The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-07-16
THE WAY WE CELEBRATE.

A'iA sOO CbCA ICA1uCEASCiy lOOh al
around and all through a Fourth of
July celebration What a mixture
See the beauty and the homiliness
intelligence and ignorance; good
and evil; piety and wickedness !;
soberness and drunkenness. There
is praying, swearing, speaking,
dancing, riding, walking, spouting,
talking, firting, sparkling, sultry-
ness, iciness, hungering, thirsting,
eating aud drinking. o it's glorious
day, and we have grand time cele-I
brating it. One has to see, hear and
feel, to appreciate its beauties and
glories. After few weeks earnest
preparation, the grand day dawns,
amid Kissing, swapping, popping fire
crackers and roaring snvils, upon
the "best country God ever made"
There are fiags on the houses, este
posts, across the streets, on the wag-
Ons, horses, in the hands of boys
and girls-fags everywhere. What
u world of fiaggy patriotism; o, it's
glorious!
In little time after the sun begins
10 shine holly over "the land of the
free and the home of the brave"
teams of every sort, size and color,
rugged with harness of endless va
riety, hitched to buggies, sulkies,
wagons and carts. many of them in
describable; loaded with men and
women, shouting lads and lasses,
laughing and crying babies, begin
to head toward the "leafy grove"
where the old eagle is to be pluck
ed by some roaring orator, and eY-
erybody is to have good time. Ey-
erybody happy now.
About eleven O'Clock, when the
sun begins to shine down with
straight fury upon our heads, the
footing horns and beating drums
call the crowd together. Then amid
the fixing of fire crackers, neighing
of horses, braying of donkeys, bark
ing and growing of dogs, the "chap-
lain of the day" proceeds to deliver
a long, sanctimonious, patriotic
prayer tO-a very few devout per-
sons. More music by the band. No
very unhappy ones yet.
Now look out. The chairman in
PRODUCES the eloquent orator of the
day." who bows gracefully to his
"fellow citizens" and proceeds on a
very high key, to read a somewhat
elaborate history of the United
States TO a hungry, thirsty, tanning
crowd of patriots. The orator roars
and scars, labors and sweats over his
huge manuscript for an hour and
a-half to hearers who will go away
and declare they were bored. Poor
fellowl always pity poor Fourth
of July orator.
A little after one o'clock p. NJ, the
crowd is dismissed to partake of a
picnic dinner. The good time has
come. Now the bread and rolls, beef
aud ham, pies and "chicken fixings,"
fruit, candy, ice-cresm, lemonade,
etc., is used up in lively manner.
The Fourth comes but once a year,
aad everyone eats his best. Every
body is in good humor now.
Two O'Clock. Music by the band.
Toasls-short prayer : dozy after
dinner speeches. few more fire
crackers. Loving couples saunter
aud simper. Mothers begin to COM
plain of WEAKNESS. Girls who are
without beaux wish they were at
home. Babies begin to cry in chorus.
Some men are feeling q 'Iittle how
come you So" A few men are quite
drunk. A few righteous ones are
vexed at the dancing and drunken
ness. The crowd begins TO dispense.
A little while before night the most
OF the patriots are at home, tired,
dusty, and thoroughly disgusted. A
large majority are now ready to
vote the whole celebration bore.
The most of them swear they will
never go TO another.
But just wait until the next Fourth
aud you will see them turn out as
before, to enjoy and endure as be-
fore; to return home disgusted as
before, to make and break vows as
before.
And thus, "while wood grows and
water runs" will we celebrate the
GLORIOUS Fourth" &. X. Il.