The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1882-07-28
now THEY DIDN'T GET BURNED
On THE FOURTH.

now THEY DIDN'T GET BURNED
On THE FOURTH.
..No.~ said Mrs. Binklcy. decided
IL. .-you must not so OF lire
crackers in the house nor in the yard.
resolved when Mr.. Walkers house was
burned last Fourth Of JULY never TO allow
any more of this heathenish. dangerous
playing with ire on my premises. and
your father feels just As ! do. The
house has just been painted and paper
ed. and can't afford 70 have II burned
down.
Mrs Binkley's word was law in the
Binkley family: and upon hearing her
manifesto. Cy. Bert and lizzie. the three
well Binkley children. put on counte-
nances expressive Of the deepest Woe
Elm big enough. guess" pro-
tested Cy. who was fourteen. and large
for his are.
~ never SEE anything On fire yet. !"
boosted Bert, a Younger Brother with the
air of one advancing an unanswerabIc
..Oh. motherr' walled little lizzie.
:. its TOO bud Uncle Harry would say
50. too
Eddie. the lame boy. who was nearly
twelve wears old. though he hardly
looked nine. sat perfectly silent. with
the tears coming down his thin. patient
checks Eddie had been s.lotting' On
firing OF the crackers. more. perhaps.
than any Of the rest Of them. He had
fallen dovn-sfairs when he was learn
ing to walk. and the fall had changed
him from healthy. weil-f0rincd child 10
poor mi<shapen. lame little invalid: but
he had beautiful. angelic sort II face.
and in spite Of the fact that he was 50
helpless. and that they all had 10 wait
on him great deal. the other little
Binkleys loved Eddie more than any
body else in the world.
- did Mrs Binkley: and when she
glanced up q Ter delivering her stern
veto she saw Esldie's ~orrowfsil face AMI
overliowing eyes. and her heart melted.
/ She thought moment, and then she be-
! gan. doubtfnlly:
.Thercs the month Of the brook.
children. II You would look carefully
( after Eddie and lizzie. Cyrus. suppose
that you might let OF your crackers
there. Only Won must b. very careful
I not 10 set yourselves on fire. There
were several burned 70 death lat
\ Fourth 81 July from sitting down on
\ haIf-burncd crackers. and shall worry
over Won till Won come back he sure.
all 81 you. not y throw any iirc-crackers
\ in Eddie's direction; for Eddie. you
\ know. cant run away"
\ Little Eddic's pale face had grown
very br ght while his mother was speak
I ing. and a. she finished. ~ hobblcd over
\ 70 her side on his crutches, and kissed
her. gratefully
You zee. n continued Mrs. Binkley.
catching her poor sick boy in her arms
and caressing him tcnderly, mamma
j. cruel 10 be kind. Burns cause such
terrible suffering that she had asked
papa not o ret The children any ire
crackers nor fireworks this year. hut
since Uncle Harry has sent You that
great package feel q though ought.
perhaps. % LEI yon have them And
now hope you'll enjoy them and not
gut hurt You can ask Horace and Sn-
Sic Bell 70 ~ with you, and stay down
By the brook Till every single fire crack
er j. used up"
The ch;ldrrn made innumcrable prom
is and rnn 70 make arrangements
ior ~ grand tournament q che next
day.
1.-THE brook was one u those shal.
low. rapid little streams that abound in
New England. and the river into which
il empticd. just II the foot of The blink
leys' beautiful meadow, though cons a
crablv wider. was scarcely deeper: q
that Mrs Binkley fen pretty sure that
the children wouldn' tget drowned while
PLAYING down there. especially wher
cyrus and Horace were with them fol
they were large enough 90 De trusted Z
good deal She did not like 50 well 4
have them play IL the milI-pond- only I
little way above the mouth Of the brook
This was very deep. and was kept 80 b
high dam. which served the purpose!
a. the busy saw-milI just On The othcI
side d The stream, and concealed from
the view Of any one q the mouth Of chi
brook By trjting bend IN the current
but The Binkleys loved % sit when Il
mcditariyc mood O the stony bcacI
there, and watch the spray and foam
from the dam. which. a. Il fell over
mass a rocks below. they could just ~
around the bend
The DAY before tho Fourth WIS YER
rainy. and al night long. whenever Oh
children woke up. they heard the pa
tcr. pa<ier of the drops falling on Cd
rp0f. Their hearts sank. They fcarc
that even their last resource was g0in
y. til sL~~n ~wk.< ..r..1~f--n. fhnr -