The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-07-04
The BOYS Fourth Of July.

1t seemed as though it would never
come. He commenced figuring on il
Immediately after he had gotten well
from overeating at Christmas.
At school, during the latter part Of
winter and through the spring, he
solaced himself with the reflection that
it was coming.
Once he was going around through
an allev to look for another boy, when
ne got nipped by dog. He nowled
some, but tue pain was instantly ame~
lioratei as he happened to think OF the
Fourth of July. Another time a big
boy lured him around on vacant lot
under a pretense OF showing him a
leather jack.knife, and then proceeded
to knock off his hat, punch him in the
eve, and to give him several kicks IN
miscellaneous localities, and all tor the
pretended reason that he had told Jim
Snaffles that the biz boy wasn't nice
Teller.
The Boy had prolonged howl over
this new visitation. He first thought
he would go and get pas revolver. and
shoot the big boy 'ull Of bullets. Then
he wished he had big dog, so wnen
he said Sick 'em!" would fly at the
boy and tear all the hinder part of his
clothes off. And then other furious
schemes of revenge presented them
selves. which were all suddenly cut
snort by his happening to think that
Fourth OF July was coming.
The last tour weeks which preceded
the national anniversary were over
two years long. Whenever it was
morning he wished it was night, and
when it was night he wished it was the
next morning. The most of this month
he spent in flattening his nose against
the show windows OF toy shops where
there were fireworks. He shyly cult
waited the acquaintance OF a young man
in one OF Them, and with him held ire
uuent and earnest interviews in regard
TO the merits OF torpedoes, crackers,
skv-rockets, and small! cannon.
Often during this month, as he passed
along the street, he would straighten
ont his ioretingerli like gun barrel, ele>
vate his thumb as though it were a
hammer, aud Their take long and dead
~ aim al some cat as she picked her
way up an alley, frightened her at last
into a tail swollen scamper with a
vicious and explosive "cLickbaag"
How slowly the hours dragged
away! The boy didn't care to play
short stop in the Sucking Nine any
longer. He had rather 90 over and
talk with the shopboy about fireworks,
and to geze into muzzles OF infant can
non that were arranged in battery IN
the royshop window.
And by degrees there came into his
mind the tremendous conception that
maybe his pa would buy him a cannon
Tor the Fourth The enormous weight
OF the idea staggered him. That very
night, with all the sagaciy OF veteran,
he began TO open parallels against the
paternal citadel. No direct assault for
him. He felt that the undertaking was
a esperate one, and that 1t must be
achieved only by an expenditure OF
enormous strategy, great patience, and
no end of genius.
And so that very night he commenced
operations by talking long and earnest
~ to the maternal relative about such
beautiful cannon as there was in Mrs.
Popbangs window.
And the ground was broken for the
first parallel.
Tue work went on. The next day,
and the next, the same relative was
treated to much interesting informa.
ton about ordnance. Tins year cannon
WAS so much cheaper than ever they
was before. And then she never would
believe how safe they was. They were
lust as strong, and she couldn't bust
one OF them no more than she could
the-the-the-and here the boy being
at a loss Tor some article OF tremendous
cohesive qualities, finished by saying
,he-anylhing. Such cannon! On,
nv, and she never saw anything like
il in all her liie
Aud thus the parallels went on.
The approaches grew nearer. One
dav, the maternal relative was treated
to the startling information that Jimmy
Ducks, who amt only two years oldern
me, was agolng TO have a cannon for
the Fourth and hull pound Of pow
der! SO many Of the boys was agolng
to have cannon and all the powder
they was mind to.
And now it was time to erect q bat
terry. One day there came shot hurt
ling over Into the camp of the besieged,
greatly TO their unbounded astonsh-
ment. The arttul besieger had gotten
his first gun into position, aud had
opened after this wise: One afternoon,
the Boy astonished everybody by ling
good Tor thirty seven consecutive min
utes, and then with fiutrering heart,
pronounced as to whether Ma thought,
IN case he was real good all the time
Tor a year, Pa wouldn't buy him a
cannon tor the Fourth ? All! most
momentous OF queries, aud what worlds
of interest hung upon lis decision.
O.. course the maternal relative said
no, with Instant determination that no
such awful thing could be possible I'M
der any circumstances. Narrowing re-
tails were gwen of little boys whose
ewes had all been blown out OF their
heads; and of other little boys who had
had their innocent legs shot oil; and how
bad their mas telt, and cried over them,
and all that.
No garris m surrenders at the first
summons. The siege went on, and In
time the maternal out-works capitulated,
and then the boy occupied them with
drums beating and flags flying glorious.
ly in the air of breezy triumph. In all
Il 4 ~