Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-07-11
4ER Pa, WEDNESDAY, JULY II. 1883

stairs; the mischief that these boys
do get into on he Fourth of July'
Breakfast over, Mr.. Johnston betoo
himse elf to his Office, while his wife,
having seen to Toms ankle and her
usual household duties, repaired to her
room and sat down to sewing.
The day was dry and sultry; the
streets full of people and equipages
noise and dust everywhere. Several
detachments of military passed, wit
drums and brass instruments, ATTENDED,
by crowds of hurrahing men and boys
Various carriage professions also went
past, on their way to celebrate the day
il some neighboring country-place,
raising clouds Of fine, suffocating dust,
which penetrated through closed door,
and windows, and filled the house with
a choking atmosphere.
Guns and pistols were fired, tin-trum-
pets blown, and the explosion of fire.
crackers was heard on every hand.
Sick with the noise and heat, with
aching head and eyes, Mrs. Johnston
lay on her lounge, from which she was
aroused by the following special dis
patch from her husbands Office:
Going u brine home Cousin John and his
boys, and Judge Tomlin. Have good di ner.'
Mrs. Johnston sank back on the
lounge is despair There was cold
meat for the family-dinner, for Bridget
had insisted upon half holiday, and
she now, upon being appealed to, de-
clared that she had mo notion of GEL
ting up dinner for company at this
hour, which would leave her no time
to see the parades, or to take her 'tay'
at Cousin Moriarty's, where she was
promised
Finally, she was bribed to 60 around
to the nearest butchers for porter
house steak, and to call at the con-
fectioner's with an order for cake and
ice-cream, and at the bakers for tarts !;
with which, and the cold veal and
plenty of salads, the company must be
| content.
At any other time, Mrs. Johnston
| would have been glad to receive them ;
but now she caught herself wondering
why people will come into town from
the country on the Fourth of July, of
all days in the year
Bridget returned from her errand,
red-hot and out of temper. She de-
clared that she had been to forty
butchers and bakers, and none of the
former had meat fit to eat, because, it
being the Fourth of July, all the choice
pieces had been already disposed Of.
| And the confectioners had declared
that, owing to its being the Fou sh,
they were unable to fill all their orders
for ice-cream.
In short, nothing was to be had ex-
cept a couple Of greasy-looking pies,
with Clipped edges, which she had
brought home and she declared that
for neither love nor money would she
venture out again this hot, dusty day,
except to her Cousin Moriarty's.
Mrs. Johnston rceigned berselfto tho
situation, and with the cold veal, some
nicely made salads, and her own choice
preserves, laid the table with what was
properly luncheon, aud awaited tn
arrival of her husband and his guests
They came in due time, hot anu
tired, but good-natured, and, with tn
exception of the host, willing to accep,
any excuse for the dinner. He was
disappointed on his friends account
and mortified on his own; and this adj
ed to the discomfort OF his wife.
She had been compelled to doff her
cool muslin morning dress and now,
in stiff and tight dress, and with
aching eyes and throbbiug head. she
sat for whole hour of that sultry,
suffocating day, performing the duties
of hostess. To add to her uneasiness,
Richard had not returned home, and
she feared that he, too, might have got
himself into M chief.
What relief it was when, leaving
the gentlemen to their claret, she at
length retreated to her room, and lay
down Tor little rect Scarcely, how
ever, had she clo-ed her eyes, when
she started up with scream, as a
large torpedo exploded against the wall
above her head !
tom = she called ..'om the window.
| L
to hear her. Despite his lameness, he
and his young visitors, Cousin Johns
boys, were engaged in fierce battle,
across the garden-wall, with the juv-
emile Hicks tribe.
Each party considered that the other
had no right to make use of the wall
for firework display, and the result had
been q mutual defiance, followed by a
bonabardment of, at first, torpedoes, and
then pieces of brickbat, until at length
simultaneous yell of agony from one
J of the parties on either side, called the
elders to the rescue, and put o speedy
end to the battle.
The wounded were borne off, and
Mrs Johnston again had her medical
talents called into requisition, in BATH
ing and binding up the head of one Of
Cousin Johns boys. While thus eG-
gagged, it occurred to her that she had
not see the little ones, Aleck and Fred,
dy in the yard, and she inquired where
they were.
Tom didn't know; but he went down
to look for them, and returned with
the information that they were no.
where to be found on the place, and
that the side e was open. In fac,
he confessed to having left it open when
he and the boys went to see the City
Guard pass, in their new uniform, and
with their new drum, and Aleck and
Freddy had been standing at the gate
then. He didn't remember to have
seen them since.
Mr.. Johnston, being informed, in
stantly started in search of the miss 3
children, while their mother, with hOr-
rible visions of her darlings being
stolen or run over, or knocked down
and trampled upon by the crowd, spent
ei hour of unspeakable agony. The
gr sts had also volunteered in the
| caorch opd oha was alone in the hons a