On Saturday, September 1, I participated in a commemoration of General Lafayette's September, 1824,visit to Charlton, Massachusetts during his Farewell Tour. For this, I wore a 1820s style costume created by Gay Bean, a mob cap, and a new bonnet.
This event, sponsored by the American Friends of Lafayette and the Charlton Historical Society, was great fun. I had the honor of speaking about how Lafayette was received during his Farewell Tour. Here I am making what appears to be a serious point about all of this.
I decided that part of my purpose in speaking was revving up the crowd so that they would welcome Lafayette with the proper vocal enthusiasm, so I helped them practice cheering. That was the cue for the man himself to appear.
Happily, I was then able to ask the general, as enacted by Ben Goldman, to buss (kiss) me on the cheek, in honor of the title of my historical novel for young readers, A Buss from Lafayette. And he did!
Of course, in my story, a young lady is bussed by an old gentleman, the reverse of the situation last Saturday, but it was great fun, anyway.
