Harriet T Comstock

Molly, The Drummer Boy Harriet T Comstock

Before there was a Molly, there was a Debby Mason, and with her we must deal first. One July morning, over a hundred years ago there stood in a forlorn room of a log house in Plymouth, a tall, severe looking woman in rich apparel, and a ragged desperate child of fourteen. On the floor in a drunken stupor, lay a man. "See, lass," said the woman, "there lies thy father quite drunk. Look at thyself; in rags thou art, and shamefully neglected." "But I love my father!" Debby blazed forth, "and when he awakens who, pray, is to care for him if I go away?" "But I tell thee, child, he hath joined this wild crew who are headed for Boston, and thou wilt be turned on the town." "'Tis a lie!" screamed the girl, "he did not know when he promised. He would not leave me, but even if he did he would come back, he always does!" Mrs. Lane paused, not knowing how further to explain the truth to the wild child. "Lass, hear me, for thy mother's sake I am trying to save thee. I never knew her story, but she was a lady. In meeting, thy case hath been considered, thy father is no longer to be tolerated in the town, he must go, and I have taken thy care upon myself." Debby stared in bewilderment, then slowly the truth dawned upon her.