The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-08-09
For Young Readers.
RON BROWNS FREEDOM


Tom Brown was an sr,hin iuss eight sum-
But the heart of the wee little man was AZ
bold
As IL no were twice that age.
And his muscles were strong and his blue
eyes were bright
And his brave little heart was as merry and
As a bird lot loose from its cage.
Now Tom had been reading, as every BOY
OF the glorious deeds of tho brave and tho
OF Washington. warren and Lee;
And the Fourth OF Juy--it was now near AZ
hand
Was tho day the. glad sound had rung out
through the land:
1--WE are free we are freol we are frce,"
Now Tom got to thinking how grand IL would
Like the patriot horoes no loved 10 he free--
Twas too bad to be kept so nt home.
There were lots Of nice hoys in the streets Just
And they had such good times He did wish
And the wide world along with them roam.
Then all of a sudden, one morning In bod.
A brilliant idea popped right into his head,
And he laughed out aloud In his glec;
On the Fourth of July, at the breaking of day,
When Liberty triumphed, he'd up and away,
To dwell independent and free.
Slipped out through the gate on that Fourth
And thus was he "armcd and equipped,
Three packs of tire-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 tho
heat,
TIL 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 oamins, Manufactured and
keen,
All, those sharp-wittod Arabsl how quickly
they knew
What sort OF boy Tom vast Around him they
drew.
Am And to chat him began. ~, "Hao, y pnb -
..1, git yer nice clo'esY'
"oh, amt no a daIsyl"-so the mocking talk
ssay give MS hunk o yer grub"
In i IaE,a his packs Of frc-craokers were
His pockets .saSns, we're rihed' his gingerbread
And his clean co.hes were all in a muss.
Then they daubed him with mud till he looked
And shouted ia ia CLEO at his pitiful plight:
Now, sonny, ye're like one OF US.
But Tom had tho spirit of seventysix,"
And finding himself In SO sorry fix,
Struck out like a man, might and main.
But the battle was sorcly unequal: In spite
or his stout little fists and high courage, the
fight
Must have proved In the end ail In vain.
Just then rose cry: Cops a-comn'i' Away
Sped the fleet-footed Arabs like night before
day,
And Tom stood alone in the street.
Look a-here' you young ssamp-oh. are you
I'm In luck. Why, thu whole force is scourin'
the town,
And here you are, right on my beat'
Poor Toni What pitlful sight to behold
Was he-not u bit like his heroes OF old
As homeward he limped, sad and sore!
His face was all swollen, his right arm was
hurt,
His jacket was torn and despatched with dirt,
And he'd nc'er felt so wretched before.
And when, warm bath and poulticc ap.
He lay in his bed his dear mother beside,
Tom drowsily said: "Eow i soc:
1t may have been good for the heroes OF old
To be free, for they were men, mighty and
bold,
But it isn't good thing for me-"
"No, Tom" said his mother, mistaken again.
True freedom is good both for boys and for
As your heroes mlne--clearly saw;
But they knew-and the truth is worth learn
ing, my boy
is Ibertu aoperned Gw ia,o.'' 20 ~ - '"'o'
Thomas Cakes Condnt, IN Hafpcrs Young
People