5 fr'"'!- Hffl VOL. Xlll. ISriCW BLOOMFI35JL.3D, 1A.., TtTESD-A-Y, SEMKMBER 1879. NO. 39. THE TIMES. in Independent Family Newspaper, IS PDBL1SHIO SVBRY TUB3D1T DT F. MORTIMER & CO. iirnicniFiiuM i it t c is . (WITHIW THB OODNTT.I One Year f 1 " 8lx Mouths 75 OUT OF H COtlSTT.) One Yenr. (Postage Included) II N) Six Months, (Postage Included) 5 Invariably lu Advance I -Advertising rates furnished upon appli cation. $eledt -Poetry. NEVER DESPAIR. I fain would Impress on The weary and sad The truths of a lesson In metaphor clad. Still In life's Journey the Bravest do best Will on life's Journey we llanker for rest. Innocent merriment Shortens the mile; Try the experiment Once In a while. Face your foes fearlessly, " Never say die" Trials tak'n carelessly, Llghtsomely lie. Our teardrops are lenses That magnify Ills; They cozen our senses Till hillocks seem hilts. And faces grow wrinkled, While tresses with gray Orow speedily sprinkled Vhen woe has her way. . Horrors may haunt you, but Foul may grow falri Dangers may daunt you, but " Never despair." Verily, yerlly, J udge as you may. lie who tolls merrily Carries the' day. Prudence Strong's Secret. A Story of The Revolution Never Before Told. rIE old war office in Lebanon, Conn., of Gov. Trumbull -Washington's Brother Jonathan has lately received a new roof. This means that the little building which sheltered Washington, Bochambeau, and Lafayette, which was the meeting place of the " Council of Safety," and the halting place of the messengers who bore important de spatches between Philadelphia and. Bos ton, is not yet to be torn down. It also means that the ' mysterious document which Mistress Prudence Strong once hid there, in defiance of Gov. Trumbull and the Count de Kochambeau, will still longer remain in its hiding place for years ago, even before Gov. Trum bull was gathered to his fathers, the villagers said that the papers would never be found until the building was taken down, and every rafter and every crevice between the stones of the large chimney was examined. From the papers and letters that Judge Ilebard collected, many of them coming into his hands when settling an estate of the husband of one of Gov. Trumbull's daughters, from the information that Judge Hebard gained from members of ' the Trumbull family whom he knew, and from various other sources, the story of the secret of Prudence Strong a secret which it is firmly believed would have been exposed had the office been torn down is gathered. The Count de Bochambeau, with his battallion of allies, in the winter of 1780 rested in Lebanon. The soldiers pitch ed their tents and built their huts on the slope of a hill, at the bottom of which ran a stream of water to the mill pond. Stream and pond uud sloping hillside have not been changed since then by cither nature or art. The Count de Bochainbeau Bat eating his dinner of succotash and a juicy piece of beef one stormy afternoon. He had just received a despatch from Washing, ton which pleased him greatly, and had sent a messenger to notify Gov. Trum bull that the Count de Bochainbeau would do himself the honor of passing an hour or so of the evening with' the Governor at the war office. An unusual bustle in the camp attract ed Bochambeau's attention. " What does this mean ? Those fellow are un usually noisy to-night," he said to an aide-de-camp who dined with him. "If I mistake not the sentry have cap tured a deserter," said the aid, rising and going to the window. He stood there peering through the glass, which was so imperfect as to make big men look very little, and small men look very large, besides gracing one body with four or even six pairs of legs. "It Is as I mistrusted, sire. They' have caught a deserter, and, If my eyes do not deceive me it is Francois Du plan." " No, not he," the Count said, rising. " Why, he la a gentleman. He cannot conceal that even from you, if he is a common soldier. He lias the air of a grand mystery, and he is withal exceed ing serviceable at the oven." " It Is he, ievertheless, sire, and you will pardon me if I recall to your mem ory the order that has issued by the Count de Bocnambeau when the desert er was captured the other day and for given." "Death at the next sunrise," said the Count, sinking into his chair. " Death ut the next sunrise," said the aid quietly. " Methiuks had I known that this fel low would be the next, I would have waited till the next after he, for there is something about hlni that passes my comprehension greatly." " You will " " No, I will not. The order was giv en, it must be followed. See that I am not awakened until after the sentence is executed." A count martial was speedily conven ed, and Francois Duplan stood before it charged with having been captured by the pickets far beyond bounds, and mak ing as it were bia intention to pass thro' the north woods, out upon the Hartford turnpike. " I cannot deny this," he said, "but I affirm that It was my Intention to return before roll call and at once admit that I had disobeyed the rules." " That is an apology easily framed af ter capture," suggested the Judge Ad vocate; " but if you can say what your purpose was in thus going beyond the lines, if it seems to us good and consist ent with your return, it may make the difference between life and death with you, Francois Duplan." " Alas, I cannot tell my purpose. I can say that it wae a good one ; that had it been accomplished, results of much concern to me and to another yes, many others might have come of it. As it is unaccomplished, my purpose would be laughed at and another made an object of ridicule." " That must be a singular purpose, in deed, which you , would prefer to lose your life rather than part with." " If it must be so, then It must. I hoped to lose my life when I came to America, but not thus. However, what difference is it V" They found him guilty aud sentenced him to death. He was to be shot by six of his comrades at the next sunrise. Yet they pitied him. He was, by all accounts, a tall, handsome, brave fellow, a soldier whose ease of manner and whose habits indicated that his early life was passed in circles' with which none 6f his companions were familiar. He was a stranger to them all when he Joined them, and it had not escaped no tice that the Count de Bochambeau, with his ever observant eye, had mark ed this common soldier, Francois, and had even once said, in the hearing of the sentry who paced in front of the door: "I mean to find out why this gentleman serves as a common soldier and who he Is." With all his reserve and hours of med itation, Francois was a favorite with his comrades, for which they felt that he was above them in refinement, in polish and experience, they knew that he made no effort to have them feel thus, but rather endeavored to repress all trials and emotions not shared In common by a private soldier. Yet he could not re press all. There was a method, a way, a mannerism of which he was uncon scious. He had nursed tlio sick, done double duty to save some tlred-out comrade, and there was a gloom throughout the camp when it went forth that Comrade Du plan was to be shot at sunrise. They went by twos aud threes and scores to the Count de Bochambeau to beg for mercy, and they returned heavy hearted, not getting what they sought. Duplan himself, so it it was afterward said, was the most compoeed and seem ingly least troubled soldier In the camp. Once, when the guard, with tears stream ing down his cheeks, said : " Too bad I Too bad I" Dupluu replied : "It Is well." And then he added : "I have lived these five years In the shadow of death. To-dny, yesterday, for a few weeks I have seen a little ray of sunlight breaking throught the clouds. I knew to-day, when I stepped over the line, that, ere I returned, either the sun would once more shine for me, or that night would come forever." " That seems to be the strange part of Hall. There is not a soldier in camp who thinks you intended to desert." "Nor did J. Had I succeeded, I should have returned, welcomed by the Count de Bochambeau, and not as Fran cols Duplan." " Then you are not serving under your right name?" " No. I once had known a servant of that name." Later in the evening Count de Boch am beau's aid brought a message to the sergeant in command. It was to the ef fect that any requests of Francois Du plan consistent with the execution of the sentence were to be granted. Good writing materials, companions for the night, the choice of the comrades who were to execute the sentence any wish es he might have were to be strictly car ried out. Duplan at first said that he had none, but suddenly, with an air of great earnestness, and yet timidly, he asked if a comrade might be detailed to escort from the village and home again one whom he would like to see. "And Whois this oner"" " Mistress Prudence Strong." The aid looked at Duplan curiously for an instant. " And why do you wish to see Mistress Prudence on such a night as this 1"' he asked. "Did the Count de Bochambeau in struct you that I must give you the rea sons for any wish I might desire grant ed ?" was Duplan's answer. The aid smllc'd significantly, but Du plan did not see that. "Let it be-then as he wishes," said the aide to the sergeant. A soldier was detailed to go up into the village and escort Mistress Prudence to the camp. " Peradventure she will not come," he said to his 'comrades as he buttoned his great coat about him; "aud yet I think she will. Have you not seen her at the oven when Duplan and the rest of us were baking bread ? Did she not visit us one evening with some of the other maid's and bring us cider and apples V" As the soldier passed the guard house, Duphfu called him. "I pray you," paid the prisoner, " not to reveal to Mistress Prudence my trouble. It Is my last re quest to you, comrade." Half an hour later the soldier return ed. The flicker of the lantern that he carried revealed, as they passed the sen try, a slender female form, enwrapped from heud to. foot with cloak. She pre ceded her escort a few steps. The snow was beginning t fall. Some of the flakes fell upon the tresses of her hair, that escaped from the top of her hood where it encircled the' face. She was shown the guard house. Duplan, stand ing, received her, waving his hand slightly, as if to warn her against any undue emotion. The guard, with a delicacy for which Duplan subsequently thanked him,turu ed his back to them, and paced slowly before the door. He heard voices. He did not hear, nor try to, what was said. He heard sobs, also. At the end of half an hour Duplan said distinctly : " Now, go. You will come to see me iu the morning at the oven, will you not?" Aud then the guard knew that he had not told her what his sentence was, and that she did not know that she never would hear him speak again. As she quitted the guard house he put some papers that he took from his breast Into her hand. " Will you go with me to the Wur Of fice," she said to her escort, "and wait there until I have seen Mr. Trumbull ? Then when we got to my father's house my father will make for you a hot punch I'll warrant. Yes, I know, the punch will be all ready, because Mr. Budd, our minister, is in the kitchen this evening with father, and they always take a warm one when they are together," The snow, as they passed to the high way, began to fall bo thickly that even the light of the lantern was dimmed, but the comrade who was acting as her escort thought her an extremely fearless girl, and wonderfully handsome withal. The walk to the War Office was a short one. Within ten minutes they were at the door. " Halt 1" said the sentlneL,and he was so muffled up that it was the tone rather than articulation that checked Mistress Prudence, who would otherwise have opened the door and gone In unan nounced. " Oh oh 1 It is you, is it, Mistress; and what do you here on such a night as this V" the sentinel said, after peering into the maiden's face. " I would see Mr. Trumbull ; truly I desire overmuch to speak to him. Will you admit tne V" The sentinel tapped at the door. ' It was opened. A ruddy glow burst from within, and by it two despatch bearers could be seen sitting on the counter for before the war the office was a country shop driving their spurs Into the woodwork as their legs dangled a foot or more from the floor. The marks of the spurs of these and other messen gers are to be seen in the woodwork even to this day. Mistress Prudence and her escort passed in to this room. The despatch bearers, who were evident ly in the midst of some rollicking story, and were plainly feeling the merrier for the mulled cider they had taken, eyed the female figure curiously at first; but when she threw her cloak and hood off and they saw the large gray eyes, now seeming very dark by the firelight, and that her features were exceeding fair and her manner gracious, they thought for certain that they were in the pres ence of the Govornor's daughter, and became at once greatly courteous. One took her cloak and shook the snow from it, then put it before the fire. The other opened the door to the room in the rear where he knew the Governor was passing an hour with the Count de Bochambeau. Thus announced Mis tress Prudence came into the Governor's presence. He sat at his oaken desk, but seemed for the moment to be more occupied over a certain discussion that he was having with Bochambeau than with his papers. The French nobleman stood easily before the fire-place, the flames from the burning log burnishing the gilt of his scabbed. The Governor arose and the Count bowed. Both were ex ceeding tall, and Mistress Prudence seemed by contrast wofully small, but not less fearless than the men she con fronted. '. t " Why, Mistress Prudence, what has brought you here ? Do you come from your worthy father, the Esquire?" "Ahem!" this in the slightest and yet most suggestive of tones from - the Count." . ' " Pardon me,'? said the Governor. " Let me, I beg, present Mistress Pru dence Strong to the Count de BochamY beau. A worthy daughter of an exceed ing worthy father, sir." . " Truly, that would almost go with out the saying of it, your Excellency." And the Count with much grace took Mistress Prudence's brown but sharply hand and bent over it. " Did I not have the pleasure of leading the maid at the reel in the tavern dining room?" he asked. " Indeed you did, sir," replied Mis tress Prudence, curtseying. " But, Mr. Trumbull, will you tell me what Mr. Duplan, the tall French soldier, has done, and what is to be his punish ment?" The Governor, who had taken advan tage of the colloquy between the maid and the Count to draw on his outer gar ment of plain brown homespun for the room was suitry and he had removed it turned with a look of surprise. " I know nothing of any French sol dier, Mistress Prudence, and prithee why should you visit me on such a night as this for such a matter V" he said. "Because he Is a good man and a brave soldier, aud because he has done nothing to merit punishment." But why does Mistress Prudence be come his intercessor, eh ? Count, per haps you know something of this. What does the maid mean, for I see that she is greatly exercised, and I know her to be not disturbed by trifles." The Count de Bochambeau was very grave. He looked at the maid strange ly, but not suspiciously. At length he said : " He is a'deserter ; there Is much of mystery about him ; but of all the mysteries there is none so very strange as this that has now come to my ears. Tell me," and he took the girl's hand, " what reason is there that you should thus Intercede?" " I cannot tell that now, sir," replied the mistress a little demurely, " but it is a good one." Here the Count de Bochambeau look ed very grave, but the Governor at once said : " I'd plight my honor, sire. the girl tells the truth. Tell me, Mis tress Prudence, how came you to know this soldier." " I have often seen him at the oven, over there, and in passing have chatted with him, as have the other maidens, for he speaks the English tongue as well as you or I." " Was that entirely seemly ?" said the Count gravely. Mistress Prudence leoked at the tall, gracious Frenchman wonderlngly for an Instant, and then slowly and instinct ively catching his meaning, said while her gray eyes sparkled and the blood mounted to her cheeks : " There are none but brave aud true women in Lebanon, sir." The Count bowed low, with his hand over his heart, and humbly bogged the maid's forgiveness. "At the oven, you say," continued the Governor; " surely there could be no harm in that, for is not the oven on the common, at the rear of the meeting house ?" The brick oven still remains on the common, sadly broken In and gone to decay, but there nevertheless. " I came to ask you to cause him to be released, on my word that he has done nothing wrong. It is unseemly to shut such a man up as a prisoner for the space of one hour." The Governor and the Countexchang ed glaDces, and the quick eye of Mis tress Prudence saw it. With the most dignified courtesy to the Count she turned her back upon him, and, going to the Governor, said : "Mr. Trumbull, you knew me when I was a child, be fore this war. Did you not see me lead the other maids to the school house, when the messenger from Lexington to Norwich stopped to tell us that blood had been shed, and did I not suggest to the maids that we even take our petti coats to make the implements - of war with ? Do you remember my ride to Hartford, alone through the' forests, that I must carry to you the special de spatches that were waiting you here from Gen. Washington"?" " In troth I Remember all this, and to your credit." "Then have I not the right to ask a Blight favor ?" . " But, Mistress Prudence, I cannot do - what you . would seek. My authority extends not to the battalion of the Count de. Bochambeau." '"But you can plead with him." I see, Mistress Prudence, little you comprehand these matters, and in truth I w6t ray pleadings would not avail the half yours would." .'The Count listened gravely to all this. SiMdenly he said, but with In finite respect, " Tell me, do you love this man ?" " What has that to ddiwith it ?" fcbe answered, straightening up and her gray eyes flashing Indignation. " If he deserves punishment I might love him and still sutler him to be punished. But he does not. I l eg you to release him, for he has done nothing wrong." The Count de Bochambeau said noth ing. "Will you not release him?" she pleaded tenderly, placing her hand on the Count de Bochambeau'g arm. He turned bis face away, but shook hU head. " Will you beg for me ?" This to the Governor, who stood with one hand on his oaken desk and looking very stern, as much as to say, " I like this not at all." " 1 cannot. Mistress Prudence." "I know not what his punishment
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