Page:Dorothy's spy; a story of the first "fovrth of Jvly" celebration, New York, 1776.djvu/146

Rh in finding the boat which he believed would be in waiting for him.

Then came the day of the second celebration of the adoption of the Declaration, which is to say, the eighteenth of July, and despite the disagreeable ending, so far as concerned the Dean and Lamb families, of the first celebration, it was resolved that the ladies, with the children, should be present.

The new costumes which Dorothy and Sarah had worn, much to the detriment of the garments, were cleansed, in so far as was possible, and while the girls did not present quite so brave an appearance as before, they were fully conscious of being well and becomingly dressed.

Of that day it has been written:

"The public reading of the Declaration in New York, on July 18th, was one of the great events of the day. Almost the whole city came together and received each noble sentiment with resounding cheers, and on its conclusion a few daring spirits entered the court-room, brought out the royal coat of arms, and burned it in the street. All this was done, it must be remembered, in the face of a powerful enemy, for at that moment Putnam's vedettes might have counted, from their post on Columbia Heights, one hundred and thirty enemy sails, whitening the Narrows—the fleet