Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-09-14
Mr.. and Mrs. BOWSGr.
BY MRS. BOWsER.

looked across the supper table al
me that he had something to pro-
prose, and | also felt certain that
his proposition was mixed mp with
the glorious Fourth, Pretty soon
he said
awe are to go on a steamboat
excursion to Harsen's Island on
the Fourth"
"Please don't. We can enjoy
ourselves far better right here at
home.p
"Mrs. Bowser, our forefatbers
fought, bled and died that we
might be FIRE people"
eyes"
sit is a time when every patriot
should show his cOlors. | propose
to 20 off with a select few and have
a good time"
"But nothing IS select on the
Fourth"
~ don't believe you care two
cents whether we are slaves or
freemen !" he hotly exclaimed.
ayes, | do"
"Then get ready tor the excur'
sion. Only a select few are going.
We shall have a nice, cool ride,
basket.lunch on the island, and
return in time for the fireworks in
the evening"
"Bpt if anything happens you'll
lay it to me.'
"Anything happen : Lay it to
you? Mrs Bowser, do yon know
who you are talking of'
"But you'll say 1 dragged you
of, and that it was all my fault"
81 will, Ell? Very well. You
and our wall-eyed infant can stay
right here! I'm going on the ex'
cursion -
| Welded the point after awhile,
as a wife always does, ana the
excursion was agreed upon. We
were ready and on time, and it
did seem as if we we're certain OF
enjoying ourselves until we got to
the boat. Then Mr.. Bowser's
"select few turned out TO be a
mob of 400 people of all sorts sizes
aud colors, and we had scarcely
found seats when a man came up,
slapped him familiarly on the back
and called out:
"Hello old rutabaga, did you
bring your lung pad along :"
Mr.. Bowser turned very red and
then very white, and | had to talk
to him. told him that this one
loaier had slipped in by accident,
and that no one should notice him.
He must remember Washington,
Paul Jones, Putnam, and the host
of other patriots, and let nothing
yex him.
When the boat finally got away
it was loaded down, and every
body was smoking cheap cigars
and feeling goOd-natured. Even
the dozen fellows who had had
their heads punched or their eyes
blacked while waiting seemed to
forget it as patriotism bubbled up.
| was looking around for the "se-
lect few" when a young man who
didn't die at Bunker Hill, because
he wasn't old enough, crowded
along to us and said to Mr.. Bow
ser:
"Shay, ole man, we licked 'em,
didn't WEI
Mr.. Bowser turned red, but l
touched him with my foot.
Shay, ole man, give us a little
Fo'th Shuly speech, will you 7
continued the patriot.
Mr.. Bowser turned white, but
l got him by the elbow.
"Sho you won't speech, eh 7
Then you are an old Tory, you are
I'll cit 'er boys and pitch you over
board, will"
had to talk to Mr.. BOwser. l
had to tell him how Washington
suffered at Valley FOrge-how the
true patriots of the Revolution
starved and hungered-hOw we
fought on until victory came at
last, and by and by | quieted him
down. He had just got his patrl'
otism back when a middle-aged
man. who had always felt very
sorry that he didn't see CORVALLIS
surrender at Yorktown, came along
and chucked me under the chin
and said:
"Shay, sis, got year fepr long :
Cause if yer got yer fepr long I
kin lick him in two mlzzen by er
watch! Hooray! Pm forefazzer,
| am shed Ter blood, did W
I held a conversation with Mr..
Bowser. It was about how we
whipped the British and gained
our independence, and why, for
that reason, every true patriot
should go off on a Fourth Of July
excursion and have a good time,
and he was in pretty good humor
when the boat landed. Circum'
stances were against me, however
We had scarcely got seated in
the shade when Mr.. Bowser dis
covered that some one had chang.
ed lunch baskets with US. The
t one we had contained only two
= sandwiches and a euchre-deck'
When he made this discovery he
turned on me with,