Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-07-04
ga LITTLE CHILD SHALL
LEAD THEM"
1 Story for the Fourth Of July
BY AMY RANDOLPH.
From, Ne,e York Le,ioer.

= NtNi U fhl Ntt EuNlU ~ JUtH-
BN AMY RANDOLPH.
From Ne,c York Ledger
"No." said Mr. Jarrett. Il don't want
none O. your wares, and there's an end
Of il"
Mr. Austey looked woefully disap-
pointed.
"Waal," said he, slowly scratching his
head, Il knowed patriotism was ut a
pretty low ebb In this ere part o the
country, but didn't know il was as bad
rs this And when | hcerd that Judge
Dinglcy was gOin' TO deliver 4 Fourth o
July Grafton at PickettS Bridge, | sort
% thought there might be a market for
some fireworks. and laid my plans ac-
cordin. Aud l didn't think, Neighbor
Jarrett, you'd be one to 90 back on the
old day"
Mr.. Jarrett, working industriously
away at the large bue-green stretches
Of his onion-bed, answered only by a
snort, which might have been inter
preted in any way that his interlOcutor
pleased.
Most of the neighbOrS hey give me
small order, he resumed.
''Humph" said Mr.. Jarrett, I'M
moved.
Especially where there's children"
.Humph,"
You see, NeighbOr Jarrett, it sort o
sets the day Off from the rest Of the
year"
''Yes-exactly."
"And il don't cost so much after ALI"
resumed Mr.. AuStey.
"IIumph"
Better femme put your name down
for half dozen packs"
But here Hiram Jarrett Strengthened
his portentOuS length up with jerk.
"Ye may put my name down for
nothin'" said he. Except for a man
that's heartily sick and tired of this sort
of thing. dunno about your business,
but mine is preSSin', and | hain't no
time to chatter with you. And. if it's no
ofTenSe. I'll bid ye gOod-mornin'."
And Mr.. AuStey went of, muttering
10 himself words that would scarcely
have edited Mr.. Jarrett, could he have
heard them.
Them JarrettS amt hardly human"
said he, readiuSting under his arm the
little bundle of American flags, in differ
cnt STYLES and sizes, which he had not
Veuturcd 10 unroll 1T does seem aS If
they didn't think O. nOthin' but gettin
copper pennies together and cOuntin'
EN-. over and over ag'in.'
When Hiram Jarrett had come in
from the onion field, tired and warm
and stiff with long STOPPING, he glanced
with dissatisfied eye at the table,
where his wife had set ont bowl of
raSpberrieS and milk, biliouS-looking
| slab of cold salt-pork, heaped around
| with beet greens, and half loaf OF rye
bread
There amt no sense in Settin' table,
said he. I'D Jest as soon eat my Wet
uals of the pantry shelf.
at seems more SOciablc-like TO sit
down. said his wife, a pale, faded lit
tie woman with light blue eyes and
hair already beginning TO turn gray, al
though she was not yet forty years old.
Its all Il waste o. time, gettln
ready and cleanin up said Hiram,
beginning to eat like a famiShed ocelot.
Mrs. Brimmcr was over here this
mornin'." said Mrs. Jarrett, pouring
herself out cup Of weak tea, Sweeten-
cd with maple sugar and drunk without
milk, because the creamerieS gave
three cents quart for all that the
/ three blanket cows yielded.
''Eh?" said Hiram. what for?'
.Wcn. She goin' over TO East Hill TO
spend Fourth q July, aud she can't
take that little Fresh Air child with
her: her grandSon'S 50 i'll and can't bear
the least bit OF noise. And she thought
perhaps we'd be wiilin' to hey' him
here, Jest for a day
'Shc'S mistaken, then said Hiram,
with his mouth full of pork and greens.
Il don't set no store by children, eSpe-
cially that sort o. child
Mrs. Jarrett looked wiStfully at her
husband. but made no rcmonStrance.
She knew from long experience how
useless 70 was TO set up her wishes
against his will.
Hiram Jarrett was very tired that
night. when he went To- bed, but his last
i waking words were sheer and cavil
40 the prevailing folly.
Judge Dinglcy, indeed said he
And "a Fourth of July grafton. don't
b'lieve Judge Dngley'S great-gran'ther
carried a muS5et at Bunker Hill, as
mine did"
Then You De proud o. the day, after
all?" said Mrs. Jarrett.
Il don't b'licve in maxim such an all
fred fuss over it," said Hiram, shortly.
The Fourth of July dawned, red sun
shining through a vail of mist. Hiram
rose and proceeded to his work, as usual.
Mrs. Jarrett went 10 neighboring vii
/ lagc. where She had a sister as hard
working and down-trodden as herself.
Betsy is clcanin house" said Mrs.
I Jarrett. by way Of excuse TO her huS-
band. and if help her day, p'r'apS
she'll come over in blackberry time and
| lend me hand with the jam
Mr.. Jarrett had been across to the
"fur pastur'." to put the COWS into new
grazing grounds, and was returning by
the short cut through the widow Brim-
mer's apple orchard, when the sound OF
a distant cannon struck upon his ear.
They've begun with their tomfoolery
Already" said he To himself. But il
sounds sort o. pleasant, too. Wonder II
/ il sounded that ere way to my great
gran'ther at Bunker Hill? And there's
a flag mp on the top o. Deacon Salton-
stalls store. guess Eve got as good
right to fly flag as ne has, if Halo.
Who be you, little man?'
4 child. seven or eight years old, a
fair-haired, blue-eyed little creature,
was sitting on Mrs Brimmcr'S door
step. looking solemnly up at him.
.Tm Johnny Jones. said he. There's
nobodv at home. | was to stay here,
right by the door, until she came back
NV dinner was in a paper. but | was
hungry. and I've eaten it up. Is 1t past
dinner-time, please?
Its quarter of ten precisely, said
Mr.. Jarrett. consulting the huge silver
watch which had belonged to his father
before him. so you're the city child
are you?' u.,.
u live ON Avenue T." said the little
bov. ..with Mrs. Riley. Top-tloor, right
hand side. ,,.o
Il s'pose your folks are sort o lone
some without you," said the farmer,