The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-10-18
For Young Readers.
TOM BROWNS FREEDOM.


mers old.
But the heart of the wee little man was as
bold
As if ne were twice that age,
And his muscles were strong and his blue
eyes were bright,
And his brave little heart was as merry and
tight
As bird let loose from its cage.
Now Tom had been reading, as every boy
should,
or the glorious deeds of the brave and the
OF Washington, Warren and Lee;
And the Fourth of JuIy-it was now near at
hand
Was the day the glad sound had rung out
through the land:
I'VE are free we are free! we are free."
Now Tom got to thinking how grand it 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 just
below,
And they had such good times! He did wish
he could go
And the wide world along with them roam
Then all of sudden, one morning in bed,
brilliant idea popped right into his head,
And he laughed out aloud in his glee;
On the Fourth of July, at the breaking of day.
when Liberty trfumpbed, he'd up and away,
To dwell independent and free.
And so Master Tommy, when no one was by,
slipped out through the gate on that Fourth
And thus was he EARNED and equipped":
Three packs OF fire-crackers, long stick of
punk
A huge slice of gingerbread. plenty of
'spunk,"
And dime in his hand tightly gripped
Our hero marched on through the din and the
heat.
Till he entered at last by mere chance. side
Where a crowd of rough boys were ut play.
Twas tenement quarter. low. dirty and
And the rabble of gamins. Manufactured and
keen,
Were keeping "the Fourth" in their way.
All, those sharp-witted Arabs! how quickly
What sort of boy Tom was Around him they
drew,
, And to chat him began. "Hnllo, Bnbi
Does yer mar ri know yere outT' "where'd We
'Oh, amt he daisy $50 the mocking talk
goes
SAY give us hunk o. yer grub"
In jiry his packs of fire-crackers were
grabbed,
His pockets s, were rifed. his gingerbread
And his clean clothes were all in muss.
Then they daubed him with mud till he looked
like fright,
And shouted in giee at his pitiful plight:
Nov, sonny. vel re like one of u.s.
But Tom had the .spirit of seveuty-six,"
And finding himself In SO sorry n fix,
Struck out like man. might and main.
But the battle was sorely unequal: in spite
OF his stout little fists and high courage, the
fight
Must have proved in the end all in vain.
Just then rose a cry: Cops a-comin'!" Away
Sped the fieet-foOted Arabs like night before
And Tom stood alone in the street.
Look a-here, you young seamp-Oh! are you
Tommy Brown
I'm In luck. Why, the whole force is scourin'
the town,
And here you are, right ON my beatl'
Poor Tom! What pitiful SIGHT to behold
Was he-not bit like his heroes of old
As homeward he limped, sad and sorel
His face was all swollen, his right arm was
hurt,
His jacket was torn and despatched with dirt
And he'd ne'er felt SO wretched before.
And when, warm bath and poultice ap-
piled.
He lay in his bed his dear mother beside,
Tom drowsily said: Now see:
Il may have been good for the heroes OF old
To be free, for they were men, mighty and
But it isn't good thing for me-"
mo, Tom said his mother, mistaken again.
True freedom is good both for boys and for
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
lis Liberty gorerned By law.''
-Ihomas Dukes Conant. IN Hdrper's Young
People.