The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-08-13
TAKING His PLACE.

"Oh, Charlie! Why did you do it?
On my birthday too! l am so sorry,
for now you will miss all the fun of the
Fourth" And as she spoke, Mary sat
down dangling her broad hat by one
string, and looked disconsolately at her
brother, who had been sent to bed as a
punishment. .... ...
"How was l to know that just little
bunch of fire-crackers like that was 60.
ing to smash the goblet? I did not
think it would do anything but just lift
1t up some" .."" 70.
"Who told you to do such thing,
Charlie?'
Nobody; thought of it myself. Oh
dear! / wish l had a grandma, or an
cunt, or somebody like that!'
"What for, Charlie? am sure no.
body could be half as good as mamma
II like grandmas and aunts. Eddie
Bates has grandmamma, and she al
ways gets him out of scrapes; and Tom
Taylor has IN aunt that does lots of
things for him. People ought not to
get married if they don't have mothers
and sisters to make grandmas aud
aunts for fellows who are always get
ting blamed for nothing at ALL"
"But, Charlie. you did break the
glass"
: "No. l didn't either; the fire. crack
ers broke it. Oh, dear! dear! I wish
there wasn't any Fourth Of July, nor
fire-crackers, nor nothing! What's the
use of fre-crackers, if q fellow can't
fire them Off 1t was real mean to let
me spend all my money on fire-crack-
ers, and .hen not let me have any fun
with them. There 8 my pin.wheel, too.
l promised Bates to fasten it to the top
of the highest clothes-pole in his back
yard tonight. - 81.
II am so sorry, Charlie dear'' ia,
"And, Mary, am so dreadfully hot.
have got a raging fever; l know l
have" ~. stn.a. .,es.. =.
"Why do ounotsay youare sorry?"
suggested Mary. 80. s@f a,r'- 81
"'Didn'tl say so?-over, and over,
and over. And father just said he
thought bed was the best place for
boys who exploded iire-crackers under
goblets. If was a father, and wanted
to kill boy, I'd do it out and out, and
not roast him to death in bed on a
Fourth of July. wouldn't for millions
Of dollars send poor boy to bed on his
sisters eighth birthday But what
particular attention was due to his Sis
ter's eighth birthday Charlie did not ex-
plain. a.l al Hs,0 ,e.9
"You knew the crackers would break
the goblet" .g u- . -
"No, l didn't; never saw them
smash one. Didn't they bang. thought
And at the recollection Charles eyes
grew bright, and adelighted expression
illumined his somber little face. The
next moment, however, he was crying
bitterly; and Mary, having watched
him moment, ran down stairs. just in
time to stop her father as he was going
| out. ~ .n,ara .n .i 80.
"Papa, please forgive Charlie. He
is SO sorry, and he wants to 90 out 50
much!' lIl.'Dt. Ert
HE must have a lesson, Mary, that
will teach him not to be 50 destructive. ="
But he added, smiling, i" If you choose
to take his place, Charlie may 60 out. "
Mary bounded away to her brother
room. Papa says You may 60 out,
Charlie. Get up, dear ...
Charlie needed no second bidding,
and he asked no questions. Five min
utes later he was explaining to Eddie
Bates the principles upon which he had
blown goblet all to smithereens in his
back yard.
What a glorious Fourth it was!
Charlie did not 20 home until tea-time.
He would not have gone then, but that
his pin-wheel and the rockets were
under his clean shirts in the bottom
drawer of his bureau, and must be gone
for.
Up stairs he ran. as gay as cricket
and burst into his room. Let me see
they are in this one. Bother! Where
did l put them?" ... .y -.
"What are you looking for, Charlie?
"What are you doing in bedP"
" :. Tai Z: your place."
"Papa said if 1 would take you
place, YOU might 60 out; and girls d
not care much abont the Fourth 0
Jnlv nsaid Mary. Cheerily.