The Noon Hour

Children's shouts echo as a dozen or so run down the street, some with hoops and sticks, two girls with a game of Graces split between them in their hands. Women bustle in and out of shops, passing each other with bits of gossip. An apprentice steps out of the mercantile with a broom in his hand and waves as the children race by. Heavy thuds sound as a young man throws bundles of paper into a waiting wagon and then waves it on. A shout arises from the wagon's driver as the children scamper in front of it, crossing over to the town greene. Horses shod hoofs clop down the cobbled street, the red coated riders looking regal as they pass by. Men and a few women cry out their wares, "Fish! Fresh produce!" The bell in Independence Hall rings out the noon hour and the delegates come streaming out, leaving their heated argument behind. The game of Graces begins, lunch long forgotten.