The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-06-25
THE FOURTH OF July At EAGLES.
WILLIE.

tEBIALs
Eaglesyille intended TO celebrate its
Fourth OF July in what the committee of
arrangements announced in Tie Weekly
Trumpet, as "a fit and appropriate man
nor" There was to be a procession from
the brick church to Thomson's grove, COM
prising Sunday school scholars in blue
carriage. young people of both sexes on
horseback, dignitarics on wheels, no end of
banners, and plenty of drumming and
bngling.
At the grove there were to be fine doings.
Lawyer Richard was to read the Declara-
tion of independence. Three other village
notables were to make speeches. To be
sure, they would be very long and very
dull speeches, but the citizens Of Eagles
Vile were most lcnient critics. They took
a common pride in knowing that they had
three men among them who could stand up
before the whole community and say some
thing in fine language, not forgetting their
Latin. The town liked the violent style of
oratory, and these speakers were especially
gifted when it came to making a noise.
They made up in bluster and fnstian for
what they lacked in grace and eloquence,
and were always warmly congratulated.
They were the sworn foes of the British
lion, and when it came to sending theeagle
aloft non6 could surpass them. After the
speeches there would be a dinner, a pro-
digious banquet, at which roast fowl,
cake and ice cream would be served in
abundance by The pretticst young ladies of
the village and vicinity, in white dresses
and blue sashes, and Lemonade was to flow
like water.
In addition to all these settlements a
cannon was to he fired at 10 o'clock A. NJ,
fire crackers were to be lavishly resorted
to throughout the day, and fireworks were
to top of the celebration at night.
The day came, as all set days of the fii-
ture do, however slowly they travel, and a
gorgeous and memorable day it was, in a
meteorological us we'll as cclebrious sense.
The procession formed promptly at the
stated hour and moved off with it's banners,
its flies and drums, its beautiful Goddess
of Liberty, its dashing young eqnestrians
and sober pedestrians. 1t was a pity that
so fine Il pageant should have no spccta-
tors to enjoy it.. Everybody had eontribu-
ted TO swell its ranks, save a dozen ma
irons who were already in the grove SUI
pcrintending the dinner, and two or three
-superannuatcd old couples who never left
their homes. This fact did not prevent
the procession from taking pride in itself.
# c~ouragcously kept the middle of the
road, took it's own dust and patriotically
moved forward to the grove in broiling
happiness.
Neither did the fact that there was no.
body to keep out of the way, no crowd to
keep in order, prevent the gallant marshal,
Mark Lyons, from performing the most
active duty, lie rode rapidly up and down
the line, in a plumed hat and red sash, on
IA charger the best the county could afford.
He was Il handsome man anywhere; but
ON Il fine horse, in Il plumed hat and gay
ttHii 60 u hiH seh ht ii''hiN
beauty in Center county. He realized this,
and took a keen pleasure in giving the
community a chance to admire his fine
figure and handsome face. The maidens
adored him and the young men envicd
him.
Yet, while basking in admiration and
rcveling in dissatisfaction, he was mis-
cradle. The cone, one woman under the
sun whose admiring Chances he most
craved wasn't there to see him in his
srlcndor.
Pretty Kitty Mcdonald was angry with
him, and the Goddess of Liberty was the
cause of the trouble. And Kitty had been
i'll, and was still too feeble to take part in
the days exercises. Mark felt sure she was
staying away to rob him of the s~atisfac-
ton of showing OFF before her. Thinking
it all over, he made up his mind that,
rather than lose such 4 chance OF impress
ing her in his capacity of marshal of the
day. he would ride around to her house
after he got his procession safely into the
grove. and try to rake his peace with her
ut all hazards. This decision SO inspired
him that he fairly worked himself 10 death,
keeping imaginary obstacles ont of the line
of march, and stirring mp no end of honest
Center county dust.
Meantime Kitty Mcdonald, in a pretty
white gown, was gently rocking in a big
chair ON the uncovered porch of her
home at the west end of the village, taking
cruel pleasure in the thought that "Mr.
Mark Lyons might ride beside the carriage
of the Goddess of Liberty all day, if he
wanted; he wonldn't have her there to see
his scandalous conduct. anyway
Another person, usually present at all
parades and great events in Eaglcsyille,
was also absent. This was Jimmy Carroll,
aged l2. Jimmy had resisted all the allure
ments of the procession and the picnic.
His elums were dumbfounded at his in
difference 10 such madly interesting things
as n procession and dinner, to say nothing
of such Joys as abundant tirecrackcrs and
unlimited lemonade. Indeed, Jimmy
rather curled his lips at the mention of fire
crackers, and said things 10 the effect that
they were good enough for children, but