National Republican., 1875-07-05
tFor the National Republiesn.l
Indeuendenes Day-July 4, 1875.

When ycu and were boys - e
That Independence Day began
With such aroaring noise.
AT peep O. day, you reeollect,
We rammed the old tnsee;
Tie blunderbuss and kings arm, too,
Was charged for you and me.
The muzzles rested on the fence
The trigger pulled-Bangl such kick,
Hoorayi the boys all chimed.
Oh wasn't 1t glorious, Jolly fun,
When heels rolled over head,
with Jackets smooched and trowsers tefa,
All In the garden-bed?
Who cared for dirt or smut that then
BegIimed our face and eyes2.
The glorious Fourth, you know, my friend,
And When the sun. With smiling face.
First tipped the hills with gold -
How rang the bells with merry peal
The chime SO often told.
Twas then the cannon thundered out
An echo far and wide
bold salute for every State.
With liberty TO guide.
And when We spat upon our hands
Then mixed It into solid shape
For fuses, just like dough;
The little cannon quick brought out,
Rammcd home the cartridge well,
Clappcd on the fuse, then touched fnd-run!
Ph-tE-z! Oh, wasn't Il 2 sell
Flash In the pan, aHd so
Some one would cautiously creep back,
With match TO touch and CO.
Not matches such as now are used,
But tboee with steel and fiint
And tinder-boX, with rags well Ournedf
And bfimstone, with pine splint. -.
Then how the Stars and Stripes ran mp,
With pennon streaming long,
Frem asthead truck and wide yard-arn.
Prom ioW.tSstcssd q root and low'rins spire,
&C Ger gstswsy, WindsSM, door,
With cannon's eohoing roar
Twas thus the glorious Fourth began
when we TS we're 81 BOYS: s 61s, then, It seems
As though . were but just now.
How eagerly the morning meal
We swallowed, well you know,
with appetite and relish keen, e
And faces all aglows
For now the FIRST salute was OR,
With tidy clothes, and clean,
We IN procession, old and young,
Mafch'd 10 the common green,
To hear tn oration from such men
As Webster. Adams, Clay
With Everett, Choate, and many more
The Declaration always read,
Apo glorious anthem sung
BY choir, and congregation too
For Joy, with heart and tongue;
which being DER, We marched again
Around the common green,
With stirring sound OF drum and hfe. ...
To zee, and 70 be seen.
And then the noon salute pealed ont,
With bells and cannon's boom,
Torpedocs, crackers, Kissing fuse,
And everything had room.
A clear, cool dralght from well or spring
Suf1ced to slake the thirst,
With lemonade, spruce beer, or milk,
In cooling stream immersed;
And at the puriing, limpid brook,
Were We full oft enticed
To 90, and scoop up with our hands
A drink-but never iced
For who then thought Of having ice
On Independerce Day?
BY keIp ping that which winter made
Would suUsmer melt away. .r-
The clean. white, tidy cloth
YVES sprsaa for an-Ione could refuse
With beans and buns, nice ham ssndRiched,
Hard cider. doughnuts, cheese,
Btcetera, prepared at home,
Moisssss ISa S"s candy nd By ti The yard, ard
Or pans OF gingerbread N
With hard. boiled eggs; cent apiece,
And rich, with poor and old and young,
Partook Of common JOY,
On this the Nations holiday,
As yet without alloy.
For never, as the years rolled round,
On Independence Day,
Was known o time Of cloud or storm,
And though twas warm, it mattsred not.
With vigor, nerve and will,
In so participating all
With pleasure. pie astng I'LL.
In cooling shade, on messy ground,
Meath srbor tree, or bower,
The old and young, with grave and gay,
.Watch'd for the sunset hour. - 80
And then, again, the cannon's peal,
With musket and fusee,
And merry bells, with lowering fags,
But though the twilight linger'd slow,
Behind the setting sun,
And timid bird its nest OFT sought,
The day was not yet done; 80
For as the calm portends the storm
In sHltry summers ray, sr-..-.
So in the luil 'tvixt light and DARK
On this the Nations day.
The crieket's chirP. with beetles hum,
And cootng turtle dove,
With loving kline and droning bee
Was heard, as homeWard move
Old age and child hood, hand In hand,
Both wearied with the day,
Yet telling DER the ofttold tale,
In gr1ndpa's wondrous way,
or Washington and Bunker Hill,
Grape, canister and shell;
Advance, retreat and sudden flank,
That then their lot oefell.
But not with youth and manhood 90.
Hark! bursting In the afr,
The kissing rockets, high aloft,
In graceful curves appear,
With fiery train and sparkling shower
And Roman candles, Bengal lights,
That closed the days adieu;
For not till midnight hour was past
Had srdor weaIied grown.
But ammunition gone, twas clear
'Twere wise TO part and own
Ano.her patriotic day
A Nations Jubilee
That all had celt brated we'll
And let the record be-. .r-.
And 50, reluctantly, the thronG "
Dispersed-with Elsdsome hearts
In various comments on the day
And pyrotechnic arts
Each to their happy homes and rest
That tird nature Graves,
Where mind and body, overtaxed,
Recuperattpg saves
Disssse-snd IuiI'd 70 sleep, in dreams
Reiterates the scenes
So ardently enjoyed by all
In various wayt and means.
And thus Il was long time ago,
In good old-fashioned way,
That mem'ry tells Of happy times
On Independence Day.