Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-07-28

That life holds to a II. S1OuiQ most abound
and least be threatened in the fields and groves"
The Fourth of July caught us in the
city of New York June had been warm
as no previous June had been, and we
had borne it manfully. Weperspired and
drank ice-water, drank ice-water and per
spired, till there was but little left of us,
and each day we grew smaller and small
er. The children, dear creatures that
they are, sighed for the country and coun-
ted the days of their city captivity. This
mathematical calculation grew every day
simpler, and it seemed to be their great
est comfort.
But as [ said at the beginning, the
Fourth came and we were still In Gotham.
At this point 1 would say to the reader
that our active urchins IN this great me-
tropolis begin the celebration of this ma
tional holiday about two weeks in advance
of time by the frequent discharge of min
! iature cannon and quantities. of fire crack
ers. But on the eYeningsef the third the
thing begins in earnest. Those who from
motives of economy or for want of leisure
! have been previously detarred from taking
part, go at it with that zest which absti-
nence produces. All night the hideous
sounds are heard of exploding gunpowder
bursting from the mouth of cannon, gun
and pistol, to say nothing of the minor
sounds proceeding from fish horns and
other instruments of equal melody. In
the small hours of morning a slight abate-
ment In the volume of sound is observable,
but with the rising of the sun every little
patriot rallies to the rescue and the roar
of artillery reaches its highest pitch.
! In reference to this particular Fourth,
a writer in the New York Daily Times
thus discourseth:
Sensible people went to bed early on
the night of the Sd of July. The same
class of individuals were wakened early
on the following morning. No candid
i reader will claim that heever before heard
such universal racket, such a tremend-
Gus +Eo4V-de=doW, such a continuous dis
charge of firearms as on this 4aarning.-
Small boys, whose parents, fond of their
children and reckless of their cash, had
supplied them freely with very poor crack
ers at very high prices, arose a long time
before the traditional lark and went out
lupOn the street. In the eve of our mem
ory we see them now. Armed with along
piece of punk, whose burning end was
! ominous of destruction to little dresses
and modest pinafores, the youthful cele-
brants stood monarchs upon the paternal
doorsteps and made morn hideous with
the smell Of the sulphuric compound and
the din and crack of the small red wea-
pon. Whiz, bang, fzzle and pop, crack,
crash, hurrah and shout these were the
noises and these were the ushers of the
Fourth of July. 1865. -
The day was finished by grand display
of fireworks witnessed by metropolitan
7 crowd of gigantic dimensions.
Well, as the 9th was the day which was
to witness our exodus from the city, the
9Th was largely occupied in packing trunks
and making other arrangements for the
Summer campaign. In-these varied pur-
l suits the children found great enjoyment.
1 The turning upside down of every thing
: made high carnival for them. What
turning of summersaults upon mattresses,
/ what unrolling of what had been previous
D " rolled up, and what confusion generally
: was produced by these innocent mischief
: makers, it is not my purpose now to. mar
| rate; suffice it to say that the trundle-bed
l was finally made into bundle, the bath
, tub securely tied, and the last trunk
strapped, and every thing ready for that
: autocrat the baggage express man.
!, The day proved propitious, the lunch
l basket ample, and the children goodnatur-
e ed, so that thejourneywasp performed with
unusual comfort
, We are not among strangers. For two
: years past we have spent July and August
d among the hospitable people and the glo.
u rious hills of Berkshire county. Though
r we first saw light in a land across the seS
Scotland, } yet we can say with all oul
heart God bless the Commonwealth O
Massachusetts" IF there any one State
: higher than another in excellence and in
7 telligence-that State is Massachusetts,
:, In the struggle just terminated which
, tried us even as silver is tried, there i
no brighter record than that of the Ole
. Bay State, and Berkshire has done he
!. share Many a noble son of these homes
- yeomanry now sleeps his long sleep on th
e battle-fields of the rebellion. And thost
y whom duty did not call to take up arm
= were faithful at home. Other States hav
II sent Copperhead Representatives to tn
National Congress, but we always knew
where to find the men from Massachu
setts.
However, to return to my subject. o.
our arrival at the residence of our kim
,e host. the children were delighted beyonl
l. measure Nothing could restrain thei
a enthusiasm. [ had scarcely got the rail
n road dust washed off when l was impor
if tuned to go down stairs and see "a turke
10 with a great big fan on its back" Con
e, sidering the heat of the weather thi
a. seemed an appropriate appendage.
. hastened therefore to see this wonder i
E. nature, and really the idea was a prett
d correct one-for the turkeys brilliant an
III distended feathers made not only "big
c. but most beautiful fan.
= At first, the children with the cautio
III imbibed from their experience in Centr;
i'd Park, were doubtful if they were at libert
TX to go everywhere on the grass, and littl
t. Nellie inquired if 1.-THE policeman woul
ne stop them should they attempt to do s.
n, But this city restraint soon passe
st away, and now they run like wild IndiaT
st towards whose color they are gradual
in approximating) among the ducks an
IT. chickens and other animals incident to
III first class farm house.
This morning they had a ride to ii
saw-mill on spring board laid betwet
the axles of the farm wagon, while the
returned on top of a load of lumber, d.
cl- lighted with the expedition Enjoying
or more in fact than those we met by ii
is way riding in sumptuous carriages
a How changed the circumstances an
IN appearance of the country since we wei
srs here Just one year ago. Scarcely twel'
tie months since / was sitting under the
all same trees. The heavens seemed bra
di- and the earth iron The sun like a r,
yer and lurid ball of fire rolled through Il
be heavens, while the dried up streams al
dl failing springs, threatened the most disa
es- trous consequences. The news had iu
ce, been received of the failure of the mil
at Petersburg. l was sadly musing
what this wide spread calamity of drou
do and this new painful reverse to our arr
er; could mean, when a telegram arriv
ew stating that the eldest son of our he
had been killed in the murderous fight.
He was young man of rare promis