Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1889-06-27

neg your IaiuOnt hlit hulu tno UoYt
after aprlnglng 20 Ills feet in surprise. but
there's lots Of EN-. You'll sec 'om II you
como 10 the green on tho Fourth am
going 70 carry one myself in the percession;
u tcz on Il Gods Own Country Dad made
that up all Wy hissolf aud painted u on the
banner that mother mado out Of part Of a
sheet An mo sister Norahs got one
marked We've all got chanoe.' Dad
made that up, too ~ little NILS Prison
him that got tho one-lt ggec shoemaker
Dano for a father, has got one marked
Eternal vigilance ip the price of liberty
I don't know what that means but you just
ort 10 sec the ono-legged shoemaker's eyes
shine whom lac looks VI it-you'd think he
was aohin' to knock somebody down an
pound aim with hammer
"What Internal Anarchist got that up,
wondergn growled swingleton.
The shoemaker made the banner hisself,
sir" the boy replied, but what's on IL was
writ by George washin'ton, the father of
his country
"Boshln exclaimed swingleton. wash
ineton was a large owner OF real estate.n
II beg your pardon, sir, but can show IL
10 you; it's IN the Farewell Address, in
the back Of our histry book"
Hang your history book and the banners,
too growlod Bwingleton, addressing him.
self seriously 70 business You go over to
Truegate's right away, and tell him that II
he don't pay bis interest and that overdue
installment on the principal this very
morning I'll foreclose on him And when
you come back you sit outside the door IL
you've got to rattle over that gibberish
about the morning OF mornings and
'unfurl every banner"
'Yes, sir said the boy, timldly. and hur-
-. A...f,.er1,t.,n
Piled himself vigorously 10 his ciphering,
but somehow the figures did not come right
and he abruptly tore his paper 10 bits and
began 10 pace the office floor, muttering TO
himself
"Confound these foreignersi One would
suppose the country was made expressly
for them by the way they take hold Of IL
The idea Of a little rascal like Dennis telling
me what George Washington wrote-and
worse yet he was right about t. really do
believe. Gods own country'-'we'vo all
got a chance'-tbats more Of their nom
sense Come TO think Of It though, it's all
true wonder II somebody won't. have a
banner with 'one mans as good as another
on 10y It's true as gospel; " it wasn't I'd
be poor farmer to this day instead of the
head of big real estate improvement
company
For several minutes swingleton held his
peace but continued TO pace the floor.
Then he burst Into speech again.
"All those common folks are going TO
have n regular jubilee on the Fourth, sup
pose. Il isn't bad enough that business
mans peace Of mind is TO be disturbed all
day long by fire-crackers and pistols, and
all sorts of internal popping noises, but
they're TO have singing. and cheering. and
Ike enough brass band, at sunrise on the
green--right in front OF my house / was
going TO spend the Fourth in finding out
how much money I'm ahead by this
Clif Edge speculation; it's the only free
day Ill have until Thanksgiving comes
But II I'm to be woke up at sunrise won't
have any sort Of head for figures Confound
patriotism, any way we had enough of IL
In the time of the war TO last any man alfe-
time. IL cost me enough, goodness knows;
j was drafted, had TO hire a substitute. and
pay bigger taxes besides To be sure. I got
in on harness-maling contract that set me
up in business, but"
swingleton went abruptly back to his
desk and tried to resume his figuring, but
his pencil seemed wholly depraved; and he
finally threw It on the floor and continued
rs follows;
"What was that the Bible said about the
heather coming TO ths light whii0 the chill
dron OF the kingdom were cast into outer
darknessY IL begins to look as II something
of the sort would come to pass in this coun-
try Here's all the foreigners and other
nobodies I'm this village going to celebrate
the Fourth, Just asif the country was theirs
as in one sense Il is, while /, the richest and
most influential man in the town, am left
out in the cold Come TO think of It,
remember something about being asked
by letter TO participate or contrib
ute, or something, and pitching it
into the waste basket l suppose they
thought was a hog-confound theml but
what was IL The country's as much TO me
as TO any body else, but how am ! going 10
make fuss about IL without letting bust
ness suffer- man can't afford 10 neglect
his business for every confounded senti-
ment that comes alOng-he'd never make
any money II he did When do any Of our
great money kings say any thing about
patriotism should like TO know. or make
Fourth Of July speechi It's only editors
politicians and poor men who do that sort
OF thing"
More protest and self-examinaiion fol-
lowed; when Dennis returned In the course
OF half an hour, the autocrat of Cliff Edge
had both elbows ON his desk and his broad
chin, usually quite equal TO the task Of
caring for itself, was supported by two
hands His face was so unlike its usual self
that the boy was astonished though not so
greatly as when moment afterward
Swingleton said:
What were you going to show me in
your school history?"
why, twas the Declaration. sir, an the
Farewell Address. an"
IAN right-go and fetch the book"
Away went little Dennis returning soon
with the book open in two places, a couple
of dirty fingers serving as book-marks
'Here they are, sir, said the boy, land
can just show you what parts told you
about"
I'm take your word for them. my boy"
said swingleton ! think, though, I'll read
the documents through, so as TO get the
sense Of the quotations better
Il can save ye trouble, sir. If ye like, Z"
said Dennis. for / know both Of 'em by
heart an say 'em on as easy as me prayers
You doy" exclaimed swingleton, with
such emphasis and with face 40 solemn
that the boy seemed half inclined TO admit
that he had done something wrong. "You
dos" the man repeated, putting his hand
into his pocket Then here's a dollar
for you TO spend for fre-crackers on the
Fourth. There's nothing else in the book
TO which you'd call my attention is therey"
IF you please, sir, | can show you the
picture Of all Of 'em a-signin' the Declara-
ton dad says it's a grand sight, cause
twas such a plucky piece Of business Here
they are; there's Jefferson, and that one
that's barefooted all over his head Is
Franklin an'-oh. yes, here's picture Of
John Hancock's signature-that's the kind
OF writin' I'm a-goin' 10 practice on till
get H."
"Hm-'tls a handsOner signature than
mine, isn't ityn
II amt sayin' it's any better, sir, +" said
the boy, timidly; "but-but il looks as II IL
meant lots more"
Very well; now go ahead at committing
your Fourth OF July song TO memory; you
may sing IT, too, If you want 70, or whistle
IT,"
50 sudden and great acquisition Of liberty