CHAPTER XX
LAFAYETTE'S VISIT
The May sun streamed warmly into the big square chamber where Ruthslept, and she awoke to the song of birds, and the fragrance ofblossoming lilacs.
For a few moments she lay quite still, looking wonderingly about theroom. It seemed a "shining" room to Ruth, with its whitewashed walls,and its smooth polished floor, and only a chest of drawers, alight-stand and a rush-bottomed chair for furniture.
She got up and dressed slowly, wondering if her mother missed her verymuch, and if Hero would go scratching and whining to her door in searchof his little mistress. Aunt Deborah's house was much larger than thelittle brick house which was Ruth's home in Philadelphia, and as Ruthcame slowly down the wide stairs she thought what a fine house it wouldbe for little girls to live in; there seemed so much room and so littlefurniture.
Aunt Deborah lived alone, but the Withely farm adjoined hers, and FarmerWithely took care of her farm and stock.
"Good-morning, Ruth," said Aunt Deborah with her sunny smile, as herlittle niece came into the big kitchen to find breakfast awaiting her."I trust thy pleasure in being here is as great as mine in having thee.And I have great news for thee. Thy dear father came over from ValleyForge a week ago, and was sorry enough to find thee not here. And he hadgreat tidings for me. He says that France has now joined with America inthe war against England, and Washington hopes for great aid from sopowerful an ally."
"Oh, Aunt Deborah! Won't my father come again?" responded Ruth. "May Inot go to Valley Forge to see him?"
"It may be that he will come again," Aunt Deborah replied thoughtfully."And who knows but he may come with Lafayette! For General Washington issending scouting parties about the country to discover the plans of theEnglish. So any day we may see the troops of either army come marchingup the road."
Ruth was almost too excited to eat her breakfast after listening toAunt Deborah's news, and even the sight of the pink lustre cup fromwhich Lafayette had drunk seemed of little consequence. If Englishsoldiers came marching that way Ruth knew well that their purpose wouldbe to capture American scouting parties, and she became more eager thanever to go to Valley Forge, and again asked Aunt Deborah if she couldnot go. But Aunt Deborah promptly responded that such a visit wasimpossible.
"Tis a ride of over ten miles, and a ford to cross," she said. "FarmerWithely has no spare time at present to take thee; besides that, GeneralWashington does not care for visitors."
Ruth looked so disappointed that Aunt Deborah added: "And who knows whatday Lafayette may ride this way again? It may even be this very morning!Take thy doll and walk to the church; from there thou canst see bothways. If the English redcoats come along the river road thee must hastenback and tell me, so that we may start some one off at once to warn ourAmerican soldiers."
"Might I go?" asked Ruth.
"How could a small girl like thee cross the Schuylkill?" questionedAunt Deborah. "'Tis most likely I should have to go myself."
Ruth now felt that she could really be of use if she kept watch from thetop of Barren Hill, and she ran through the garden, and climbed up therough slope to the little square church, from whose steps she couldwatch the quiet road which curved along by the woods to the riverside.She thought of Hero, and wished it had been possible to bring him withher. "Just for company," she whispered to herself, for she began to feelthat she was a long way from home.
"Unless Father or Lafayette comes to-day I must go to Valley Forgeto-morrow," she resolved.
But the day passed without a sign of any advancing troops, and atsupper-time Ruth was so quiet and sober that Aunt Deborah began to fearthat her little niece was homesick, and tried to amuse her by tellingher of a tame squirrel who lived in the wood-shed and had made friendswith a family of kittens. But the little girl did not seem interested;she wanted to know if the water was very deep at Matson's ford, and howlong it would take to walk to Valley Forge; until Aunt Deborah wonderedif Ruth really thought such a journey possible for a little girl. Sherecalled the visit Ruth had made to the English General in order torescue Hero, and said to herself that she was sure Ruth would not againundertake any plan without asking permission.
"I'll wait until to-morrow," Ruth resolved, as she went to bed thatnight. "I mustn't wait any longer," and comforted by that resolution shewas soon fast asleep.
She awoke before daylight, to find Aunt Deborah standing beside the bed.
"Get up, my dear child. Lose no time. General Lafayette is below, and Iam preparing his breakfast," she said.
"Oh, Aunt Deborah!" exclaimed Ruth, sure that this was a dream fromwhich she would soon awake.
"Hasten, child, if thou wouldst see him," and Aunt Deborah, candle inhand, disappeared from the shadowy room.
Ruth dressed more quickly than ever before, but she did not neglect tobrush her hair neatly, but not until she opened the kitchen door did sherealize that the strings to her stout leather shoes were unfastened.
It was broad daylight now, and the morning sunshine was all about theMarquis de Lafayette as he looked up with a smiling nod to the littlegirl who stood gazing at him from the doorway.
"If thee please, sir, this is my niece, Ruth Pennell, who has longcherished the hope of seeing thee," said Aunt Deborah.
The young Frenchman rose from his seat, and bowed as ceremoniously as ifLady Washington herself stood before him.
Ruth could think only of her thick shoes and the wandering strings, asshe endeavored to make a proper curtsy.
Lafayette was in the uniform of an American officer, and two Americansoldiers were on guard at the open door. The little party had riddenover from Valley Forge under cover of the night to discover acamping-ground for a body of troops which Lafayette was soon to leadtoward Philadelphia, for Washington had discovered that Sir HenryClinton had orders to evacuate the city.
"Will you not share my breakfast, Mistress Ruth?" asked the youngFrenchman, drawing one of the high-backed wooden chairs to the tablebeside his own.
"The child will indeed be honored," replied Aunt Deborah, and almostbefore Ruth could realize the great honor in store for her she foundherself seated at the table. She looked up to find Lafayette smiling ather shy word of thanks.
What a wonderful breakfast for any little girl to have to remember. Ruthwished with all her heart that Winifred and Gilbert could see her.
"I have a small daughter of my own in France," said the kind youngFrenchman, "and I hear that your father is at Valley Forge."
"Yes, sir," responded Ruth faintly, wondering to herself why she did notat once tell him what she had heard the English officers at Southwarksay of General Howe's intention to capture him.
"Well, very soon he will be safe at home," continued Lafayette. And nowRuth resolved to speak.
"If you please, sir----" she began, but at that moment Lafayette sprangto his feet, and with a word of thanks to Aunt Deborah for herhospitality, and a smiling nod to Ruth, he started toward the door,saying:
"I have indeed lingered too long. I must lose no time in getting back tocamp."
But now Ruth was out of her chair in a second; she was no longer in aweof the young Frenchman.
"I must tell you. I heard two Englishmen say you were to be captured andtaken to England," she declared eagerly, running along by his side.
The young man smiled down at the eager, half frightened child.
"Ah, well, _ma chere_, they have been saying that for a long time," heresponded lightly, "but thou art a kind little maid to warn me; and Iassure thee I will remember it," and with a word of farewell he hurriedacross the garden, mounted his horse, and in a few moments had vanishedbehind the thick growing trees.
Aunt Deborah and Ruth stood on the garden path listening until theycould no longer hear the sound of the horses' feet on the hard countryroad. Then Aunt Deborah smiled at Ruth.
"Thee should be a happy girl now, I am sure," she said, "and thee didright to tell him what his enemies threaten. Perhaps that was one reasonthee was so anxious t
o visit Valley Forge?"
"Oh, yes, Aunt Deborah! If he had not come I should have had to run awayso he might surely be warned," Ruth responded.
"I would have taken the message myself had need been," said AuntDeborah; "but thee sees that he already knew of their wicked plan. Hedid but smile at such a threat."
A few days after this visit there was great excitement on Barren Hill. Atroop of American soldiers, the very flower of Washington's army,commanded by Lafayette, were in camp on the hill. Farmers were bringingbuckets of milk and freshly baked bread for the soldiers' breakfast, andRuth could see and hear the bustle of the camps.
At first Mistress Farleigh and Ruth had hoped that Ruth's father mightbe one of the company, but as the day passed and he did not appear atthe stone house they became sure that he was still at Valley Forge.
Mistress Farleigh had told Ruth not to go to the summit of the hillwhere the troops were camped.
"Thee may walk toward the river, or in the paths at the edge of thewood," Aunt Deborah had said, adding that she wished Hero were atBarren Hill. "Then thee could go wherever thee pleased."
But that day Ruth was content to play with Cecilia in the pleasantgarden, hoping until long after sunset that her father might appear.
Neither Aunt Deborah nor Ruth slept well that night, and both were upvery early in the morning. After their simple breakfast Aunt Deborahbusied herself with bread making, that she might send hot corn bread tothe American soldiers.
"And wilt thou not run over to Farmer Withely's and ask Mistress Withelyfor the loan of a covered basket of good size, Ruth," she suggested, andRuth willingly obeyed. The Withely farmhouse was at the further side ofa broad field, and hidden by a small grove of pine trees. It was apleasant walk in the early morning, and as Ruth ran along she could seethat the American troops were harnessing their horses, and that it wasevident some movement was at hand.
"Oh! Perhaps I shall never see Lafayette again, and I did not help himafter all," she thought.
And now another and more startling sound came to Ruth's ears. Along theRidge road she could hear the sound of horses' feet and the rattle ofmusketry.
"Perhaps it is more American soldiers coming," thought the little girl.But she felt vaguely troubled, as she went slowly on. She had justentered the little woodland path which led to Farmer Withely's when shesaw a glimmer of a red coat in the underbrush.
Ruth stopped, and crouched low behind a small tree. She heard lowvoices, and in a moment a laughing voice said:
"We have the fine Frenchman just where we want him. He is preparing hismen to receive Howe's soldiers on the Ridge road, but he does not dreamthat General Grant with seven thousand troops is coming up in his rear.General Howe has invited a dinner party to meet Lafayette to-night inPhiladelphia."
"'Tis a fine thing to get the Frenchman," came the low response; "we'dbetter move farther up the hill now."
For a moment Ruth hesitated, hardly realizing the importance of what shehad overheard. Then she turned and ran toward the American encampment,where she could see troops of soldiers already moving forward towardthe Ridge road.
"Oh I suppose I do not get there in time to tell him that there is anEnglish army coming behind him," she thought.
Once she stumbled and fell over an unseen root; but at last breathlessand tired she found herself facing a number of American soldiers, one ofwhom called out:
"Run home, child; you are in danger here."
"Lafayette! Lafayette!" she called wildly. "Tell him there are thousandsof English soldiers coming up the road behind his army. The road fromSwedes Ford," called Ruth.
Almost before Ruth finished speaking one of the soldiers had turned hishorse and galloped away to find his commander, and tell him of thisunexpected enemy. Ruth turned and hurried home. She had entirelyforgotten about her errand to Farmer Withely's.