time a friend to his country. He was a stranger in Philadelphia, but had
heard that Mr. Duche deserved that character; so he moved that he--Mr.
Duche, an Episcopal clergyman--be desired to read prayers before
Congress the next morning.

"Mr. Duche consented, and the next morning read the prayers and the
Psalter for the 7th of September; a part of it was the thirty-fifth
psalm, which seemed wonderfully appropriate. Do you remember how it
begins? 'Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight
against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and
stand up for mine help.'"

"It does seem wonderfully appropriate," said Evelyn. "Oh, I'm sure that
God was on the side of the patriots, and helped them greatly in their
hard struggle with their powerful foe!"

"Yes, only by His all-powerful aid could our liberties have been won,
and to Him be all the glory and the praise," said Grandma Elsie,
gratitude and joy shining in her beautiful eyes.

"But that wasn't the Congress that signed the Declaration?" Walter
remarked, half inquiringly, half in assertion.

"No; this was in 1774, and the Declaration was not signed until July,
1776," replied his mother.

"It seems to me," remarked Lulu, "that the Americans were very slow in
getting ready to say they would be free from England--free from British
tyranny."

"But you know you're always in a great hurry to do things, Lu," put in
Grace softly, with an affectionate, admiring smile up into her sister's
face.

"Yes, I believe you're right, Gracie," returned Lulu, with a pleased
laugh and giving Grace's hand a loving squeeze.

"Yes," assented Grandma Elsie, "our people were slow to break with the
mother country--as they used to call old England, the land of their
ancestors; they bore long and patiently with her, but at last were
convinced that in that case patience had ceased to be a virtue, and
liberty for themselves and their children must be secured at all costs."

"How soon were they convinced of it, mamma?" asked Walter.

"The conviction came slowly to all, and to some more slowly than to
others," she replied. "Dr. Franklin, Samuel Adams, and Patrick Henry
were among the first to see the necessity of becoming, politically,
entirely free and independent.

"It is stated on good authority that Patrick Henry in speaking of Great
Britain, as early as 1773, said, 'She _will_ drive us to extremities; no
accommodation _will_ take place; hostilities