Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-10-22
HIY INDEPENDEHCE-DAy.


it came to me SO freighted with the memory
of an eventful day in my life that | cannot
sail smoothly on with old Tempus without
first unburdening myself. Trusting that now
and then some fretted traveller az he journeys
on may be tempted to peep into and profit by
my budget cast it upon the highway.
had been dining out. The meats served
on the occasion were good, the wines superb,
the speeches were brilliant, and, better than
all, my own unprecedented remarks, which,
BY IA singular coincidence, had haunted NE
for the past four days, had been received with
decided e3ot. 1t was on the night of the Sd
of July, lS5-. The show windows were COR
ge0us with their display of fireworks, and,
| under the peculiar flicker and multiplication
| of the gas-lights, the rockets and pin-wheels
| seemed to be having premature frolic on
| their own account.
On the whole, felt peculiarly happy and
| amiable A brIght-eyed, rosy beggar child
asked me for a sixpence: she was sta1'uing
| she said. Ny heart was touched, and | threw
| her small handful of silver Three Young
| gentlemen came swaying arm in arm along
the sidewalk, jostiing me rather roughly. At
| any other time might have been indignant
| but now were they not men and brothers: |
| bowed gracefully, and at the same time, I felt
confident, with dignity, and stepped off the
curb-stone to allow them to pass. At last I
reached My own door. The lock was out of
order, for my key would not turn it. Irdng,
first the door-knob, then the bell, violently.
Nv next door neighbor, Mr. Green, came to
the door in his calico wrapper.
All, Mr.. Green" l exclaimed, steadying
the tottering door-post, delighted t'see you.
Is my-my wife in :"
Mr. Green seized me somewhat roughly by
| L. i
me, las he pitched about considerably and
led me to a neighboring door.
"Where is your night-key, Dir. e." he
asked, gruffiy.
There were about six pockets in my vest
on that occasion; but after a while discov-
cred the right one, and produced the key,
with polite bow.
The Ext instant | found myself inside, the
door closed and the only visible link between
myself and the second story, swinging VIC
lently backward and forward, in the shape of
dying gas jet suspended from the ceiling.
Ny effort to resuscitate the spark resulted in
total darkness.
After cropping about for while | found the
stairway, and, clutching the bafuster, com
menced to ascend This feat was attended
with so much difficulty that l was induced to
bring the full force of my reasoning powers
|
covered that l had been trying to mount the
hat-rack Abandoning the enterprise, with
a smile Of superiority over my weaker self,
[ proceeded in my search, and finally planted
my foot firmly upon the lowest step. Alas
step number two convinced me of my error,
and our Tommy new velocipede toDpled over
with crash, casting me PROSTATE beside it.
Then | saw fash Of light, and soon, APP
preaching nearer and nearer, Gas though let
down by rope from the upper regions the
white-robed, graceful form of my oldest daugh-
ter, Kitty Rising and offering her my arm
we assembled the stairs together. As she left
NE at the room door I turned and solemnly
gave her my paternal blessing. She was Wis
IDLY effected, even bursting into tears and
excaimine, ooh, father y as she hurried
away.
The next morning l found myself on the
spare room bed with allmy clothes on, except
my cravat and one boot. The cravat was on
the hearth and the boot was on the mantel-
piece. Guns were booming, fre-crackers
were swapping, the din Of powder and merry
| voices filled the air. | could hear my own
Youngsters shouting out Justify in the garden,
and in the hall the first bell was tingling
it's summons through the house.
1t was the 4th of July, sure enough and I,
as head Of the family, must present myself
in suitable array at the breakfast table and
inaugurate the iolities of the day. | seized
the boot in one hand and the crayat in the
other, and proceeded meekly to the apart
ment generally used in common by Mrs. F
ard myself.
"Ah; Mrs r" said I, bowling rather
| sheepishlv in my attempt to pass the affair
off as joke, 'Good morning, ma am!'
"Good morning, john" replied my wife,
not a shade of crossncss in her tone. Il
must 90 down and watch the children, or
they may do some mischief with their pis-
tolls and fire-crackerS; but come to breakfast
as soon as you can"
With these words she left the room. Twas
almost sorry she didn't scOd or "go on" Ii
tie concerning my spree. This sad, gentle
way of speaking made me uncomfortable,
cough and strut about the room as | would
for knew well enough the pain and disgust
| gnawing at her heart, and that during the
past year had given her too frequent cause
| for the reproaches that never came, though
| was prepared to receive them after every Of
fence.
Cold water however, and clean clothes
braced me up somewhat, and soon after the
| Second bell" rang | strobe Enthusiastically
through the halls, severe in my dignity as
| head Of the household. Reaching the base
ment door paused a moment, half dreading
to meet the rows OF young faces on either
side of the table, and my wife's sweet, pale
cOuntenance beaming so quietly over them
all. This momentary weakness over, with
pompous "ahem" l mustered the requisite
manner and entered.
| There was no one at the table, and only
Kitty was in the room-kitty, my usually
joyous girl, now standing in pensive atti-
tude by the window.
1t was important that my children should
! respect me- and | felt, of course, anxious to
obliterate from her mind any impression of
weakness I might have given her the pre-
vious night.
'This is glorious day, Kitty !" exclaim-
ed, expansively-"a glorious day, my child ;
| the day on which we as nation declared
ourselves independent. To-day we must all
be jubilant, victorious! We must not NOPE
| in the house-we must ride or sail some
where in grand family excursion, and breathe
| the sunshine and the glorious air of Freedom,
?"
Kitty did not even turn her head but
continued to speak as | strobe up and down
the apartment.
"Do YOU not enter into the spirit of the
day, child? Read your history-read Of
George Washington, and the glorious men
who suffered and died that we might be free
FREE :" I repeated, seating myself, and
bringing my fist down with emphasis upon
the arm of the chair Yes, We must all
celebrate this day; and now, Kitty, do not
be afraid, tell me where you would like to go,
or how we shall best enjoy it."
By this time Kitty's face seemed fairly
glued to the window. | was seriously dis
pleased, insultedi I, who had ever enforced