Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-06-12


but he had found the bag, and had
oyertaked the party, aud be felt quite
content. Seeing that all were laugh
ing. he laughed too, without knowing
what the Joke was; so they had q
merry wagon load Of II. Perhaps du-
ring the whole OF that eventfnl day
this party saw no nom nts OF pureT
enjoyment. --. o.
"What time is it?" inquired Mrs.
Jones.
"Arter seven " said Ben, pulling
out the old watch and shaking it,
"Jingol we shall be late. Tim, drive
like mad, while l cool off v ..a.. 4
Old Dab did his best, considering
it was the "Glorious Fourth" and
when he reached the depot by the
railroad time 1t was precisely fifteen
minutes after seven. According TO
| gnandsireis chronometer, he had come
three miles in about five minutes (; he
was therefore entitled to both rest and
clover.
EarIy as il was,--for the cars were
never along before eight, and would
on this day probably be much later
the depot was already crowded, and
there was no room within doors for
1 Dob's load even to standf Mrs. Jones
! said "she would sit right down on
the bauk.u The children howeyef,did
not like this arrangement; and it was
| about as difficult to keep them still as
| il would have been q young calf, and
| their little feet were always straying
towards those dangerous. rails, Of
| which their mother Was as much
afraid, she said, "as OF q loaded gun,
and more too, for aught she knew
Ben the little, after having been
/ brought up suddenly, by grasp on
his sack-belt behind, began to show a
! proper resentment of this impeach-
} ment of his liberty on the Fourth
He cried hard as he couid, and there
was no pacifying him, but by COM
Dronise.I' by which he should be
allowed to roll in the and. This, his
mother declared, could never be
done. with his span clean clothes on"
The only way, then, left TO keep the
Deace was. that his father should carry
him about. which he did pacing back
and forth, back and fofth, by the
track, for more than an hour- AS the
sun rode on in his unelopded path,
his chariot wheels seemed TO be oil flre.
Ben began to find his blue coat deci-
dediy Uncomfortable, lift had not
been for his wife, he really should
have wished he had worn his jacket !,
but. as it was, there was no help for
il; II would be cooler riding, If the
cars ever didget alongsp As he walked
he tried to talk With his neighbors
around him, and heard such glowing
DESCRIPTIONS of the fireworks, that his
enthusiasm was re- kindled, and the
edge of present toll blunted by the
homes of future pleasure.
IN the meantime, his wife sat on
the sand-bank, in the hot sum-. Her
gloves were fast losing their original
Color: her bonnet-stTings were loos-
ened to save them from the same
fate: She spread her little sun-shade,
hut II afforded but q meagre pfotec-
ton for herself and her little girl. of
All the party, Dob, who stood in thes
shade of neighboring house, eating
sorel and speaTmint, thus far had the
easiest time of it, Notwithstanding
his extraordinary exerton.
At length the grateful sound OF the
far-off whistle was heard by the walt
ing crowd. There was a general rush
to the track, all eager to get IN hrst.
Ben, in his hurry, took up both chill
duen. and the bag into the bargain,
so that HIS wife had nothing to do but
TO keep them all from going under
the car wheels. There was pushing
and sorar1bliug, and ordering hither
and fiiitFef. and much confusion, be-
fore the new party could find loom
in the already crowded cars. There
was but one seat for Ben's family OF
four. This his wife took. :;
You hold the girl and the bag
said Ben, land I'll stand close by
ycu, and hold on to the boy and the
.tickets.n y s..-z..s ...5 80
Now, after good mile race, and an
houris promenade IN the sun, 70 STAND
and carry a child all the way TO Bos-
ton. was something of a draft, even ON
BelIis strength. He boreit, however,
gOod-humoredly, and TO those who
tried TO pass him, in the vain hope OF
4 seat further on, he distributed COM
fort in the following small doses;
"PIenty OF room on there, II, you
Hsy6ts9of no c6rns. 8 Hold on to your
hat, neighbOr, and guess you II make
II ont Yes. ma'atn, room a plenty
they. can pile up there. 'Ta'nt but
once veaf.n said he to grumbler;
.igiye ,eIn All chance; we can afford
10 be neigh bOfly. ~ Never mind, ~
aid he 10 . Feeble old man, clean on
me a bit; IL you can stand IL a little
while. we shall soon be down there;
they 20 like shot when they get at il. ;"
The cars. however, went by no
means as fast as Ben had calculated.
They stopped at all the wayslations,
where they fonnG great crowds await
ING them. At every fresh supply,
Ben burst into. such an uneontrolla-
BILE fit Of laughter, and, unourdened
himself of so many odd, out-oi-the-
vay calculations, that he kept all
around him laughing. A lady who
occupied the seat by his wife seemed
very much amused. }
pleasantly, to him. shall not hold
your boy q while y .'...,-r.-..--..., l
at am much obleeged. said Ben,
"but the little fellow is kind o, shy OF
strangers, and reckon lie wouldn't
come. B0b, go sit with the lady 2"
Bub sigfIified his displeasnTe. No?
WELT it's no matter. ! thought lie
wouldn't. Children are so 'traid o
nothini! Its no matter; We shall
soon be there, now - -
30 nc. s. replied the lady; I'VE are
not quite half way, and at this rate 1t
Will take us more than an hour
longer"
aGoiIy Z we shall have a time ont,
shan'f We? said Ben, laughing again
loudly. -. 1..r..A..s,
Perhaps" /" said the lady, 'the lit
tie girl will sit with me, and the
mother can take the boy" She was
bent on doing Ben a Kindness. The
girl came to her readily, and Ben,
relieved OF his burden, Stretched ont
his arm as far az he could find room
for il.
''Wife. p said he, "that boy is pretty
solid. / mean TO have him weighed
when we get home" !.
At the next station several cars were
aided. and all were now accOmmo-
dated. Ben took a seat at an open
window. in front of his wife. Hav-
fnt no longer any diseomforts upon
Which to crack liis jokes, he began't TO
'Tef on ffs spirits y lIltle on his boy.l-.
Re pislIed Off the straw hat from the
liftls curly head, PLAYED peep boz
bsilhd IL, and finally held II out the
winu6K, pretending to throw 1t. On
u kuddeh, gust af Wind took it, and
awaF il went, i'm sober earnest.
nlfaeoesi hall0-o there ] never
Ii7 see the beat ont! It's gone, clear
as 3 Hhistle!" sAa
eStoH Il Iii seTeauled his wife, put