The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-07-14

stock" and | have been around to Dor
row the book, to read the directions over
again, because | was afraid about the
paste going off READ THIS QUICKLY
and tell me: Where is tie illuminating
pGSte?"
Solomon John was busy winding some
covers of paper over little parcel 1t
contained chlorate Of potash and sulphur
mixed. A friend had told him of the
composition The more thicknesses of
paper you put around it the louder it
would 60 off. You must pound it with
a hammer Solomon John felt it must
be perfectly safe, as his mother had taken
potash for medicine
He still held the parcel as he read from
Agamemnon's book: "This paste, when
1t has lain together about twenty-six
hours, will Of itself take fire, and burn all
the sulphur away with blue flame and
bad smell
Where is the paste?" repeated Solo
mon John, in terror.
We made it about twenty-six hours
| ago." said Agamemnon.
We put it on the piazza" exclaimed
solomon John, rapidly recalling the
facts, land it is in front of mothers
feetw
He fastened to snatch the paste away
before it should take fire, fiinging aside
the packet in his hurry. Agamemnon,
jumping upon the piazza at the same mo-
ment, trod upon the paper parcel, which
exploded at once with the shock, and he
fell to the ground, while at the same mo-
ment the paste Illuminated" into a blue
flame directly in front of Mrs. Peterkin!
1t was moment of great confusion
There were cries and screams. The
bells were still ringing, the cannon firing,
and Mr.. Peterkin had just reached the
closing words: "Our lives, our fortunes,
and our sacred honor"
owe are all blown up, as l feared we
should be" Mrs. Peterkin at length vent
ured to say, finding herself in lilac-bush
by the side of the piazza. She scarcely
dared to open her eyes to see the scat
tered limbs about her.
1t was so with all Even Ann Maria
Bromwich clutched pillar of the piazza,
with closed eyes.
At length Mr.. Peterkin said, calmly:
"ls anybody killed."
There was no reply. Nobody could
tell whether it was because everybody
was killed, or because they were too
wounded to answer. 1t was a great
while before Mrs. Peterkin ventured to
move.
But the little boys soon shouted with
Joy and cheered the success of Solomon
Johns fire works, and hoped he had some
more. One of them had his face black
ened by an unexpected cracker, and
Elizabeth Elizas muslin dress was burned
here and there. But no one was hurt;
no one had lost any limbs, though Mrs.
Peterkin was sure she had seen some
flying in the air Nobody could under
stand how, as she had kept her eyes
firmly shut.
No greater accident had occurred than
the singeing of the tip of Solomon Johns
nose. But there was an unpleasant and
terrible odor from the Illuminating
paste"
Mrs Peterkin was extricated from the
lilac bush. No one knew how she got
there. Indeed, the laundering noise had
stunned everybody. 1t had reused the
neighborhood even more than before.
Answering explosions came on every
side, and, though the sunset light had not
faded away, the little boys FASTENED to
send off rockets under cover of the con-
fusion. Solomon Johns other fireworks
would not go. But all felt that he had
done enough.
Mrs. Peterkin retreated into the par
lor, deciding she really did have head
ache. At times she had to come out
when a rocket went off, to see if it was
one of the little boys. She was ex-
hausted by the adventures of the day,
and almost thought it could not have
been worse if the boys had been allowed
gunpOwder. The distracted lady was
thankful there was likely to be but one
Centennial Fourth in her life.t time, and
declared she should never more keep
anything in the house as dangerous as
saltpetered beef, and she should never
venture to take another spoonful of pot
ash.-St. Nicholas far July.
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