Story Hour Readings: Seventh Year Part 41

It was the Somme.

After all, what does size matter--except the size of the 15 heart and of the soul?

The great Mississippi, the mystic Amazon, the majestic Hudson, the wide Danube--all mighty in power and commerce!

The Yser, the Aisne, the Oise, the Somme, the Marne--little 20 streams of France; old brooks as precious as Thermopylae or Bunker Hill!

Tiny are they--and so was Bethlehem!

--_Red Cross Magazine._

1. What three rivers are discussed? For what does each stand?

2. Explain the French schoolgirl's letter. Which party, to her, represented justice?

3. What great general is called the "Hero of the Marne"? Why?

4. Why are Thermopylae and Bunker Hill "previous"?

Name some other "precious" places in the world.

5. What lesson do you get from this selection?

(Used by permission of the _Red Cross Magazine_.)

THE BURIAL OF SIR JOHN MOORE

BY CHARLES WOLFE

Sir John Moore (1761-1809) was a British general.

His last engagement was at the head of the British forces in Spain, fighting against Napoleon. Upon word that Napoleon with an army of 70,000 was marching against him, he decided to make for the coast with his 25,000 men. They were obliged to march for 250 miles over slippery mountain roads, and were forced into battle before they could embark. The French were repulsed with heavy losses, but Moore was fatally wounded. This fine poem describes his burial on that foreign sh.o.r.e.

Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note, As his corse to the ramparts we hurried; Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot O'er the grave where our hero we buried.

We buried him darkly at dead of night, 5 The sods with our bayonets turning, By the struggling moonbeam's misty light, And the lantern dimly burning.

No useless coffin inclosed his breast, Not in sheet or in shroud we wound him; 10 But he lay like a warrior taking his rest With his martial cloak around him.

Few and short were the prayers we said, And we spoke not a word of sorrow; But we steadfastly gazed on the face of the dead, 15 And we bitterly thought of the morrow.

We thought, as we hollowed his narrow bed And smoothed down his lonely pillow, That the foe and the stranger would tread o'er his head.

And we far away on the billow.

Lightly they'll talk of the spirit that's gone, 5 And o'er his cold ashes upbraid him; But little he'll reck, if they let him sleep on, In the grave where a Briton has laid him.

But half of our heavy task was done When the bell tolled the hour for retiring; 10 And we heard the distant and random gun That the foe was sullenly firing.

Slowly and sadly we laid him down, From the field of his fame fresh and gory; We carved not a line, and we raised not a stone, 15 But we left him alone with his glory!

1. Give synonyms for: corse, ramparts, martial, upbraid, tolled, reck, gory, random.

2. Describe this simple burial in your own words.

What are the customary rites at a soldier's burial?

Why did Sir John Moore not receive a military funeral?

3. Compare this burial with the one described on page 329.

4. Report briefly on Napoleon: who he was, what he did, and what finally became of him.

5. Memorize the poem. Time yourself to see how quickly you can do this.

LEXINGTON AND CONCORD

BY WILLIAM EMERSON

The Reverend William Emerson, grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson, was pastor of the Congregational Church at Concord. The battle of April 19, 1775, was fought near his residence. He was called the "patriot preacher" and died while serving in the Revolutionary army.

This morning between one and two o'clock we were alarmed by the ringing of the church bell, and upon examination found that the troops, to the number of eight hundred, had stolen their march from Boston in boats and barges from the bottom of the Common over to a point 5 in Cambridge near to Inman's farm, and were at Lexington meetinghouse half an hour before sunrise, where they had fired upon a body of our men, and as we afterward heard, had killed several. This intelligence was brought to us at first by Dr. Samuel Prescott, who narrowly escaped the 10 guard that were sent before on horses purposely to prevent all posts and messengers from giving us timely information.

He, by the help of a very fleet horse, crossing several walls and fences, arrived at Concord at the time above mentioned, when several posts were immediately dispatched, 15 that, returning, confirmed the presence of the regular army at Lexington, and that they were on their way to Concord. Upon this a number of our minutemen belonging to this town and Acton and Lincoln, with several others that were in readiness, marched out to meet them. 20

While the alarm company were preparing to meet them in the town, Captain Minot, who commanded them, thought it proper to take possession of the hill above the meetinghouse as the most advantageous situation. No sooner had we gained it than we were met by the company that were sent out to meet the troops, who informed us 5 they were just upon us and that we must retreat, as their number was more than thribble to ours. We then retreated from the hill near Liberty Pole and took a new post back of the town upon a rising eminence, where we formed into two battalions and waited the arrival of the enemy. 10 Scarcely had we formed before we saw the British troops at the distance of a quarter of a mile, glittering in arms, advancing toward us with the greatest celerity.

Some were for making a stand notwithstanding the superiority of their numbers, but others more prudent 15 thought best to retreat till our strength should be equal to the enemy by recruits from neighboring towns who were continually coming in to our a.s.sistance. Accordingly we retreated over the bridge; when the troops came into the town, set fire to several carriages for the artillery, destroyed 20 sixty barrels of flour, rifled several houses, took possession of the Town House, destroyed five hundred pounds of ball, set a guard of a hundred men at the North Bridge, and sent up a party to the house of Colonel Barrett, where they were in expectation of finding a quant.i.ty of warlike 25 stores; but these were happily secured just before their arrival by transfer into the woods and other by-places.

In the meantime, the guard set by the enemy to secure the pa.s.s at the North Bridge were alarmed by the approach of our people, who had retreated, as mentioned before, 30 and were now advancing with special orders not to fire upon the troops unless fired upon.

These orders were so punctually observed that we received the fire of the enemy in three several and separate discharges of their pieces before it was returned by our commanding officer. The firing then soon became general for several minutes, in which skirmish two were killed on 5 each side and several of the enemy wounded. It may here be observed, by the way, that we were the more careful to prevent beginning a rupture with the King's troops as we were then uncertain what had happened at Lexington and knew not that they had begun the quarrel there by 10 first firing upon our party and killing eight men upon the spot. The British troops soon quitted their post at the bridge and retreated in great disorder and confusion to the main body, who were soon upon the march to meet them.

For half an hour the enemy, by their marches and countermarches, 15 discovered great fickleness and inconstancy of mind, sometimes advancing, sometimes returning to their former posts, till at length they quitted the town and retreated by the way they came. In the meantime a party of our men (one hundred and fifty) took the back way through 20 the great fields into the East Quarter and had placed themselves to advantage, lying in ambush behind walls, fences, and buildings, ready to fire upon the enemy on their retreat.

--_Journal._

1. This entry in Mr. Emerson's journal was made on the day of the Lexington-Concord battle. Give the date of it.

2. What poem did the Reverend Mr. Emerson's grandson write about the battle of Concord? Bring it to cla.s.s and read it.

3. What famous ride is connected with this battle?

4. Describe the fight. Was Mr. Emerson actually engaged in the battle? Give proof of your answer.