Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

Page 26 text:

THE BPtA TKSOME SLOGAN. When the people came rushing up the village street shouting The Yankees ! the whole family were at dinner in their own house. They had kept little of value there, as the war-like times kept them con- tinually on the watch for an invasion by the Americans. But there was a whole cellar-full of wine and eatables in the tavern, all the winter ' s provisions, and a new consignment of china in the shop. What was to be done ? If the goods had been their own they might have trusted to good luck, but as their neighbors ' property, it must be guarded ! Suddenly Gertrude, the girl, said, Why not bring everything we can into the house, and put them in the room where father keeps his good furs? It was a brilliant suggestion, for the door to that one small, strongly-built room was hidden by the sidebo ' ard in the dining-room. Her father dealt in valuable furs, and always kept any specially fine ones in that room. The whole family immediately set to work to move the goods from the two houses into this room. Meanwhile, the Amerieans were com- ing nearer -and nearer, and they knew that they would not have time to complete their work unless the soldiers were delayed in some way. It was no easy task, and no quick one, to remove many casks of wine, whole hams, and crates of china, and there were only two young boys, one man, one girl and one woman to do it. Again the girl ' s wit came to their aid. She said, You know the roads are terribly muddy, and they will be having a hard march. I shall go and try to persuiade them to let me show them the easier but longer way over the common. It will give you at least ten min- utes more, for, of course, they will come straight to the tavern if they can ! Her mother objected, as she feared the men might harm the girl, but at I ' ast she consented, and Gertrude ran down the street to intercept the soldiers. When they came in sight she found that the majority were dead tired and swearing profanely. Nothing daunted, she finally made the captain notice her, and explained that she would take them round to the tavern by a longer, but easier, route if they would trust them- selves to her guidance. He finally consented, as he saw that his men could stand little more of the rough road; also, the girl was pretty and he was young. When they reached the tavern everything was put away but some fruit, one ham and a keg or two of beer. The soldiers satisfied their hunger and thirst, but there was not enough liquor to become drunk on, and they did not know that in a tiny, oonoealed room in the next house there were quantities of liquor and food. From that day

Page 25 text:

THE BEANKSOME SLOGAN. 21 Then follows the calling. Every family in the village must visit every other family. The elderly men stay at home to receive. In- cidentally, the women are all there, too. The first day they call Ia. their own village; the second and following days they go to visit: their relatives in other villages. They keep up relationships even with ' forty-second cousins. Duty and pleasure are combined, for does not each visit mean a square meal? If the Chinese did not, as a rule, work so hard they could not so heartily enjoy their long vacation. Without this vacation they could, not, during the rest of the year, work so well. This period of leisure becomes thus a safety-valve to the nation. IN THE V AR OF 1812 BY MARIE PABKES. We usually think of old (houses in connection with England, but there are many interesting old houses in Canada also. They may not have stood for hundreds of years, but long enough, at least, to have romantic tales told of them. There is one about an old house in Niagara Peninsula. You may wish to know the exact location, but I shall not tell you, for if I did I might get into trouble for putting something in print which is no business of mine. I have an old aunt, who was born only a few years after the war of 1812,. She has a marvellous memory, and has told me dozens of interesting and amusing stories of the war. I only wish I could remember them half as well as she does. However, I will try to tell you correctly this story in which an old house figures. In the year 1813, a company of United States soldiers were re- ported as approaching the village in which my aunt ' s grandmother lived, with her husband and three children. Their house was the one of this story, and was situated on the main street, between a tavern and a china shop. Business was very slack at this time, and the proprietors of these two establishments were away back in the country gathering apples. They had therefore left two small boys and a girl of nineteen, the children of their neighbors, in charge of both lines of business.

Page 27 text:

THE BRANKSOME SLOGAN. 23 to this 1 don ' t believe that more than one of those soldiers discovered tlie trick played on them, and that one wais the captain ! He found out three or four years after because his wife told him, and I don ' t suppose I have to tell you who his wife was ! A LIBRARY TALE The hour was almost midnight, Beside the dying fire In idleness I sat and dreamed Till close beside my ear there seemed A sweet voice to enquire: Did you know that ' Richard Carvel ' And ' The Lady of the Lake With little ' David Copperfield ' And others whom ' The Spy ' revealed, ' A Tramp Abro ' ad ' will take? They are going by ' The Two Faiths ' And along ' The Right of Way, ' But when ' The Crossing ' they approach ' King Lear ' will meet them with his coach. Just at ' The Peep of Day. ' As they draw near the ' Hamlet ' Where ' Evangeline ' resides. Behold ! ' The Crisis ' comes too soon. For ' Tom Brown ' ' Kidnapped ' ' Lorna Doone ' And many more besides. To their ' Deserted Village ' ' The Spoilers ' go, ' twould seem, With booty rare ' To Have and To Hold ' . Our ' Mutual Friend ' then wliispering told, ' Twas all ' A Mid— night ' s Dream. — G. M. M.