The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1895-07-03
THE GREAT FOURTH.
DY R. X. MUNKITTGIcE.

There was once q time when the Fourth
of July was, strictly speaking, an Amer
lean holiday which was celebrated from
one minute after IL On the morning of the
Fourth until after midnight. Many an en-
thusiastic boy would go to bed ut 6 O'Clock
p. IN. in order that he might arise long be-
fore tho lark, the shanghai and the milk
man TO set the ever glorious day in motion.
Although thisd day of days in our history
is still as American as it was u century
ago, 1t is In n certain sense quite as dear TO
the Italian, tho Frcnchman and the China
man, who celebrate 1t almost as enthusiasts
tically as does tho old time American. AS
soon as one of these foreigners settles on
our shores he comes TO the conclusion hat
this is the clysium Of liberty, and when
this conviction Is firmly settled in his mind
he becomes u citizen and buys u pack of
flrccrackcrs.
In the case of the Chinaman the fire
cracker is particularly dear-in fact, be
tween the ChinaInan and the flrecracker
there is u sentimental relationship exist.
ing which is as tcndef and beautiful as
that which exists between the oyster and
the butter cracker. And this is all because
the firecracker Is of Chinese origin and
must ever bc dear to the heart of the China
man, who when ho hears the, to him, me
lodious bang or sizzle Is carried back In
spirit to the Flowcry Kingdom, where he
hears the melodious interludc of tho rice
bunting %throbbing gently against a back
ground of fricissced poodle.
n calm student of the principles of
consistency would argue that the flrccrack
er. instead Of being q solid rcd, should be,
red, white and hluc, If only to be in har-
mony with the stars of fire which fly from
its wick. But Il It. hasn't nl the colOrs of
the haI we nlny iird n patriotic relief and
consolation in the fact that these colors
may be found in the fireworks which so
gAyly clnbroider the cbon tablecloth Of
night so to make even the fire insurance
man forget himself in the wild dclirium
Of joy that bursts from his heart like "a
geyser.
And these fireworks are very dear to the
small hoy, although they nuke no noise.
lie watches theIn with s~pecchless rapture,
and they make for him an Arabian, or
rather an American, night. In the pin
wheels he secs bicycles and in the roman
candles bascbulls, and the stronom sees
shooting stars falling In gayest showers,
the patriot is rcjoiced to see Washington
o his horsc, AMI the man W hose ruling
passion IL Ior inc tIlttSte anu gentle arb Ol
angling is 50 delighted when he observes
fishes darting from the pinwhcels as from
"a whirlpool thai he ilnagincs he is sitting
on the banks of the CLASSY Delaware pull
ing black bass out Of the reflected sky.
The boy who would never think of hid
ing his light beneath n bushel thinks
nothing of setting off n pack of flrcerackcrs
under a barrel. OF course this Is n wild
extravaganza, but the small boy feels that
he can be extravaganza In thus firing off
the fruits of the money which he has been
carefully saving for many weary moons.
And he Is quite right. for what appears to
be rank prodigality OF his part Is only a
fair illustration of the patriotic sentiments
that surchargc his tempestuous being. He
feels That he is a part of the Fourth, and
his spirit never goes out like the punk.
But the poor boy who cannot have n
brass cannon, or a pistol, or a flrecracker
is really the only object that has a tendency
TO make the day pathetic. Yet with a live
ly imagination he a have lots of fun, be-
cause he can enjoy the bang of the fire.
cracker of the rich mans son and see the
fireworks that cost thousands, which real
ly makes the Fourth to him like u circus
to which he has II free ticket. And to him,
as long us the Xmas is merry, and the
New Year happy, will the Fourth of July
be rs glorious as n sunshiny Saturday upon
which there are two baseball matches and
he has n sweet and airy seat upon the top
of n nearby telegraph pole.