“He stood in the centre of the apartment gazing listlessly around him, until the voice of Mrs. Sullivan, politely inquiring if her guest stood in need of any refreshment, recalled his fleeting thoughts.  The tempting repast set before him did wonders in restoring his good humor, his sail having given him quite an appetite, and at any time a lover of the good things of life, and knowing arguments could produce no alteration in his fate, he submitted with as much good grace as possible, a little alleviated by the reflection that a woman’s care was not the worst he could have fallen into.  By a singular coincidence, Mrs. Sullivan learnt that her husband was an inmate in the house of the Judge, an assurance in every way relieving, having been placed in his charge until conveyed from Flatbush.

“Letters were soon interchanged, the Americans refusing to yield their prisoner without the British doing the same.  Terms were accordingly entered into, and the Judge prepared to take leave of his fair hostess at the same time her husband was taking leave of the Judge’s wife.—­The Judge had been highly pleased with the manners of Mrs. Sullivan, who did every thing in her power to make his stay agreeable.

“The two boats with their respective prisoners at length set sail, and meeting on the river, they had an opportunity of congratulating each other on the happy termination of their imprisonment, which, thanks to woman’s wit, so fertile in expedients, had saved them from what might have been a tragedy.  With assurances of friendship they parted, the wives soon having the pleasure of embracing their husbands.  Subsequently letters couched in terms of the warmest gratitude were exchanged between the two ladies, for the attention paid to their respective husbands.”

“That Mrs. Sullivan was a remarkable woman,” remarked Colson.  “But so were most of the women of our side at that time; and the fact is, such a cause as ours would have made heroes and heroines out of the weakest.  Besides, what won’t a woman do to save her husband, at all times?”

“A good stratagem—­that of Mrs. Sullivan’s,” said Hand.

“Equal to some of Washington’s generalship,” remarked Kinnison.  Each one of the party had some remark to make upon the courage and resource of Mrs. Sullivan, except Brown, the fifer, who was enjoying the dreams of Morpheus, and therefore deaf to the narrative.

THE PATRIOTISM OF MRS. BORDEN.

“I heard of an instance in which a woman was still more heroic than Mrs. Sullivan,” said Ransom, “Because, in this case, the lady suffered for maintaining the cause of her country.