit being made because the President thought a +glimpse of the Nation's Chief Executive might put fresh courage into +the weary soldiers. The visit was five days long and a more restless +member of a party than Tad was, cannot be imagined. By the end of the +first day he had exhausted all the resources of the encampment, and +begged to go home, but there were any number of reviews and parades for +which the President was obliged to stay, and these somewhat diverted +Tad, for a handsome young soldier was detailed as the boy's special +escort, and a little grey horse consoled him partially for the beloved +pony left at home. It is said that those reviews and the part Tad +played in them will never be forgotten by the men who saw or took part +in them, and this is the way they have been described. + +"Over hill and dale dashed the general-in-chief with his company of +officers in gay uniforms, sparkling with gold lace, and escorted by the +Philadelphia Lancers, a showy troop of soldiers. At their head, seen +afar, rose the tall form of Lincoln, conspicuous always by his great +height and lean awkward figure, and as they passed, ever on the flanks +of the hurrying column flew, like a flag or a small banner, Tad's +little grey riding coat. His short legs stuck out straight from his +saddle, and sometimes there was danger that he would be shot out of his +seat at some sharp turn in the road, but much to the astonishment of +everybody, the hard-riding reckless youngster turned up at headquarters +safe and sound every night, exhausted but flushed with the excitement +of the day. Everywhere they went on horse-back he divided the honours +with his father, and whenever the soldiers saw the tall figure of their +much loved President, and fresh-faced merry Tad, they cheered +themselves hoarse, but in response to the cheers Tad firmly refused to +salute as he was told to do, saying: + +"That's the way General Hooker and father do, but I am only a boy," and +paid no attention to the notice he attracted. + +Even with the excitement of the reviews, so restless was Tad during +those days with the army of the Potomac, and so steadily did he plead +with his father to go home, that finally to quiet him, the President +said: + +"Tad, I'll make a bargain with you. If you will agree not to say +anything more about going home until we are ready to go, I will give +you that dollar you want so badly." + +The teller of that story who was on the spot at the time, says, that +although having a great desire for the dollar, Tad did murmur a few +times after this, and when they were ready to go back to Washington, +Lincoln held up a dollar bill before Tad, asking: + +"Now, Taddie, my son, do you think you have earned this?" + +Tad hung his head and said nothing, but the President handed it to him, +saying: + +"Well, my son, although I don't think you have kept your part of the +bargain, I will keep mine, and you cannot reproach _me_ with breaking +faith, anyway!" Tad's face showed that he understood the value of that +greenback, as well as his father's reproof. + +The long terrible months of the War of Secession wore slowly away, now +illuminated by the joy of a victory, now overshadowed by the gloom of +defeat, and meanwhile President Lincoln was criticised by friends and +foes, alike by those who did not understand, and by those who would not +appreciate the vastness of the ideal underlying the pain and tragedy of +the war. But the President struggled on, wearing out his heart and his +strength, but his courage and his faith never failed, and through all +the suspense and responsibility of those years, Abraham Lincoln stood +firm, Captain of the Ship of State, steering her safely into the +desired haven. + +The war came to an end. The armies of the Union had crushed out the +great rebellion. Peace came to the troubled land, and Lincoln felt that +he had fulfilled his mission,--that he could now enjoy in unclouded +happiness that second term on which he was just entering. + +At that time, when though men were jubilant over the end of the great +struggle, there was still in some hearts a revengeful spirit towards +the conquered, and when in one of his speeches Lincoln asked: + +"What shall we do with the rebels?" + +A man in the audience cried: + +"Hang them!" + +The President's elbow received a violent jerk and Lincoln looked +hastily down before replying. As usual Tad was close beside his father, +and had taken the only means of attracting his attention: + +"No, father," he said, "don't hang them--hang on to them!" + +"Tad's got it," said Mr. Lincoln, beaming with pleasure at the little +fellow's idea. "He's right, we'll hang on to them!"--and that remark of +Tad's with the response it brought out, has become one of the most +famous memories of Tad. + +In another historic scene we find him figuring. It was the night of +President Lincoln's last long speech, that of April 11, 1865. News had +just come of the fall of Richmond and Petersburg, and the White House +was a blaze of lights from attic to cellar, in honour of the occasion, +while all over the country a wave of joy swept, for now it was felt +that the end of the long struggle was in sight. A great crowd of people +had gathered outside the White House and the sound of their cheers and +shouts was like the roar of the ocean, and the clamour of brass bands +and the explosion of fireworks, added to the general confusion and +noise. + +Inside the White House, the President and some friends sat long at +dinner, after which the President would be expected to make a speech to +the expectant crowd, but he lingered at the table, as though loath to +end its pleasant intercourse, while Tad grew impatient at such a long +period of inaction, and crept away. Soon he was discovered at a front +window, out of which he was frantically waving a Confederate flag, +which someone had given him. The impatient crowd outside, eagerly +watching for something to happen, when they saw the little figure with +the big rebel flag, applauded uproariously, for Tad and his pranks were +one of the features of the White House. But when the dignified old +family butler discovered the youngster he was horrified. After a long +struggle with him which delighted the crowd, Tad was captured and +dragged in, and his flag confiscated while the old servant exclaimed: + +"Oh, Master Tad, the likes of it, the likes of a rebel flag out of the +windows of the White House.--Oh, did I ever!" + +Struggling out of his conqueror's clutches, Tad rushed tempestuously to +his father to complain about such treatment, but Mr. Lincoln, having +finished dinner, had just stepped into a centre window, from which he +could look out on the great crowd of people below him, and was waiting +for the mighty cheer that welcomed him to die away. Then he spoke, and +as the first words: + +"We meet to-night, not in sorrow, but in gladness of heart,"--fell on +the ears of the throng, a mighty hush enveloped the surging mass of +human beings whom he was addressing. + +His speech was written on loose sheets of paper, which as he finished, +fluttered one by one from his hand to the ground. The candle which +should have given him light, was not where he could see to read by it, +so he took it from its place, and held it in one hand, while he +continued with his reading, and still the pages fluttered to the ground +one by one. + +Tad, meanwhile, finding his father occupied, had seized the chance of +despoiling the forsaken dinner table of all the dainties still on it, +but after this diversion began to pall, he looked about for some new +excitement. Hearing the President's voice addressing the crowd, Tad +crept behind his father, and amused himself by picking up the +fluttering pages as they fell. The President was reading slowly and the +pages dropped too seldom to suit impatient Tad. + +"Come, give me another!" he whispered loudly, pulling the leg of his +father's trousers. The President made a little motion of his foot +towards Tad, but gave no other sign that he heard the whispered +command, and continued to voice his grave and wise thoughts on +Reconstruction. + +Below was that vast sea of upturned faces--every eye fixed on the face +of the much loved President. At the window, his face radiant with +patriotic joy stood Abraham Lincoln--that heroic figure, reading the +speech which was to be his last word to the people. + +Beside him, creeping back and forth on his hands and knees after the +fluttering pages, and sometimes lifting an eager face to his father, +was Tad, the boy of the White House, and there let us leave him, close +beside that father to whom he was both comfort and joy, through dark +years of storm and stress. Let us leave Abraham Lincoln, and Tad, his +cherished son, together there in the sight of the people to whom they +were so dear, before the black curtain of sorrow falls over them, that +Tad's merry face may linger in our memory untouched by the sorrow of a +nation's tragedy. + + + + +S. F. B. MORSE: + +A Great American who Invented the Telegraph + + +On the ocean, homeward bound from Havre to New York, in the first week +of October, 1832, was sailing the packet-ship _Sully_, with a long +list of passengers, among them Samuel Finley Breese Morse, a man so +important in the history of America, both as an artist and an inventor, +that it is fitting to look backward and see what influences went into +the making of such a man. + +On the twenty-seventh of April, 1791, the baby with the big name was +born in a comfortable home in Charlestown, Mass. His father was the +Reverend Jedediah Morse who was not only popular with his congregation +but was the personal friend of General Washington and other great men +of his time. His mother was the daughter of a Judge, and her +grandfather had been president of Princeton college, so the baby who +was born on that April day had a rich inheritance of good blood and +love of education. + +He was christened with the names of his father, grandfather and +great-grandfather, but the name was too long for daily use, so he was +called "Finley" at home, and in college was given the name of +"Geography" Morse. + +His birth must have interested a large number of friends, for many +letters of congratulation were sent to the proud parents and to others +who knew them well. Dr. Belknap of Boston wrote to a friend in New +York: + + "Congratulate the Monmouth Judge (Mr. Breese) on the birth of a + grandson. Next Sunday he is to be loaded with names, not quite as + many as the Spanish Ambassador who signed the treaty of peace in + 1783, but only _four_! He may have the sagacity of a Jewish Rabbi, + or the profundity of a Calvin, or the sublimity of a Homer for + aught I know. But time will bring forth all things." + +An interesting forecast, that, of the future of Finley Morse! He grew +to be a perfectly normal small boy who kept his mother very busy +looking after him, but was no more lively and mischievous than other +boys of his age. Here is a quaint little note to him from his father's +friend, Mr. Wells, written when Finley was only two years old: + + "My dear Little Boy, + + As a small testimony of my respect and obligation to your excellent + Parents and of my love to you I send you with this six (6) English + Guineas. They are pretty playthings, and in the country I came from + many people are fond of them. Your Papa will let you look at them, + and then he will take care of them, and by the time you are grown + up to be a Man, they will, under Papa's wise management increase to + twice their present number. With wishing you may never be in want + of such playthings and yet never too fond of them, I remain your + affectionate friend + + Wm. M. Wells. + + July 2, 1793." + +When he was four years old Finley was sent to a school for very little +children, kept by "Old Ma'am Rand". She was lame and could not walk +across the room, but she kept a rattan rod by her side long enough to +reach any naughty pupil in the room, and the children were much afraid +of having this happen. + +One day the teacher discovered Finley at the back of the room, busy +"drawing" a picture of her with a sharp brass pin on the shiny wooden +lid of a chest. + +"Bring it to me!" commanded the old lady, and the boy came slowly +forward, pin in hand. When he was near enough to reach, Old Ma'am Rand +gripped him firmly and pinned him to her dress with the big pin. He +struggled so hard that he got away and ran screaming to the end of the +room with a piece of the old lady's dress that had been torn in the +struggle, hanging on his sleeve. + +But evidently he and his teacher were really good friends, for he +stayed in her class until he was seven years old. Then he went to a +preparatory school in Andover, Mass., and from there to Phillips +Academy, also in Andover, where he was prepared for Yale college. + +The following is the only letter preserved that was written by him at +that early date, from the preparatory school. + + "Dear Papa,--I hope you are well and I will thank you if you will + send me up some quils. Give my love to mama and _Nancy_ and my + little brothers; pleas to kis them for me and send me up some very + good paper to write to you. + + I have as many blackberries as I want I go and pick them myself. + + SAMUEL FINLEY BREESE MORSE + YOUR SON. + 1799." + +Finley was never much interested in his studies, but liked better to +read books on whatever subject caught his fancy. "Plutarch's Lives" was +one of his favorites, and it gave him the ambition to become famous, +although exactly how to achieve his purpose he did not then see. But he +kept on reading, and studying and when he was thirteen he wrote a +sketch of Demosthenes and sent it to his father, who was so pleased +with it that he laid it away among his treasures. + +The letters written to him by his father were very different from those +written by fathers of today. Here is part of one: + + "My dear Son--You do not write to me as often as you ought. In your + next you must assign some reason for this neglect. Possibly I have + not received all of your letters. Nothing will improve you in + epistolary writing as practice. Take great pains with your letters. + Avoid vulgar phrases. Study to have your ideas pertinent and + correct, and clothe them in easy and grammatical dress. Pay + attention to your spelling, pointing, the use of capitals, to your + handwriting. After a little practice these things will become + natural and you will thus acquire a habit of writing correctly and + well. General Washington was a remarkable instance of what I have + now recommended to you. His letters are a perfect model for + epistolary writers.... I will show you some of his letters when I + have the pleasure of seeing you next vacation and when I shall + expect to find you much improved. + + Your natural disposition, my dear son, renders it proper for me + earnestly to recommend you to attend to one thing at a time. It is + impossible that you can do two things well at the same time, and I + would therefore never have you attempt it. Never undertake to do + what ought not to be done, and then whatever you undertake, + endeavor to do it in the best manner.... Steady and undissipated + attention to one object is a sure mark of genius, as hurry, bustle + and agitation are the never failing symptoms of a weak and + frivolous mind. I expect you to read this letter over several + times, that you may retain its contents in your memory." + +Whether the ten year old boy appreciated this fine letter is open to +doubt, but he certainly acted on its advice, for so good was his record +for scholarship that when he was only fourteen years old he was ready +to leave the preparatory school and become a college student. + +A year later, in the fall of 1805 he left home and took the trip to New +Haven, where he entered the freshman class at Yale. An amusing incident +of his early college days is given in this letter. He says: + + "We had a new affair here a few days ago. The college cooks were + arraigned before a tribunal of the students. We found two of the + worst of them guilty of several charges, such as being insolent to + the students, not exerting themselves to cook clean for us, in + _concealing pies_ which belonged to the students, having suppers at + midnight and inviting all their neighbors and friends to sup with + them at the expense of the students, and this not once in a while + but every night.... The fault is not so much in the food as in the + cooking, for our bill-of-fare has been in the following way: + Chocolate, coffee and hashed meat every morning, at noon, various; + roast beef twice a week, pudding three times, and turkeys and geese + on an average once a fortnight; baked beans occasionally; Christmas + and other merry days, turkeys, pie and puddings as many as we wish + for.... I ought to have added that in future we are to have + beefsteaks and toast twice a week, before this the cooks were too + lazy to cook them. I will inform you of the result of the affair as + soon as it is completed." + +Then as now, "eats" formed a vastly important part of boys' life, it +seems. + +At that time Jeremiah Day was teacher of natural philosophy at Yale, +and Prof. Silliman, of chemistry, and to these men young Morse owed +much of his later achievement. One day in class Prof. Day told his +pupils to all join hands while a student touched the pole of an +electric battery. At once a shock was felt down the long line of boys. +Morse described it as being like "a slight blow across the shoulders". +This experiment showed the pupils the wonderful speed at which +electricity travels. Another day the laboratory was darkened and a +current of electricity passed through a row of metal blocks placed at a +short distance apart, while the boys in awed silence watched the white +light flash between the links of the chain and the blocks. + +So interested did Finley become in experiments along that line, that +when at vacation time he found he could not afford to take the trip +home, he was not much disappointed, but spent his time making tests in +the laboratory. That his problems were much the same as those of young +men of today is shown by this letter to his father. He says: + + "I find it impossible to live in college without spending money. At + one time a letter is to be paid for, then comes up a great tax from + the class or society, which keeps me constantly running after + money.... The amount of my expenses for the last term was fifteen + dollars expended in the following manner: + + Postage $ 2.05 + Oil .50 + Taxes, fines, etc 3.00 + Oysters .50 + Washbowl .37-1/2 + Skillet .33 + Axe, $1.33; Catalogues, 12c 1.45 + Powder and shots 1.12 + Cakes, etc. etc. etc. 1.75 + Wine, Thanks Day .20 + Toll on bridge .15 + Grinding axe .08 + Museum .25 + Poor man .14 + Carriage for trunk 1.00 + Pitcher .41 + Sharpening skates .37-1/2 + Circ. Library .25 + Post Papers .57 + Lent, never to be returned .25 + ---------- + $14.75 + Paid for cutting wood .25 + ---------- + $15.00" + +Surely it would do the college boy of today good to read that list of +expenses. It might be a revelation to him. + +A postscript to the letter adds, "The students are very fond of raising +balloons at present. I will (with your leave) when I return home, make +one. They are pleasant sights." + +At that time, he was as much interested in drawing as he was in +electrical experiments, and could get a remarkable likeness of anyone +who would pose for him. As there were no photographs in those days, his +portraits were in great demand, and needing money, to help with his +expenses he began to paint miniatures to order, his price being five +dollars for those painted on ivory, and one dollar for profiles, and he +says, "Everybody is ready to engage me at that price." + +When his college course was at an end Finley wished to take up painting +for a profession, but of this his parents did not approve, so for a +short time he was apprenticed to a bookshop-keeper, but was so unhappy +that Dr. and Mrs. Morse finally decided to let him become an artist, +and when he was nineteen years old he went to Europe with the +well-known artist, Washington Allston, to study art. In London he met +Benjamin West, the famous painter, to whom Morse "a young pilgrim from +the United States, modest and gentle, with his foot not yet on the +first rung of the ladder of fame" made a great appeal, and West took +the youth under his personal supervision, and felt enormous pride in +his progress, for Finley's picture of the dying Hercules at the Royal +Academy exhibition was named as one of the twelve best among two +thousand exhibited, and his cast of Hercules took the gold medal at the +Adelphi Society of Fine Arts. + +Back again in America after four years abroad, young Morse had years of +struggle ahead, but with undaunted courage continued to work, and at +last, despite all obstacles won success as an artist. But of that no +more in this brief sketch which has to do with the Inventor. + +We have seen the child in school, the boy in college, the budding +artist in his training, have watched him painting and making electrical +experiments with equal enthusiasm, and now he is no longer a boy, but +Morse, the man, when on that April day in 1832 we find him on the deck +of the packet-ship _Sully_. There, alone with the mighty influences of +Nature and his new idea, he is working out the first crude principles +of the Telegraph system which in after years was to be such a +revolutionizing factor in civilization and commerce. + +Came years of struggle against what seemed to be overwhelming +obstacles, but Morse was equal to the emergencies of the case and we +have one more glimpse of him as the man who succeeded. + +After twelve years of hard work to achieve his ends, a bill was passed +by the Senate appropriating thirty thousand dollars for testing the +Morse Telegraph. A young woman, Miss Ellsworth, had the good fortune to +carry the news to Mr. Morse, who was so overjoyed that he could +scarcely find his voice to thank her. When at last he spoke, it was to +promise that she should choose the first message to be sent across the +wires of his Telegraph. + +A glimpse of his achievement--at its crowning moment of success. + +The Assembly room of the United States Supreme Court with one of the +Morse Telegraph instruments installed in it. A group of distinguished +officers and private individuals, waiting with intense interest to see +the invention tested. + +With perfect calmness the Inventor took his seat at the instrument, +laid his hands on the key-board now familiar to us all, and in the +Morse code sent the message chosen by Miss Ellsworth. Slowly--steadily, +successfully he wrote the chosen words,-- + + "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT" + +The message was instantaneously received in Baltimore by a Mr. Vail who +did not know beforehand what message was to be sent. He returned it +immediately to Washington, so that within a single moment those +inspired words were flashed back and forth through a circuit of eighty +miles.--The Telegraph system had begun to work! + +A great American by inheritance, and by achievement, we do Samuel +Finley Breese Morse homage, for his ideals are those for which our +forefathers gave their lives. When that first message flashed over the +wires to Baltimore and back, the Inventor said humbly and reverently, +"The message baptizes the Telegraph with the name of its author,--for +that author is God." + + + + +DAVID FARRAGUT: + +The Boy Midshipman + + +It was a day in late October, in the year 1812. Down the Delaware +River, came slowly sailing the frigate _Essex_, which was one of a +fleet being sent to cruise along the Atlantic coast for the protection +of American vessels from their English enemies, for 1812 was the year +when the war between England and America was declared, and for this +reason. + +England had for a long time been at war with France. Any vessel going +to or from a French port was liable to be attacked by an English +man-of-war, and the English government even claimed the right to search +American vessels to see whether any English sailors were on board. And +worse than that, many American sailors were accused, and falsely, of +being English deserters and were taken from their own vessels and +forced to serve on English ships. All attempts of America to adjust +this matter peacefully were refused, and in 1812 America was obliged to +declare war against Great Britain, and in consequence a squadron was +fitted out to cruise along the Atlantic coast, to protect American +vessels from the English. + +The _Essex_ was in command of Captain Porter, and as she was not ready +to start when the rest of the fleet did, she sailed alone down the +river through the quiet bay, and out into the ocean, and as she sailed, +she bore little resemblance to our war vessels of to-day, so clumsily +fashioned was she, being made of wood, with only one covered deck, and +the open forecastle and quarter-deck above it, and had but two tiers of +guns--the largest frigates carried sixty guns, besides a large pivot +gun at the bow, and were noted for their speed, though in comparison to +modern warships they were as a tortoise is to a hare. + +Down the river sailed the _Essex_ to join the sister-vessels of her +fleet, with a pennant flying from her masthead, on which were the +words, "_Free trade, and sailors' rights_," for both of which, Captain +Porter was ready to fight. + +On the deck of the _Essex_ as she swung slowly out to sea, stood +Captain Porter, and by his side stood the proudest boy in all America +that day, David Farragut, a little midshipman in a shining uniform +which boasted more brass buttons than the years of its wearer's +life--for David was only ten years old, and this is how he came to be +in such an important position on that October day. + +Born on a farm near Knoxville, Tenn., on the fifth of July, in 1801, +David Glascow Farragut had a rich inheritance of courage and energy, +both from his mother and father--one being a Spaniard who had come to +America during the Revolutionary war, through his desire to help the +Colonists in their struggle for liberty, the other a brave, energetic +young Scotch woman. + +The little farm was miles away from any other dwelling place, and +around it there was only a wilderness of forest trees, so that little +David and his brother were not allowed to go out of sight of the house, +because of the wild animals prowling through the woods and the Indians +who often lurked near. One day while the father was away hunting, the +Indians came and tried to force their way into the house, but brave +Elizabeth Farragut was too quick for them, with fierce courage she +guarded the entrance to the house--axe in hand--first sending the boys +up to a loft under the roof, where they crouched in silence for hours, +while the courageous mother kept the Indians at bay, and finally they +tired of their fruitless attempt and went away. + +When David was seven years old his father was appointed sailing master +in the navy, and in consequence the family moved to the plantation on +the bank of Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans, where the father's +headquarters were to be. As he was devoted to his children, he +generally kept them with him when he was off duty, and many times took +them out in his little sail boat on the lake in the fiercest kind of +storms, storms so severe that sometimes they could not even get home, +but would spend the night on an island, warmly wrapped in a heavy sail, +or tucked up under a protecting coverlet of sand. When he was blamed +for this, he always answered: + +"Now is the time to conquer their fears," and continued to take his +boys on such excursions as before. + +One day while George Farragut was out on the lake fishing, he saw an +old man in a boat alone and evidently sick. + +Pulling alongside of him, Farragut found him unconscious, and towing +his boat to shore, carried him to the house, where Elizabeth Farragut +nursed him with as tender care as if he had been her father. His +disease was yellow fever, and in five days he died, and brave Elizabeth +Farragut survived him by only a few days, having caught the disease +while nursing him. + +A sad day that was for the poor widower who was left with five +motherless children to care for, and it is small wonder that he +scarcely knew where to turn. While he was still dazed by his burden of +grief, a stranger came to the desolate little home on the lake, and +asked to see Mr. Farragut. He was Capt. Porter, the son of the old man +who had been cared for in his last sickness by the Farraguts, and his +son had come to express his gratitude for their kindness, and to offer +to adopt one of the boys, as a token of appreciation, if Mr. Farragut +was willing to give one up. + +Although it meant final parting with his boy, and that was not easy, +George Farragut felt it was a wise thing to do, and as his eldest son, +William, was already in the navy, David was the next to accept the +offered advantage. Captain Porter was at that time in command of the +naval station at New Orleans, and his showy uniform made a great +impression on little David, who though sad at leaving his father and +brothers, was eager to go with this handsome new guardian, and as soon +as the farewells were said, and his slender wardrobe was packed, +Captain Porter took him away with him to his home in New Orleans, and +from there to Washington where he was placed in a good school. + +Farragut was a bright, intelligent boy, with an honest, pleasant face, +and though he was short, he stood very erect and always held his head +very high. + +"I cannot afford to lose any of my inches," he always said. + +One day he was introduced to the Secretary of the Navy, who after +asking him many questions, was so delighted with the boy's quick +answers that he patted him on the head, saying: + +"My boy, when you are ten years old, I shall make you a midshipman in +the navy." + +That promise seemed too good to be true to young Farragut, who was then +nine and a half years old, but the Secretary of the Navy did not forget +it but kept his word, and the appointment came promptly, putting the +boy in a seventh heaven of anticipation. Then the arrangement was made +that he was to go with Capt. Porter, and on that October day of 1812 +when the _Essex_ sailed out of the Delaware river, the young midshipman +stood in all his proud splendour of uniform beside the Captain who was +already his ideal of a naval hero. + +For several months the _Essex_ cruised about in the Atlantic, during +which time Captain Porter was able to capture some English vessels, +among them the _Alert_, and the _Essex_ was crowded with prisoners +taken from the prize ships. + +One night when young Farragut lay apparently asleep, but in reality +listening and watching, the coxswain of the _Alert_ came to his hammock +with a pistol in hand. Farragut scarcely breathed until he had passed +by, then noiselessly the young midshipman crept to the cabin where +Captain Porter was, aroused him and told him what he had seen. The +Captain sprang from his cot, crying "Fire! Fire!" The sailors rushed on +deck at the cry, and the rebels were in irons almost before they knew +what had happened, while to young Farragut belonged the credit of +having averted a mutiny. + +Months passed, and still Captain Porter had not been able to find the +American squadron, so he decided to make a trip around Cape Horn, and +cruise about on the Pacific, which decision pleased young Farragut, as +he was eager for an experience of real sea life. And he certainly had +it. The weather was bitterly cold, and for twenty-one days the ship was +lashed by terrific gales, by the end of which time the provisions were +almost gone, and each man had only a small daily allowance of bread and +water, which was not a light experience, with appetites whetted by salt +air and hard work. After rounding the cape, Captain Porter sailed north +along the west coast of South America and stopped at an island near the +coast of Chili, and here all the sailors went ashore with their guns, +and killed some wild hogs and horses, and even the horse-flesh they ate +with keen relish, after being so long without fresh meat. Then for +months they cruised about in the Pacific, and as he had done in the +Atlantic cruise, so in the Pacific, Captain Porter captured several +English vessels and also warned some American whaling ships of danger. +These had been at sea for so long that they had not even heard of the +war. Every now and again the _Essex_ stopped at an island where the +sailors could kill seals, or when they anchored in a bay, they fished +for cod, and at one island where they stayed for quite a while, they +found prickly pears to eat, and killed pigeons which the cook on the +_Essex_ made into pies, and turtles which they caught were made into +soup, and the salt air and the free vigorous life gave them all +ravenous appetites, and young Farragut felt the keenest joy of living +which he had ever experienced. + +On that island where they stayed so long they found a curious +post-office--a link connecting whoever should discover it with the +outer world of passing men and vessels. It was just a box nailed to a +tree, where messages or letters could be left to be picked up by other +vessels which happened to be going in the right direction to carry +them. + +A far cry indeed from that island post-box to the wireless stations of +to-day, flashing news from sea to land--from land to sea! + +At last in May, 1813, the _Essex_ sailed away from the island, and soon +more English vessels were sighted and captured. One of these prizes +Captain Porter wished to have taken to Valparaiso, and as through all +the long cruise he had kept a watchful eye on young Farragut, he now +determined to put the boy's ability to a hard test. + +[Illustration: _David Farragut_] + +Farragut was then only twelve years old, just think of it,--twelve +years old, but the Captain put him in charge of the captured vessel, +while its grey-haired old captain was required to navigate it to +Valparaiso under Farragut's command. + +The charge of such a vessel on such a trip was no light matter for a +boy to undertake, and Farragut's joy and pride fairly oozed from every +inch of his alert figure, beamed from every feature of his face. The +old captain of the ship, in none too good a humour at having been +captured by the Americans, was still more angry at being obliged to +take orders from a mere child, and tried to ignore him, but as Farragut +paid no heed to his snubs, he tried a different method. When Farragut +gave orders that "the maintop-sail be filled away," the captain +answered that he would shoot any man who dared to touch a rope without +his orders, and then went below to get his pistols. There wasn't a +moment to lose. Instantly Farragut called one of his men, and told him +what had happened and what he wanted done, and his frank manner and +words accomplished what no amount of commands would have done. + +"Aye, aye, sir!" answered the faithful seaman, and at once prepared to +obey the order, while Farragut sent down word to the rebellious captain +not to come on deck with a pistol if he did not wish to go overboard. + +There was no question from that moment as to who was master of the +vessel, while the boy was greatly admired for his bravery which had +been equal to such an emergency, and the vessel was brought safely into +port by the young commander, who then went back to the _Essex_, proud +in the fact of having accomplished the task assigned him. + +On his return, Captain Porter had decided to go at once to some islands +far out in the Pacific, where he could refit the _Essex_, and so they +sailed in that direction, and when near the islands they were sighted +by some of the natives who paddled out in a canoe to meet them, and +eagerly invited the sailors ashore, promising them fruit and other +provisions. The natives were indeed a strange sight to the eyes of the +American boys, for their bodies were heavily tattooed, and gaily +ornamented with feathers in true barbaric fashion, but they were very +friendly and during the six weeks while the ship was being refitted, +although the American sailors were given lessons daily by the chaplain +of the _Essex_, when the lesson was over, they were allowed to mingle +freely with the islanders, and Farragut learned many new things from +them, things which were afterwards invaluable to him. To the islanders, +swimming was as natural and as easy as walking, and although David +never became as proficient in this as his new friends, still he learned +to swim easily and fast, and too, they taught him how to walk on +stilts, and how to use a spear with skill and ease, and in such sports +and occupations, time passed quickly and the Americans were most +regretful when the day came for them to say farewell to their island +friends. But the _Essex_ was ready to sail for Valparaiso, so off they +went and when they sailed away, young Farragut was almost as much +developed in muscle, and as bronzed by the sun and wind, as were the +friends he left behind him on that island to which he always looked +back as an enchanted land. + +Two months later when the _Essex_ was lying quietly at anchor in the +harbour of Valparaiso, and many of her crew happened to be on shore, +two English war vessels bore swiftly down upon the _Essex_ in a very +menacing way, and Captain Porter was afraid they would attack him, +which they had no right to do, for Chili was not at war with either +England or America, and so an American vessel should have been safe +within that port. + +One of these English vessels was a frigate called _The Phoebe_ and the +other a sloop named _The Cherub_. The _Phoebe_ passed within fifteen +feet of the _Essex_, when Captain Porter, who was standing on deck, +hailed her, saying: + +"If you touch a single yardarm I shall board you instantly!" + +The _Phoebe_ passed by without a reply and then both English vessels +anchored at the entrance of the harbour, by doing which they kept the +_Essex_ a prisoner. In this position the vessels remained for several +weeks, when there was a tremendous gale, in which the cables of the +_Essex_ gave way, and she at once began to drift towards the English +ships. Captain Porter decided that this was his chance to escape, and +setting all sail he made for the open sea. + +Suddenly something snapped. Down crashed the main topmast, carrying +sails, rigging and even some of the crew into the water. In such a +crippled condition escape was impossible, and the _Essex_ was driven +back again to shore, where she was brought to anchor within pistol shot +of the beach. + +The _Essex_ had only four guns that could shoot as far as the cannon of +the English. The _Phoebe_ and the _Cherub_ took a position out of range +of almost all of the guns of the _Essex_, and then poured broadside +after broadside into the unfortunate American. + +For two hours and a half the battle raged, the _Phoebe_ throwing seven +hundred eighteen-pound shots at the _Essex_. Captain Porter and his +crew fought bravely until one hundred and twenty-four of their men had +been killed or wounded, and during all this terrible battle, the first +which David Farragut had ever seen, there was no braver officer on the +ship than the little midshipman, who hurried here and there, carrying +messages for the captain, bringing powder for the guns, and helping +wherever he was needed. Years later in discussing this scene, Farragut +said: + +"I shall never forget the horrid impression made upon me at the sight +of the first man I had ever seen killed. It staggered me at first, but +they soon began to fall so fast that it all appeared like a dream, and +produced no effect on my nerves.... Some gun-primers were wanted and I +was sent after them. In going below, while I was on the ward-room +ladder, the Captain of the gun directly opposite the hatchway was +struck full in the face by an eighteen pound shot, and fell back on me. +We tumbled down the hatch together. I lay for some moments stunned by +the blow, but soon recovered consciousness enough to rush up on deck. +The Captain seeing me covered with blood, asked if I were wounded, to +which I replied, 'I believe not, sir.' + +"'Then,' said he, 'where are the primers?' This brought me to my senses +and I ran below again and brought up the primers." + +When Captain Porter had been forced lo surrender, the wounded men were +carried to shore, and young Farragut volunteered his services to help +the surgeons, and worked tirelessly, rolling bandages and waiting on +the injured men, whose admiration he won by his devoted service; and so +pleased was Captain Porter with his bravery throughout the whole +battle, that he mentioned it in his official despatches to the +government. Farragut himself in speaking of the battle later said: + +"I never earned Uncle Sam's money so faithfully." + +All of the American prisoners of war were put on board an unarmed +vessel, and made to promise that they would not take up arms against +the English until they had been exchanged for an equal number of +English prisoners, after giving which promise the _Essex_ was allowed +to sail for the United States. When Farragut, the plucky little +midshipman was taken on board the prison-ship, tears of mortification +rolled down his cheeks. + +"Never mind, my little fellow," said the Captain, "perhaps it will be +your turn next." + +"I hope so," was David's answer and his tears turned into a smile as he +saw "Murphy" his pet pig being brought on board, and at once rushed to +claim him, but the English sailors refused to allow that it was his, +saying: + +"You are a prisoner and your pig too." + +"We always respect private property," answered David, seizing hold of +the sailors, and of Murphy, with unyielding determination, and after a +vigorous tussle he won his beloved pig. + +Now prisoners of war, the Captain and crew of the _Essex_ arrived in +the harbour of New York on July 7th, 1814, and young Farragut, while +waiting to be exchanged, went to Captain Porter's home at Chester, Pa., +and while there was under the tuition of a Mr. Neif, a quaint +instructor who had been one of Napoleon's celebrated Guards. He gave +the boys in his care no lessons from books, but taught them about +plants and animals and how to climb, taking long walks with them and +giving them military drills as well, all of which Farragut enjoyed. + +In the following November, the English and Americans, having made an +exchange of prisoners, Farragut was free to return to the navy, but as +a treaty of peace was made only a few weeks later between the Americans +and English, he did not have to serve against the latter again, and +during the next two years he made only one short uneventful cruise, +being quartered the rest of the time on a receiving ship, or a vessel +stationed at the navy yards, where recruits are received into the +service. + +But in the Spring of 1816, he went on a cruise which proved most +interesting, on the _Washington_, a beautiful new ship carrying +seventy-four guns, which was to take the American minister to Naples. +Before leaving for the cruise, the President of the United States, +James Madison, visited the _Washington_, and among his suite was +Captain Porter, then a naval commissioner, who had come to say good-bye +to the boy whom he loved devotedly. + +Farragut was sad to say good-bye, but full too of the desire for change +and adventure, and the new trip was a great experience for him. + +The _Washington_ cruised all summer in the Mediterranean, stopping at +many places, which gave Farragut an opportunity to study geography in +the finest way possible. The great volcano Vesuvius was in eruption +when he visited it, which was an experience he never forgot, and +another of a very different kind was when the King of Naples and the +Emperor of Austria visited the _Washington_ and were entertained with +great display and elegance. After stopping at the coast towns of Tunis, +Tripoli and Algiers, the _Washington_ finally put up for the winter in +a Spanish harbour, and then, as during the entire cruise, the boys were +taught by the ship's chaplain, Mr. Folsom, who was so devoted to David +that when in the fall of 1817 he was appointed consul to Tunis, he +wrote to the Captain of the _Washington_ asking permission to take the +boy with him, because, he said to the commodore "he is entirely +destitute of the aids of fortune and the influence of friends, other +than those whom his character may attach to him," and the request was +granted. + +Farragut spent nine delightful and valuable months with his old friend, +who gave the boy every opportunity, not only for study, but to gain +such polish and worldly experience as he would need in later life and +David eagerly profited by every advantage given him. Then the Danish +consul, who was also an admirer of the bright sturdy boy, invited him +to visit him. Farragut was now sixteen years old, and it was at that +time that the first real hardship of his life came to him, when as the +result of a sunstroke, his eyes were weakened, and never entirely +recovered. + +Soon it was time for him to go on duty on the _Washington_ again, and +Mr. Folsom, tearful with regret at being obliged to part from the boy, +took him in his arms and gave him his blessing and their paths in life +parted, although forty years later, when Farragut had become a famous +Admiral he sent a token of respect and love to Mr. Folsom, showing that +he had never forgotten his old friend. + +When Farragut was eighteen years old, he was called to America to take +his examination for a lieutenancy, which he took and passed +successfully, but as there was no vacancy just then in the navy, he was +obliged to wait, and although he spent the time happily with the +Porters in their Virginia home, he was glad indeed when the chance came +to cruise again, for he was a thorough sailor, and the love of the sea +ran hot in his veins. + +For years both the American and English had been waging war against +bands of pirates who infested the coast of the West Indies. These +robbers had small fast ships, and would attack unarmed merchantmen, +seize all the valuables they could carry away or destroy, and sometimes +kill the crew or put them ashore on some desert island. Ever since +peace with England had been declared, Captain Porter had been a +commissioner of the navy, and made no sea voyages, but now he offered +to resign this position and attempt to drive the pirates away, only +demanding that the government should give him a fleet of small vessels +which could follow the pirates into their retreats. + +The government accepted his offer, and gave him orders to fit out such +a fleet as he chose, and he bought eight small schooners, similar to +those used by the pirates, and also five large row-boats or barges, +which were called the "mosquito fleet" and Farragut was assigned to one +of the vessels named the _Greyhound_, and in command of it he had many +exciting encounters with the pirates. At one time when off the Southern +coast of Cuba, some of the _Greyhound's_ crew who had gone ashore to +hunt game, were fired on by the pirates, and returned this fire without +effect, then went back to their ship. Farragut was ordered to take a +party of men to capture the pirates, and at three o'clock the next +morning, they set out in the barges, and after landing on the island, +had no easy time to find the pirate camp, as they had to cut their way +through thickets of trailing vines, thorny bushes and cactus plants and +in such intense heat that some of the men fainted from exhaustion. They +found the camp, but their prey had fled! Evidently the approaching +vessels had been seen, and the pirates were gone. The sailors at once +searched their camp, which was protected by several cannon, and there +they found some houses a hundred feet long, and also an immense cave +filled with all kinds of goods taken from plundered vessels. + +The sailors burned the houses, and carried off the plunder and the +cannon to their boats, while David carried away a monkey as his prize. +Just as the men were returning to their boats, they heard a great noise +behind them, and thought surely that the pirates had come back to +attack them, and Farragut stood still and made a speech to the sailors, +urging them to fight bravely and to stand their ground like men. +Imagine their surprise and amusement when they found their foes were +not pirates, but thousands of land-crabs scurrying through the briars! + +This was only one of the incidents that young Farragut had while on his +first cruise as acting lieutenant. During the entire cruise to the West +Indies, the American sailors suffered much from yellow fever and from +exposure, and in alluding to the voyage in after days, Farragut said: + +"I never owned a bed during my cruise in the West Indies, but laid me +down to rest wherever I found the most comfortable berth." + +The pirates were finally driven from the seas, their boats burned or +captured, and their camps entirely destroyed, and Farragut's first and +most exciting cruise as a youthful commander came to an end. The +honours which were his at a later day were such as come to the man of +years of training and experience, but from the day when the little +midshipman stood on the deck of the _Essex_ beside Captain Porter as +she sailed down the Delaware river, to the time when he stood in the +proud glory of his title, the first admiral of America, his is the +story of a man who won his fame by a never varying attention to detail, +a never ending effort for self-improvement, and a never relaxed +adherence to duty. + +All honour to Midshipman Farragut--the Admiral-to-be! + + + + +MOZART: + +The Boy Musician + + +Johannes Chrysostemus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart--what a burden to be +put upon a baby's tiny shoulders! + +If there is any truth underlying the belief that a name can in some +measure foreshadow a child's future, then surely Wolfgang Mozart, who +was born in Salzburg in 1756, came honestly by his heritage of +greatness, for when he was only a day old he received the five-part +name, to which was later added his confirmation name of Sigismundus. +But as soon as he could choose for himself, the little son of Marianne +and Leopold Mozart from his store of names, selected Wolfgang, to which +he added Amadeus, by which combination he was always known, and the +name is for ever linked with the memory of a great genius. + +Almost before he could talk plainly the little fellow showed himself to +be a musical prodigy, and when he was scarcely three years old he would +steal into the room where his father was giving a lesson on the +harpsichord to Anna (or "Nannerl," as she was called), the sister five +years older than himself, and while she was being taught, Wolfgang +would listen and watch with breathless attention. + +One day when the lesson was over, he begged his father to teach him +too, but Leopold Mozart only laughed as he answered, glancing down into +the child's serious face looking so intently into his: + +"Wait, my little man, thou art but a baby yet. Wait awhile, my Wolferl!" +and the disappointed little musician crept away, but as soon as Nannerl +and his father had left the room, the tiny fellow crept back again, +went to the harpsichord and standing on tiptoe, touched the keys with +his chubby fingers stretched wide apart until he reached and played _a +perfect chord_! Leopold Mozart was in another part of the house, but +his sensitive ear caught the sound, and he rushed back to find his baby +on tiptoe before the harpsichord, giving the first hint of his +marvellous ability. + +At once the proud and excited father began to give him lessons, and +always, too, from that day, whenever Nannerl had her lesson, Wolfgang +perched on his father's knee, and listened with rapt absorption, and +often when the lesson was over, he would repeat what she had played in +exact imitation of her manner of playing. + +Leopold Mozart, who was himself a talented musician, saw with pride +almost beyond expression, that both of his children inherited his +musical ability, and soon felt that Wolfgang was a genius. When the boy +was only four, his father, to test his powers, tried to teach him some +minuets which to his perfect astonishment, Wolfgang played after him in +a most extraordinary manner, not merely striking the notes correctly, +but marking the rhythm with accurate expression, and to learn and play +each minuet the little fellow required only half an hour. + +When he was five years old, one day his father entered the sitting-room +of their home and found Wolfgang bending over a table, writing so +busily that he did not hear his father enter, or see that he was +standing beside him. Wolfgang's chubby little hand held the pen +awkwardly, but held it with firm determination while it travelled back +and forth across a large sheet of paper on which he was scribbling a +strange collection of hieroglyphics, with here and there a huge blot, +testifying to his haste and inexperience in the use of ink. + +What was he trying to do? His father's curiosity finally overcame him +and he asked: + +"What are you doing, Wolfgang?" The curly head was raised with an +impatient gesture. + +"I am composing a concerto for the harpsichord. I have nearly finished +the first part." + +"Let me see it." + +"No, please, I have not yet finished." + +But even as he spoke, the eager father had taken up the paper and +carried it over to where a friend stood, and they looked it over +together, exchanging amused glances at the queer characters on it. +Presently Leopold Mozart, after looking carefully at it, said: + +"Why it really seems to be composed by rule! But it is so difficult +that no one could ever play it." + +"Oh, yes, they could, but it must be studied first," exclaimed little +Wolfgang eagerly, and running to the harpsichord, he added: + +"See, this is the way it begins," and he was able to play enough of it, +to show what his idea in writing it had been, and his father and the +friend who had before exchanged glances of amusement, now looked at +each other with wonder not untouched with awe. + +In the Mozart collection at Salzburg, there is still preserved a music +book in which those early pieces written by little Wolfgang were +written down by his father, and also the minuets he learned, and in the +book his father wrote after them: + +"The preceding minuets were learnt by Wolfgang in his fourth year," and +further on we find the record: + +"This minuet and trio Wolfgang learned in half an hour on the 26th day +of January, 1761, the day before his fifth birthday, at half-past nine +at night." + +In his first composition the sense of perfect form is felt to a +remarkable degree, and the little book in which it was written down, +not only accompanied the family on their travels, but in it Wolfgang +also wrote down his first sonatas, published in 1763. + +When he was not much over five years old, Wolfgang was chosen to take +the part of chorister in a Latin comedy which was given at the close of +the school year of the Salzburg Gymnasium, and among the one hundred +and fifty young people who took part in the entertainment one can +picture the charming little musical fellow as the great feature of the +occasion, and many stories were told at that time of his marvellous +sense of sound, and the ease with which he overcame every technical +difficulty. Meanwhile he learned to play on the violin, and could tell, +it is said, when one violin was an eighth of a tone lower than another. +Even games, to be interesting to him, had to be accompanied by music, +and a family friend in writing of him says: "If he and I carried +playthings from one room to another, the one who went empty-handed must +sing, and play a march on the violin as he walked." + +On an evening when a number of violinists were gathered in the Mozart +home to play together, Wolfgang, who had recently been learning to play +the violin, begged to play with them. His father refused to let him, +and told him to run away, but the second violinist called him back, +saying: + +"Never mind, little man; wipe away those tears and stand by me." So +close beside him stood the little chap, and presently all were +surprised to hear a clear, clean-cut tone coming from the child's +violin. His touch was so exquisite, his interpretation so masterly, +that presently the second violinist laid down his instrument and +listened breathlessly, while Wolfgang played on and on, forgetful of +everything but the magic spell of the music, and as his father +listened, his heart throbbed with pride and joy, and tears rolled down +his face, as he exclaimed: + +"Little music-king thou art, my Wolferl, and thou shalt reign over us +all!" + +From that moment it was plain that Wolfgang Mozart was a musical +prodigy, and as little Nannerl, too, had great talent, the proud father +now determined to show them to a world which was ever eager to applaud +such genius, and in 1762 he made his first experiment of taking the +children on a concert tour. This was so successful that before Wolfgang +was eight years old and Nannerl twelve, they had appeared at the Courts +of Vienna, Paris, Munich and London, and everywhere Wolfgang made +friends with rich and poor alike, his personality was so full of charm +and simple dignity. + +Once, during their travels, being detained by a heavy shower at Ypps, +they took refuge in a monastery. The monks were at supper and did not +know of the arrival of any stranger, until suddenly from the chapel +came wonderful music, music grave and gay, sad, sweet, thrilling, and +marvellous in its appeal to hearts and souls. The Fathers were +frightened, not knowing who could have entered their sanctuary, +thinking it must be a spirit, when at last a light was brought, and +creeping into the chapel, they discovered little Wolfgang at the organ, +not a vision, but just a mortal boy. The Fathers were overcome with +amazement and lavished all possible courtesies on the wonderful little +musician and his family while they remained. + +On entering Vienna, at the Custom House, Wolfgang, after a brief chat +with the official there, took out his violin, and played to the +official, who was so delighted with the boy and his music, that the +family had no trouble with examination of their luggage, as they would +otherwise have had. + +The Imperial family of Vienna were all very fond of music, and had also +had their curiosity greatly excited in regard to this child prodigy, so +it was not strange that only a few days after the Mozarts arrived, +Leopold should have received a command to bring his children to play at +Schoenbrum, an imperial palace near Vienna, and this without any effort +on Mozart's part to get the invitation. + +The Emperor was delighted with the little "sorcerer" as he called +Wolfgang, and besides listening to his real playing with deepest +interest, he made him play with one finger, in which the little fellow +was perfectly successful. Then he asked him to play with the keys +covered by a piece of cloth, which he did instantly, and these musical +tricks suggested by the Emperor's fancy, thereafter formed a far from +unimportant part of Wolfgang's repertoire on his long concert tours, +and always interested his audiences. The boy had a keen sense of +humour, and always entered heartily into any joke that was made with +him, but sometimes he could be very serious, as for instance, when he +was called to play for the court composer, George Wagenseil, who was +himself a proficient performer on the harpsichord. The Emperor stepped +back when Wagenseil came forward, and Mozart said very seriously to +him: + +"I play a concerto by you, you must turn over the pages for me," and +turn the pages the great man did. + +The Emperor ordered one hundred ducats to be paid to Wolfgang's father +for the performance, and the Empress, both then and later, was kindness +itself to both the children, and sent them expensive and beautiful +clothes. In writing to a friend at that time, Leopold Mozart said: + +"Would you like to know what Wolferl's dress is like? It is the finest +cloth, lilac-coloured, the best of moire of the same colour. Coat and +top-coat with a double broad border of gold." + +In the portrait which is in the Mozart collection in Salzburg, Mozart +is painted in this dress, and he wore it with as much ease as if he had +always been used to such finery. Also he never showed any embarrassment +or self-consciousness when in the presence of royalty, and once jumped +on the lap of the Empress, Maria Theresa, put his arms around her neck +and kissed her as effusively as if she had been his mother, while he +treated the princesses as if they were his sisters. Marie Antoinette +was one of his great favourites after she helped him up from a severe +fall on a highly polished floor. To her great amusement he thanked her +by saying: + +"You are good. I will marry you," and when the Crown Prince Joseph, who +afterwards became Emperor, played the violin before the little prodigy, +he exclaimed: "Fie!" at something he did not like, then, "that was +false!" at another bar, and finally applauded, with cries of "Bravo!" + +Little Nannerl who played only less well than her remarkable brother, +was a charmingly pretty, piquant little girl, whose manner, both in +society and in the concert hall, was winning and demure, while +Wolfgang's grace and elegance of manner were striking. Wherever the +children went, people went mad over them. They were the fashion, the +furore, no musical entertainment was a success without them, and they +were so petted that they might easily have been spoiled, had it not +been for their father's wise and watchful care. But with true German +caution, the father guarded them from bad effects of over-excitement or +indulgence. All sorts of presents were constantly given them, among +which were many jewels and beautiful articles of clothing, but the +clothes were only used on concert nights or special occasions, the +jewellery was kept locked up in a box, and the children were only +allowed to see or handle it when they had been especially good. + +When Paris was the headquarters of the travellers, all possible honour +was given them, and the concerts in the French capital brought the +Mozarts a substantial sum and they were received very kindly in a visit +to the Court of Versailles; of which visit little Nannerl said later, +that her only recollection was of the Marquise de Pompadour standing +Wolfgang on a table, that he wanted to kiss her, and when she drew +back, he said indignantly: + +"Who is she that she will not let me kiss her? The Empress kissed me." + +The King's daughters were very kind to the children, and on New Year's +Day, 1764, the Mozart family dined with the royal family. Wolfgang sat +next to the Queen, who talked to him in German, translating the +conversation to Louis Fifteenth, while near Wolfgang sat his father and +his mother, and Nannerl sat on the opposite side of the table by the +Dauphin. + +After playing at Versailles the little musicians became the fashion in +Paris, and every circle was open to them, while Wolfgang's reputation +as a musical genius was steadily growing, and he had already composed +two sonatas which were really good pieces of work from an artistic +point of view. + +Leaving Paris at last, the Mozarts arrived in London, and after taking +lodgings, they hastened to adopt English customs. + +"How do you suppose," wrote Leopold Mozart, to a friend, "my wife and +girl look in English hats, and the great Wolfgang in English clothes?" + +Almost immediately they were requested to play at Buckingham House, +before the King and Queen, where they met with exceptional kindness and +appreciation, and the London visit was an unqualified success, one +brilliant performance following another in quick succession, until it +seemed as if the quaint, charming little music-king who made such an +imposing appearance on the stage, must be really as old and grown-up as +he seemed when playing in public. + +But while they were in England, in lodgings in Chelsea, which was then +open country, Leopold Mozart was very ill for a time, so the children +could not practise, and for awhile were obliged to run wild, and it +would have been hard to imagine that the bright little German girl and +the pretty boy, busy making houses and grottos and arbours out of +stones and earth and leaves, at the rear of their lodgings, were the +infant prodigies of the concert stage. But even then, while he could +not use the harpsichord, little Wolfgang was composing, and when tired +of out-of-door sports would sit down, with his sister beside him and +work on a symphony for the orchestra, and it was thus that his earliest +symphonies were composed, which were all marked by real artistic form +and feeling. The chief advantage of these compositions, however, was +that Wolfgang kept in practise, and was able to announce that at his +next concerts all the instrumental numbers would be his own compositions, +which, of course, made a great impression on his audiences. + +Again they were invited to Court, but this time Leopold Mozart felt +obliged to have six sonatas of Wolfgang's for harpsichord and violin, +printed and dedicated to the Queen, so the visit was not the financial +benefit to the Mozarts that the first one had been, and from that time +the concert tour brought in less great returns than those of the +previous months, for both Nannerl and Wolfgang were seriously sick. But +they recovered and journeyed on to Holland, where Wolfgang was called +to play before the Prince of Orange, and commanded to write six sonatas +for the princess, also to write a variation for the harpsichord on the +melody which is sung, played and whistled by everybody in Holland and +is the real Dutch national hymn. + +The little composer was also called upon for various other pieces of +musical work and in no way disappointed his critics or his audiences. +Again the trio journeyed on, stopping wherever the father felt that his +son's fame might be increased by a concert. + +To Paris they went again, then through France to Switzerland, and +finally journeyed homeward, reaching Salzburg in November of 1766, and +it was a matter of great interest to their friends to find the children +who had left home three years ago, still happy, hearty boy and girl, +despite all their new worldly experience. + +Old and young came to bid them welcome, to hear the story of their +adventures, and to see the numerous and costly presents, about which +they had heard so much. They found pretty Nannerl prettier than ever, +and Wolfgang, notwithstanding the severe illness he had recently had, +looked normally well and happy, and was as childish in his interests as +if he had not become a public idol. + +It is said that at that time, so glad was he to be at home again, that +he rode merrily around the room on his father's stick, as he had done +three years before, and played with his favourite cat just as he used +to do, the cat having been well cared for in the absence of the family, +by a friend. + +During their tour Wolfgang had created for himself an imaginary +kingdom, which he called Ruecken. This country was to be inhabited +entirely by children, and he was to be the king. His idea of the place +was so distinct that a friend had to draw him a map of the cities in +it, to which he gave names, and his friends were completely fascinated +to hear him talk of his droll conceits, when he was not holding them +spell-bound by the magic of his music. + +And now as soon as they were settled down again in their home, Leopold +Mozart began to instruct Wolfgang seriously in counterpoint, that he +might be thoroughly fitted for his life-work, and then as his +precocious childhood begins to merge into young boyhood, we find him +working indefatigably, working with fingers and with brain, every +faculty alert, to conquer technique and achieve perfection in his art. + +In the summer of 1767, when Mozart was eleven, they started on a new +tour, for which the little prodigy composed four pianoforte concerti, +which were interesting on account of certain harmonic effects produced +in them, but that second tour, was not a fortunate one, for during it, +both Nannerl and Wolfgang were stricken with small-pox, which took a +very violent form, and poor Wolfgang lay blind for nine days, and +convalescence was slow, and hard to bear. Again they visited Vienna, +but there they found things greatly changed, for while in former days, +music was always a feature of great social gatherings, now the only +pleasure seemed to be in balls, and there was absolutely no interest +shown in Mozart, the child prodigy. Also much jealousy was shown +towards the Mozarts by other musicians, and when Wolfgang set to work +on an opera, to be used with the text written for him by the Viennese +dramatic poet of the day, and had already completed a score of six +hundred and fourteen pages, it was said that Wolfgang had not written +it at all, that it was his father's composition. To contradict these +statements, in the presence of several prominent critics, Leopold +opened a volume of Metastatio, at the first aria, which he placed in +front of Wolfgang, and before that assemblage of critical older men, +the boy seized a pen and wrote without hesitation, music to the aria +for several instruments, and with such incredible swiftness that the +company watching him were dumb with amazement at his ability. + +But matters did not grow brighter--all sorts of unpleasant incidents +occurred to embitter the tourists, and at the end of a year the family +returned once again to Salzburg. + +At that time Italy was the Mecca of the musician, and to study and win +his first laurels there was the ideal of every musical student. The +musical atmosphere of Salzburg was narrow and provincial, and Leopold +Mozart wished Wolfgang to escape from it, so presently we find young +Mozart and his father journeying Southward to Italy where Wolfgang is +studying, meeting interesting people, playing in public, and writing +amusing letters home to Nannerl, who was becoming more devoted to her +home duties now, than to her music, but even so it was always into her +ears that Wolfgang poured his musical feelings, sure that he would be +understood. + +When he was in Rome, he saw in the Sistine chapel the painting of "The +Last Judgment," while listening to the wonderful music of "The +Miserere," which music is only performed in Holy Week by the Pope's +choir, and no one has ever been allowed to have a copy of the music or +even to see it. But so accurate was little Mozart's memory, that after +leaving the chapel, he not only wrote out the music correctly, but +could also sing it perfectly, a feat which made him the musical marvel +of his age! + +For two years he worked and studied, and accomplished great things +musically, then the Elector of Bavaria invited him to write a comic +opera for the Carnival, which invitation the boy joyfully accepted, and +at once set to work on the none too easy task. He was now at home +again, and his father and Nannerl listened eagerly to his themes, as +bit by bit he elaborated them. + +In due time the opera was finished; it was called "La Finta Giardiniera," +and Wolfgang, accompanied by his father and pretty sister, set off for +Munich, where the performance was to be given, where court life was +very gay just then, and where Nannerl and Wolfgang were sure to have +much to amuse and interest them. + +Nannerl was taken to board by a widow who lived in the old market-place, +while Leopold and the young composer were obliged to take rooms nearer +the Court. At once rehearsals of the opera began, and the days were +marked by a succession of exciting events for Wolfgang and for Nannerl, +into whose apartment Wolfgang ran half a dozen times a day to report +progress. + +Up and down the street, humming bits of the opera or intent on some new +scenic effect, dashed the young composer a dozen times a day, and he +and Nannerl were perfectly sure that no performance ever was or ever +could be so marvellous, as this one was to be. + +At last the great night came. Nannerl was dressed in her dainty white +gown hours before the time, but Wolfgang, who was detained at the opera +house until the last moment, had just time to jump into his fine new +costume of satin and lace, with the flash of brilliants in his ruff and +on his slippers; without a glance in the mirror, but he looked like a +proud young prince when he joined his father and sister, although the +hand that he slipped through Nannerl's arm was trembling. Who could say +what the evening would hold of triumph or of failure? No wonder he +trembled. + +When they arrived at the opera house, it was crowded to the doors. All +the court was there in gala dress, but the youthful music-master, +scarcely nineteen years old then, sat with his father and Nannerl, +unmindful that all eyes were focussed on him, forgetful of all but the +performance of his opera. + +The music began, and from the first note to the last, the opera was a +triumphant success. Young Mozart then became the object of the wildest +enthusiasm, and from that moment his popularity as a musician was +established. + +There let us leave him, as he stands before us in his stately costume, +bowing acknowledgment of the applause raining upon him, with the blaze +of light shining full upon his clean-cut dignified face, and when we +hear his famous compositions played, let us think back to that night of +his first great public triumph, when he was nineteen years old. + +Pianist, violinist, composer, little music-king and great genius as +well--the world owes a debt of gratitude to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, +which can only be paid in the coin of appreciation. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Ten Boys from History, by Kate Dickinson Sweetser + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TEN BOYS FROM HISTORY *** + +***** This file should be named 23650.txt or 23650.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/3/6/5/23650/ + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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