POLLY’S PLAN
Polly had already heard the news from Sharpsburg, and as she brought
“Brownie” to a walking pace up the lane Roxy ran along beside her and
the two girls rejoiced that the armies had not come on the road leading
past their homes, and that the battle of the Antietam, as it was
henceforth called, had not been fought in these familiar fields.
“Brownie” was left in the yard, and Polly and Roxy went to their
favorite seat under the big butternut tree, and Polly was amazed to hear
the story of the huge eagle that had swooped down so near to the top of
the ledge.
“If it had got hold of Ivy the eagle would have carried her off!” Roxy
said solemnly, and then added: “And Grandma says I am not to go to the
top of the ledge again; and the squirrels will forget all about me,” and
Roxy’s smile vanished, for she had grown fond of “Lee” and “Jackson” and
was sorry that she could not see them again.
But Polly’s thoughts were on the errand that had brought her to the
Miller farm, and for a moment she made no response to Roxy; then she
said:
“Roxy, what did you do with your paper animals?”
“They are in boxes in my closet,” replied the surprised Roxy, wondering
why Polly wanted to know.
“Well, Roxy! All those soldiers who were wounded are in houses and farms
and tents along the Antietam River; some of them will have to stay there
for days, maybe weeks, before they can get out; and nothing to amuse
them. And, Roxy, I thought perhaps you could take your circus over, and
dress up in the old white hat, and the blue coat and the yarn whiskers,
just as you did for your grandma’s birthday, and go to the tents and
tell the men about the animals. I know it would make them laugh and
cheer them up. It was so funny!” and Polly began to laugh as she
recalled the queer little figure Roxy had made as she told the story of
“capturing” the paper lions and elephants.
“Would you go with me, Polly?” Roxy asked, wondering if she would have
courage to present the “circus” before strange soldiers.
“Yes; and probably your grandma would go too, if your mother did not.
Let’s go ask your father what he thinks of my plan,” suggested Polly,
and the two girls ran indoors to find Captain Delfield, who was resting
on the old sofa in the sitting-room.
He listened to Polly’s plan, and said that it was an excellent idea, and
praised her for thinking of it, and called Mrs. Delfield who also
declared that she believed the sick and wounded soldiers would welcome
Roxy and her “circus,” and that the little girl could in this way be of
real service.
“When Grandma gets home she can tell us what she thinks about it; and if
she approves she will be the best one to take you girls and make
arrangements where Roxy shall take the ‘animals’ and tell how they were
‘captured,’” and a smile came over Mrs. Delfield’s face as she
remembered how amusing Roxy’s “circus” had been.
Polly promised to ride over early the next morning, as the Delfields
felt sure Mrs. Miller would return that night, and said she would be
ready to start at once for Sharpsburg, and would bring the tall white
hat, blue coat and yarn “whiskers” for Roxy.
Roxy went out to the yard to bid her friend good-bye.
“Oh, Polly! I hope I can do it right,” she said a little fearfully as
Polly mounted the little brown horse and looked down from her seat in
the saddle at Roxy’s sober face.
“Of course you’ll do it right, Roxy-Doxy. All you have to do is just
make believe that you have real animals, and that you really did capture
the lions in Africa, and the elephants in India! Oh, Roxy! I really want
to see it again myself,” and Polly’s gay little laugh made Roxy forget
her fears and smile happily.
“I guess I can; I am going to fix the animals all up this afternoon so
they will be ready,” she said, and Polly nodded approvingly, promising
to be over in good season the next day, and “Brownie” trotted briskly
off.
Roxy ran back to the house and brought the boxes of paper animals down
to the sitting-room, and seated at her little table with her box of
water-color paints she worked busily until dinnertime, and for the
greater part of the afternoon.
Roxy’s thoughts travelled off to the scene of the recent battle, near
which the Union Army was encamped, and she began to wonder if she would
see any of the great generals of whom her father spoke: General
McClellan who her father said had saved the Union Army; General
Burnside, who had so bravely held the Antietam Bridge, over which at his
command the 51st Pennsylvania regiment and the 51st New York had rushed
at a double quick which the Confederates could not resist, and had
planted the Stars and Stripes on the opposite bank amid cheers from
every part of the battlefield from where they could be seen.
The little Yankee girl began to realize that it would be a wonderful
thing if she could really do something to help the soldiers who had
faced such peril to protect the Union; and when early that evening
Grandma Miller and Jacob reached home Roxy was the first to welcome
them, and instantly began to tell Mrs. Miller of Polly’s plan for Roxy
to take her circus to the hospital tents along the Antietam.
“I declare! Polly is a jewel! It will do a world of good! I wish I had
thought of it myself,” said Mrs. Miller. “Many of those soldiers must
lay in tents or in the near-by houses and barns, for long days with
nothing to cheer or amuse them. Roxy,” and Grandma Miller’s hand rested
gently on the little girl’s shoulder as they walked toward the house,
“it will be a beautiful thing if you can make these men smile and, for a
time, forget the cruelty of war,” she said.
“Polly says that no one could help laughing because I look so funny in
the coat and hat and whiskers,” Roxy replied; and Mrs. Miller smiled and
owned that Polly was right.
Mrs. Miller had that day visited several of the hospital tents, and she
was sure the officers in charge would welcome Roxy and her “circus,” and
it was decided that on the following day Grandma Miller should go with
Polly and Roxy to the Hagerstown road beyond Sharpsburg.
Polly arrived in good season the next morning driving “Brownie,”
harnessed to the open wagon in which she had so often driven Roxy about
the country roads. Roxy’s circus costume, high hat, long blue coat and
“whiskers,” were in a box under the wagon seat, and Roxy brought out her
boxes containing the paper animals, and Grandma Miller had baskets of
fruit, freshly baked bread, and rolls of old cotton cloth, for hospital
use, that were packed in the back of the wagon; then Mrs. Miller and
Roxy seated themselves beside Polly and drove off.
As they rode along Grandma Miller suggested that Roxy should repeat what
she meant to say to the soldiers as she pointed out the animals and told
of their capture; and as Roxy began her story of facing raging lions,
following camels across the desert, and taming elephants, both Mrs.
Miller and Polly laughed in delight.
Polly suggested one or two amusing descriptions for Roxy to add to her
story, and so did Grandma Miller, and when they reached the historic
town of Sharpsburg, with its old houses of stone or brick, its arched
doorways and square porches with Colonial pillars, and began to see
Union soldiers everywhere, Roxy was gaining courage and began to feel
sure that she could describe imaginary dangers without even smiling at
them.
Mrs. Miller directed Polly to follow the road leading north, toward
Hagerstown, and told her to stop near a group of tents where sentinels
paced slowly back and forth. One of these men smilingly answered Mrs.
Miller’s questions.
“Yes,” he said, “General McClellan was in his tent,” and he would take
him any message the ladies might wish delivered.
“Perhaps you will let my little granddaughter carry my message,”
suggested Grandma Miller, and the sentinel said the little girl could go
to the general’s tent with him, and helped the surprised Roxy from the
wagon.
“You can tell the general your plan, Roxy, and ask his permission,” said
Mrs. Miller, and before Roxy had time to ask a question she was hand in
hand with the tall soldier walking toward a small tent in front of which
stood two more sentinels one of whom, at word from Roxy’s companion,
entered the tent; and a moment later Roxy found herself gazing up into
the kindly dark eyes of the great General George B. McClellan.
“What can I do for you, little girl?” he asked kindly, and Roxy made her
best curtsy, and said:
“If you please, sir, I have brought a circus to show the wounded
soldiers. I think,” she added quickly, “it would make them laugh!”
“‘Make them laugh!’” repeated the general, and a little smile crept over
his grave face.
“Well, my child, if you can do that for my poor boys you will be doing
me the greatest possible service. Come in and tell me about it,” and
Roxy followed him into the tent and eagerly began her story, to which
the war-worn and tired general listened with interest, and when Roxy
finished by asking anxiously if he thought her “circus” would not amuse
the men in the hospital tents, adding: “I guess I look funny enough in
the long blue coat and high white hat and whiskers to make anybody
laugh,” General McClellan answered quickly: “I would like to see the
circus myself, and I will go with you to the hospital tent near the
Dunker Church. But what is your name, little girl?”
“Roxana Delfield. My father is a Union soldier, and he was wounded and
we are at Grandma Miller’s,” she replied, as she walked beside the
friendly soldier to where Grandma and Polly were anxiously waiting.
“Where is your real home?” continued the general, and Roxy smilingly
responded:
“I am a Yankee girl; that is what everybody calls me, because my home is
in Massachusetts.” Before the general could reply Grandma Miller came
hurrying to meet them, and Roxy heard the general thank her for her
thought for his suffering men, and tell her that they needed cheer and
entertainment as much as they needed care and medicine.
“Brownie” was led off by one of the soldiers, and another took charge of
Roxy’s boxes, while Grandma Miller, Polly and Roxy, carrying the baskets
of fruit and food, followed General McClellan to the little stone church
near the woods. One of the army doctors came hurrying to meet them, and
quickly pointed out the tents where Roxy’s circus would be welcomed, and
Polly helped Roxy make ready.
“Don’t be afraid, Roxy. Just make believe, remember, that you really did
capture the lions,” said Polly smilingly, as General McClellan pointed
out the first tent they were to enter.
Polly and Roxy, carrying the boxes of paper animals, went in and General
McClellan gravely introduced Roxy as “Signor Delroxana, who has kindly
brought his troupe of wild animals to amuse you.”
There was a murmur of laughter and exclamations of amusement from the
rough cots where the soldiers lay as Roxy, in her queer costume, bowed
to right and left, and, with Polly’s help, arranged her procession of
animals on a long narrow table. When she picked up the hazel stick, that
Polly had brought, and faced the eager-eyed men, who were all delighted
and amused by this unexpected entertainment, and when Roxy gravely
announced: “Gentlemen, these animals are not dangerous——” there was a
burst of laughter and applause that made it difficult for Roxy not to
laugh with them; but she remembered that would spoil it all, and she
went on with the story of her adventures, interrupted now and then by
the laughter of her listeners.
That day Roxy visited a number of tents, and the circus was evidently
approved of by the soldiers, and by the anxious and tired doctors who
thanked the little Yankee girl, and urged her to come again.
It was early twilight when Grandma Miller, Polly and Roxy, accompanied
by a young officer in whose care General McClellan had left them, stood
near the little stone church while “Brownie” was being harnessed.
The young officer helped them into the wagon, and, raising his cap,
stood smiling up at Roxy.
“You don’t remember me, do you, little Yankee girl?” he asked, and
Roxy’s face was for a moment grave and questioning, and then she smiled
radiantly.
“Yes, yes, I do! You are the Yankee prisoner!” she declared.
“Who you helped escape!” he added, and he then told them that his name
was Philip Carver, and he briefly described his flight to safety, and
earnestly thanked the little girl who had brought him food, and, as he
declared, saved his life.
“I meant to get a day’s leave and ride over to your farm before leaving
here on purpose to thank you,” he added, and Mrs. Miller urged him to
visit the farm and he gladly promised; and now they bade him a friendly
good-bye and started for home.
“It has been a wonderful day,” Polly declared, as “Brownie” trotted
swiftly through Sharpsburg along the road leading to the distant farm.
“Just think, General McClellan shook hands with us, and praised Roxy! We
will always remember to-day, won’t we, Roxy?”
“He praised you too, Polly!” Roxy eagerly declared. “I told him it was
your plan to bring the circus, and he said you were a noble girl!”
Polly laughed happily. “I will remember that,” she said.
Roxy was tired out, and before they reached the farm she was nodding
with sleep, and when Etta-Belle came running to lift her from the wagon
Roxy was quite ready to let the negro woman carry her into the house.
But once indoors before the open fire she became wide awake and eager to
tell her mother and father all the events of the exciting day: of
General McClellan, and his friendly message to her father, and of all
the laughter her “circus” had brought from the amused soldiers.
“And best of all, Father, I found the Yankee prisoner. His name is
Philip Carver, and he is coming to spend the day,” she concluded
happily.