“He is very rich, isn’t he, Peggy?”
“He is said to be, Harriet, and is, I doubt not. He hath such great skill in financial matters that ’tis no wonder. The Congress hath put him in charge of the nation’s finances, I hear, and many hope that he will put our money upon a firm basis. He hath already been of great service to the patriots in advancing money, and he hath advised many of our people concerning investments. ’Tis owing to him that mother hath prospered of late,” concluded the girl warmly. “See the vessels, Harriet.”
They had turned now into Front Street, and stopped to look at the broad river filled with ice-floes. Out of the long length of the street upward of two hundred quays opened, forming so many views terminated by vessels of different sizes. There were three hundred at the time in the harbor disputing possession with the huge cakes of floating ice.
“And when the British left in ’78 they left us not one bark,” went on Peggy after they had stood for a moment in silence.
“I wonder,” spoke Harriet musingly, “I wonder why England doth not send a great fleet over here to ravage this entire seaboard? If all these large towns could be so attacked at one time the revolted colonies would be conquered at once, and an end put to the rebellion.”
“It would not conquer us,” declared Peggy stoutly. “I have heard some say that with General Washington at their head they would retire beyond the mountains, and fight from there. Thee can never conquer us, Harriet.”
Harriet made no reply, and they resumed the walk toward Poole’s Bridge. A throng of promenaders, skaters and sliders filled the banks and glided over the smooth ice of Pegg’s Run, as the extensive marsh which lay beyond the high table-land north of Callowhill Street was called.
This high waste ground had some occasional slopes down which some hundreds of boys were coasting. The whole area was a great ice pond on which it seemed as though all the skating population of Philadelphia had congregated. The city had long been preëminent in the sport. At this time her skaters were considered the most expert and graceful in the world, and the girls soon became absorbed in watching them as they mingled together and darted about, here and there.
“Are there none but boys and men?” questioned Harriet presently.
“’Tis not esteemed delicate for females to skate,” Peggy informed her. “Though,” she added lowering her voice instinctively, “we girls of the Social Select Circle used to slip off where none could see, and practice it. Sally Evans got so skilled that she excelled in the ‘High Dutch,’ and I could cut my name on the ice, but alas for Betty Williams. She could hardly stand on her skates, and we were always having to help her up from a tumble.”