Samantha at Saratoga [89]
and firm principled as ever a Town meetin' looked on the face of the earth. Then there wuz some of the women of the court, fine ladies, all silk, and ribbons, and embroideries, and paint, and powder, a leanin' back in their cushioned arm-chairs, a wantin' to have the colonies taxed still further so's to have more money to buy lace with and artificial flowers. And right acrost from 'em wuz some of our old 4 mothers, in a rude, log hut, not strong enough to keep out the cold, or the Injuns. One wuz a cardin' wools, one of 'em wuz a spinnin' 'em, a tryin' to make clothes to cover the starved, half-naked old 4 fathers who wuz a tramplin' round in the snow with bare feet and shiverin' lims. And one of 'em had a gun in her hand. She had smuggled the children all in behind her and she wuz a lookin' out for the foe. These wimmen hadn't no ribbons on, no, fur from it. And then there wuz General Schuyler a fellin' trees to obstruct the march of the British army. And Miss Schuyler a settin' fire to a field of wheat rather than have it help the enemy of her country. Brave old 4 mother, worthy pardner of a grand man, she wuz a takin' her life in her hand and a destroyin' her own property for the sake of the cause she loved. A emblem of the way men and women sot fire to their own hopes, their own happiness, and burnt 'em up on the altar of the land we love. And there wuz some British wimmen a follerin' their husbands through the perils of danger and death, likely old 4 mothers they wuz, and thought jest as much of their pardners as I do of my Josiah. I could see that plain. And could see it a shinin' still plainer in another one of the pictures -- Lady Aukland a goin' over the Hudson in a little canoe with the waves a dashin' up high round her, to get to the sick bed of her companion. The white flag of truce wuz a wavin' over her head and in her heart wuz a shinin' the clear white light of a woman's deathless devotion. Oh! there wuz likely wimmen amongst the British, I haint a doubt of it, and men too. And then we clim a long flight of stairs and we see some more pictures, all round that room. Alto relieved agin, or he must have been relieved, and happified to see 'em, they wuz so impressive. I myself had from 25 to 30 emotions a minute while I stood a lookin' at em -- big lofty emotions too. There waz Jennie McCrea a bein' dragged offen her horse, and killed by savages. A dreadful sight -- a woman settin' out light-hearted toward happiness and goin' to meet a fearful doom. Dreadful sight that has come down through the centuries, and happens over and over agin amongst female wimmen. But here it wuz fearful impressive for the savages that destroyed her wuz in livin' form, they haint always materialized. Yes, it wuz a awful seen. And jest beyond it, wuz Burgoyne a scoldin' the savages for the cruelty of the deed. Curius, haint it? How the acts and deeds of a man that he sets to goin', when they have come to full fruition skare him most to death, horrify him by the sight. I'll bet Burgoyne felt bad enough, a lookin' on her dead body, if it wuz his doin's in the first place, in lettin' loose such ignerance and savagery onto a strugglin' people. Yes, Mr. Burgoyne felt bad and ashamed, I haint a doubt of it. His poet soul could suffer as well as enjoy -- and then I didn't feel like sayin' too much aginst Mr. Burgoyne, havin' meditated so lately in the treachery of Arnold, one of our own men doin' a act that ort to keep us sort a humble-minded to this day. And then there wuz the killin' and buryin' of Frazier both impressive. He wuz a gallant officer and a brave man. And then there wuz General Schuyler (a good creeter) a turnin' over his command to Gates. And I methought to myself as I looked on it, that human nater wuz jest about the same then; it capered jest about as it duz now in public affairs and offices. Then there wuz the surrender of Burgoyne to Gates. A sight impressive enough to furnish one with stiddy emotions for weeks and weeks. A thinkin' of all he surrendered to him that day, and all that wuz took. The