The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-08-13
For Young Readers.
from BRoRMs FREEDOM


TOM BROWNS FREEDOM
Tom Brown was an urchin just eight sum
But the heart of the wee little man was as
bold
As If ho we're twice that age,
And his muscles were strong and his due
And his brave little heart was as merry and
light
Now Tom had been reading, as every boy
should,
II OF Washington, Warren and Lee;
And the Fourth Of July-it was now near
hand
Was the day the glad sound had rung oui
through the land: w
1--WE are freel we are freel We are freeF
Now Tom got to thinking how grand 1t would
Like the patriot heroes he loved to be free
Twas too bad TO be kept so at home.
There were lots OF nice boys In the streetS 1us'
below, . - -
And they had such good timesl He did wish
he could go
And the wide world along with them roam
Then all of O sudden, one morning in bed,
"A brilliant idea popped right into his head,
I And he laughed out aloud In his glee;
when Liberty triumphed, he'd up and away,
10 dwell independent and free.
And so Master Tommy, when no one was by,
Slipped out through the gate on that fourth
Of July,
And thus was he EARNED and equipped:
Three packs of fire-crackers, long stick OF
punk,
"A huge slice of gingerbread, plenty OF
And dime in his hand tightly grlpped.
Our hero marched on through the din and the
heat,
Pill he entered at last, by mere chance, side
street,
Where crowd of rough boys were at play
Twas tenement quarter, low, dirty and
And the rabble of gamins, hard-featured and
Were keeping ''the Fourth" in their way.
!.Ah, those sharp-wltted Arabs! how quickly
What sort Of boy Tom wasl Around him they
drew,
And TO chair him began. "Hullo, Bubl
Docs yer mar know ye're outr' "Where'd ye
git yer nice clo'esr'
'oh, amt he daisyp'-so the mochlng talk
goes
"say give us hunk O. yer grub"
In jIGy his packs of fre-crackers were
His pockets S5,, we're rihod. his gingerbread
And his clean clo,hes were all in a muss.
Then they daubed him with mud till he looked
like fright,
And shouted in giee at his pitiful plight;
Now, sonny, ye're like one OF us.
But Tom had the "spirit of seventy-six,"
And finding himself in SO sorry fix,
Struck out like a man, might and main.
But the battle was sorely unequal; In spite
or his stout little fists and high courage the
fight
Must have proved in tho end all in vain.
Just then rose a cry: Cops a-comIn'i' Away
Sped the feet-footed Arabs like night before
day.
And Tom stSod alone in tho street.
Look a-here, you young scamp-Oh! arc you
Tommy Brown
I'm in luck. Why, the whole force is scourin
the town,
And here you are, right on my beatl"
Poor Toni What pitiful SIGHT to behold
Was he-not a bit like his "herOes OF old
As homeward he llmped, sad and sorel
His face was all swollen, his right arm was
hurt,
And he'd ne'er felt so wretohed before.
And when, warm bath and apoultlco ap
piled,
Tom drowsily said: 'Now see
II may have been good for the heroes of old
TO be free, for they were men. mighty ant
bold,
But il isn't good thing for me-
"No, Tom" said his mother, "mistaken again
True freedom is good both for boys and fol
men,
AS your heroes--and mine-clearly saw;
But they knew-and the truth Is worth learn
ing, my boy
The freedom that's good for us all TO enjoy
Is Liberty gOrerued bU lar"
Thomas 0dkcs CondNt, IN HdrpeTs YottnG
pcODlg.