THE ARMY WINS UNIFORMS
It took a full week to win every prize contained in the packing case,
but only half of the maxims had been learned, as there were more
“Contemplations” than rewards. When the children heard there was no more
prize clothing to be won they lost interest in the learning of
Washington’s rules of life.
To insure continued interest in the maxims Mrs. Davis suggested a plan.
“Now that Mr. Parke bought and gave the army uniforms, I think I’ll ‘do
my bit’ also. These children ought to begin to make things and earn
money for War Relief in Europe. I had thought of getting them a
lightweight boat that would float on the creek, but now that every one
ought to do something I think I will send for wool and needles, that the
girls may learn to knit vests, caps and mittens for our boys at the
front. What do you think of it?”
“Oh, George and Martha have plenty of those things, but somehow they
never sit still long enough to knit more than one row a day, and the war
will end before they complete a single sock. Besides, they feel as if
knitting was worse than going in the trenches, so I haven’t insisted
upon the work as yet. Better supply them with the boat, where they can
frolic and keep healthy out-of-doors without danger to themselves,”
advised Mrs. Parke.
“Quite a difference in cash between a boat and knitting outfits,”
laughed Mr. Parke.
“Yes, and quite a margin in health, too, as Kate says,” replied Mrs.
Davis.
“Better let us share the cost of the boat together,” ventured Mrs.
Parke.
“Indeed not! I have been wondering what to buy the two children as a
gift when I came through Washington, but I determined to wait and see
what they would enjoy most. Now that they have the General Washington
idea in their minds, I think the boat is just the thing. They can have
fights at sea and use it for crossing and recrossing the Hudson, the
Delaware, or Lake Champlain, as they wish—all on the creek, where the
water is not half as deep or dangerous as the Hudson,” explained Mrs.
Davis.
“If you wish me to select one that I think will answer all purposes for
the children I will do so, as I am going down to a building concern that
specializes in canoes and pleasure crafts. I have to interview them
about an insurance policy which they wish to increase. At the same time
I can inquire as to the price of a light-weight boat,” said Mr. Parke.
So the next evening he returned home with news for Mrs. Davis. “I saw my
man who handles boats and canoes and, fortunately, he had just the thing
needed for the creek. He made the boat six months ago for some children,
but the father lost a great deal of money in bad speculations and
couldn’t pay the balance due on it. Now, you can have that same boat for
the price still owing on the bill. In this way the children get a fine
boat for the same cost as a cheap or poorer one.”
“I hope you ordered it sent on?” asked Mrs. Davis eagerly.
“Yes, I did so, for now that you have spoken of the idea I wonder that I
never thought of a boat before,” replied Mr. Parke.
The Davises expected to remain about three weeks, but the first week had
passed so quickly and the second week was so entirely taken up with
studying maxims and winning prizes that it was not until the beginning
of the third week that the plan was arranged to buy the Parke children a
toy which they could enjoy for a long time.
All during the third week the Provincial army dressed in its hard-earned
uniforms and paraded or drilled faithfully.
As usual, George was the commander-in-chief, John was Marquis de
Lafayette, Jack was General Howe, although the Englishman wore the
American uniform; Jim was the whole regular army, for Martha and Anne
took turns in being General Sullivan, Nathan Hale, Allen, Schuyler, and
others, just according to the battles fought or the places where the
army camped.
Jim’s uniform was the same as that of the general, but his hat was
different, and this constituted the rank. While George had a yellow
tri-cornered hat trimmed with gold braid and tassels, Jim was made to
wear a cap found in the attic chest. This was a sorry trial to Jim, who
fondled the gold-trimmed hat he had won by learning maxims, but was not
permitted to parade with it on. As Jack sternly told him when he
protested, “We’ve got to keep discipline in the ranks, and if we should
let you wear any fancy hat you wanted what would the army do?”
“Ah’m shore Ah donno, cuz dey ain’t no udder ranks den me!” retorted Jim
rebelliously.
That made Jack think over the situation. And the result was: “Say,
general, what’s the use of having so many officers and no regulars? Make
Anne and Martha play the soldier once in a while; I need some one on my
side besides myself.”
But Martha and Anne felt as much pleasure in their army uniforms, which
were made exactly like the boys’, as the officers did in theirs, and
they would not consent to wear common caps while gay cocked hats were
put on the shelf.
So the argument over proper headgear in the army and the great need of
more soldiers in the ranks continued all week, but the drilling with
fife and drum and the rifle practice with dried peas or beans kept up,
to the great amusement of the two ladies.
Saturday a telephone message came to the house while the army was on the
lawn questioning Washington’s right to choose Englishmen to help Jack.
It had been decided that John take turns being first French and then
British to help out General Howe, and the girls were supposed to each
take a side, but they declined the honor and preferred to remain
American.
In the midst of an excited explanation from George why and wherefore,
stating the reason the army never amounted to anything, Jim jumped up
and pointed a trembling index finger at the driveway.
The others jumped up from the grass to see the cause of his surprise,
and all stood still in wonderment.
On a long-framed wagon drawn by two truck horses lay a fine boat gayly
painted in red, white and blue stripes. The ladies, Mrs. Parke and Mrs.
Davis, walked behind the wagon as it slowly went down a side road that
led over the bridge.
But the army did not remain long in a paralyzed state. Before the
teamster had covered more than five yards of the side road crossing the
creek British and American officers and men yelled and ran up to tug at
the two ladies, demanding to know how the boat happened to be there.
So loud was the clamor that no one heard what any one else said, and the
driver reached the creek, where many hands were eager to assist him in
lifting the wonderful craft from the wagon to the creek.
“No, I sent for the gardener and chauffeur to help this man. He is
responsible for the safe delivery of the boat, and it is not fair to him
to risk its safety by letting excited boys help carry it from the
wagon,” said Mrs. Davis firmly.
The two men soon arrived and helped transfer the boat to the water,
where it rode gracefully on the slow surface of the stream. The teamster
and the help went away, but the army was not aware of their going—all
eyes were fixed on the boat.
Mrs. Parke told the children that it was a gift from aunty, so that they
could play American history with a warship better than without any.
“Who can row? Can you, Jack?” asked George.
“No, but it’s easy. You just pull back and forth on the upper end of the
oar and away she goes,” said Jack.
“Well, please take off the general’s uniform before you begin practice.
A bathing suit would be better to wear while you are learning,” laughed
Mrs. Parke.
“Why, we won’t fall out,” said Anne.
“There isn’t any reason why you should, but there is no telling when
such experts in rowing as Jack, take a hand,” said Mrs. Davis.
George, John and Jack were already in the boat, but there was but one
pair of oar-locks and one set of oars, so only one could row. Seeing
that Jack’s mother presented the boat, George relinquished his
prerogative as commander-in-chief, and sat down to watch his cousin row.
In spite of Jack’s explanation that all you did was “to just pull back
and forth,” it seemed difficult to move the boat in the right direction.
After many futile attempts, he turned over the oars for George to try.
The ladies stood on the bank laughing at the general’s failure to row
properly, and then John also failed.
“Do you girls want to try?” asked Mrs. Davis.
Jim stood by grinning delightedly at the boys in the boat, but not
daring to hope that he would ever be invited to row. Martha saw his
intense attitude and whispered to her mother, “Let’s ask Jim if he wants
to try?”
Mrs. Parke nodded smilingly. “Jim, do you want to try and see if you can
move the boat?”
With a start of amazed joy, the “rank and file” of the American army
stuttered and stammered that it would!
George and Jack jumped out, leaving John in the prow, and then Jim
climbed in. He turned and said: “Does de lady officers wanta come in?”
“Not till you have your trial, Jim. Then they are going to try, too,”
replied Mrs. Parke.
Now Jim had often accompanied his daddy on fishing trips for the day,
and upon these excursions on the river, the little fellow had been
taught how to manage a pair of oars and a boat. But the oars and boats
found tied up to old tree stumps along the sluggish river banks were
cumbersome, unmanageable affairs in comparison to this eggshell craft,
with its ash blades to propel it on the bosom of the quiet creek.
Hence, Jim sat down and admired the oars to his heart’s content, and
then examined the ribbed sides and deck-flooring of the inside of the
boat. The shiny varnish and brass-studded wood enchanted his soul so
that he forgot to take up the oars.
“Hurry up, Jim! Take your turn and then let the rest have theirs!”
shouted George impatiently.
Jim grinned so that every glistening tooth in his wide mouth showed
distinctly, and he bent to pick up the oar-blades. After fitting them
methodically in the oar-locks, he sat down. But the boys noticed that he
sat on the next seat to the one they had occupied when trying to row.
They also saw him try to brace his feet against the foot-rack, but he
was too short. They found, however, that Jim very well knew what he was
about.
While the spectators held their breath in surprise, Jim bent back on the
oars and slowly let the blade sink under water. He then bent forward,
and as the flat sides of the oars pushed against the water, the boat
began moving. With surprisingly regular and serviceable strokes for such
a little shaver, Jim soon rowed the boat across the creek and started
back for the landing, where his friends stood waiting to congratulate
him.
“Behold, the conquering hero comes!” sang Mrs. Parke, as Jim brought the
nose of the boat up against the mossy bank.
“My goodness! Jim knows more about a ship than any of us!” declared
George, willing to give praise when it was deserved.
“He is the real captain—not the play-kind we made him on the raft that
day!” admired Jack, looking Jim up and down to find out how such a
miracle could happen.
“Ef yo’ all say Ah am a reel cap’n, den Ah ain’t goin’ t’ be no common
solger no moh! Ah kin be a cap’n uv a warship!” said Jim daringly.
“He must be an admiral of the navy!” suddenly exclaimed Jack.
“And wear a sword from his belt—they all did!” added John, not to be
outdone in magnanimity.
“And teach all the common seamen and marines how to row and manage a
ship at sea!” laughed Mrs. Parke.
But Jim was overcome with so many unexpected honors, and he might have
started for the barn to hide, had not General Howe challenged him.
“Admiral Dewey, I dare you to sail to Cuba and fight the Spanish fleet
there!”
Jim looked around for explanations, and Jack laughed. “I mean, we will
run over to John’s side of the creek while you sail the ship across the
sea to attack us there.”
“No, Jim isn’t going to enter into any such plan as that! The boat is
not to be used for a sea-fight till every one knows how to manage and
row it,” interjected Mrs. Davis.
During the next week armies and uniforms were forgotten, while the
children spent their entire time at the creek learning to row the boat.
It had been named “The Washingtons,” and many wonderful cruises were
planned by the American army that week.
Mrs. Davis had been persuaded to extend her visit over a fourth week,
but now she said she must go home again. Mr. Davis wrote he was lonesome
without the children, and the cook had gone the day after the mistress
left. He had been eating at his club, but being a family man, he missed
his home.
When Mrs. Davis learned of the cook’s leaving, she was annoyed, for the
woman had promised faithfully to remain during her mistress’s absence.
“Dear me, I wish we had such faithful servants as you Virginia people
have!” sighed she, thinking of the devoted help her cousin always had.
“Environment has much to do with it. If I lived North and you lived
South, the tables would be turned. But do not let the loss of a cook
make you hurry away from us,” said Mrs. Parke.
“It won’t, but I have already over-stayed my time a week, and I did want
to stop off at New York on my homeward way and show the children some of
the historic places there. Now, I suppose I’ll have to go straight home
and find a cook!”
“If you will listen to me, I’ll make a suggestion,” said Mr. Parke,
lowering his newspaper.
“We always listen to the men, but we seldom follow their advice,”
laughed Mrs. Parke.
“I was about to say: Why not wire Sam to meet you in New York, and in
that way forget his club dinners for a few days? I am going to New York
on a business trip, and I had a vague idea of inviting my wife to
accompany me. Now, if you will consider such a plan, we may as well take
George and Martha, too, and make a family party of it. The children will
be greatly improved by visiting all the points of interest mentioned to
them in the history of George Washington’s life, and I am sure you
ladies will enjoy taking them about during the day while I am busy with
my New York branch of business.”
The ladies looked at each other with pleased surprise, for such a trip
always met with approval from all concerned.
“I see you offer no objections, but it still remains for me to consult
the four younger members of the family and hear their verdict!” laughed
Mr. Parke.
“Oh, no—no! If you love peace and quiet at home, do not drop a hint of
this proposed treat to them. Why, they’d have the whole place in an
uproar until the time to leave for the train,” remonstrated Mrs. Parke.
“Just wire Sam and arrange it with him. We’ll fix up matters here, and,
without a word to the children, prepare for a visit to New York,” added
Mrs. Davis.
So it was done, but the party was not to start till Monday. On the
Friday preceding, Mrs. Graham called at the Parke house to invite George
and Martha to go with John on a visit to a great-aunt living in New
York.
“I haven’t said a word to John about it, but I knew your visitors were
going on Monday, and I thought the children would enjoy a trip if I
promised to watch them well,” explained Mrs. Graham.
Then she heard of the secret plan and as she and John expected to start
Tuesday morning, it was decided that she would change her plans and go
with the others on Monday.
It is quite impossible to describe the excitement and deafening chorus
that greeted the announcement of the New York trip. Mr. Parke was most
grateful that he had not mentioned the event sooner; for even at that
late hour he was not given a minute’s rest until the four wild
travellers were safely seated in a Pullman chair going north to New
York.
THE END