The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-07-12
How Little Girl saw the Fireworks.

How II Little Girl Saw the Fireworks.
Once upon a time little girl went
to see the fireworks on Boston com.
mon. She was very small girl; but
she wanted to go very much, just as
much as if she had been big, so her
mother said she might go with Mary,
the nurse. She put on her best bon.
net aud her pink frock, and off they
went.
The common was crowded with
people, and in one Part there was
dense throng, all standing together,
and all looking in the one direction.
"We must stand there, too" said
Mary. ''There is where the fireworks
are going to be-"
So they went and stood in the dense
crowd, and the little girl saw the back
OF fat woman in red plaid shawl,
but-she could not see anything else.
oh yes, she saw the legs of the tall
man who stood next to the fat wo-
man, but they were not very interest
ing, being clad in common sort Of
dark plaid. The shawl at least was
bright, and she could tell the different
colors by the lamplight.
Now there was a movement in the
crowd, and people cried, ooh, oh,
look at thatl Isn't that beautyr'
and they clapped their hands and
shouted, but the little girl saw only
the plaid shawl and the uninteresting
legs of the tall man. The people
pressed closer aud closer, so that she
could hardly breathe.
She held tight to Mary's hand, and
Mary thought she was squeezing it for
pleasure, and said, eyes, dear, amt
they lovely?" The little girl tried to
say, 81 can't see anything but the
plaid shawl" but just then the tall
man turned round and looked down
on her and said, "Bless me, here's a
little girl right under my feetl Can
you see anything, my dear?"
Nothing but the red shawl and
the back of your legs" said the little
girl sadly.
eli, thenl" said the tall man. Cup
with you" and before the child could
say word he had taken her two
hands and lifted her lightly to his
shoulder.
''Put your arm round my neck, 4"
said the tall man. 'I had little girl
once, just like you, aud / know how
to hold yon. SO. Now you are all
right"
"Thank the kind gentleman, dear, I"
got1 Mnpu ttIf, ttfa 4
of him "
The little girl was too shy to speak,
but she patted the tall mans neck, and
he understood just as we'll as if she
had spoken.
Now she saw wonderful sights in
deed. Fiery serpents went up into
the sky, wriggling and kissing, drag.
ging long tails of yellow flame behind
them. Colored stars, red, blue and
green shot up in the air, hung for an
instant, and then burst into showers
of rainbow light; there were golden
pigeons, and golden flower pots, and
splendid wheels that went whirling
round and round so fast, it made the
little girl dizzy to look at them. The
child gazed and gazed, breathless with
delight. Sometimes she forgot where
she was, and thought that this was
fairyland, all full OF golden dragons
and huttering elves. just as the story
books described it; but if she CHANGED
to look down, there was Mary, and
the kind face of the tall man, and the
red shawl of the fat woman.
By and by came great burst OF
light, aud in the midst of crimson
flames she saw the Goddess of Liberty,
standing on golden ball. waving the
starry flag in her hand; thousands of
stars shot up, glowed and burst; loud
noises were heard like cannon shcts;
then suddenly darkness fell, and all
was over.
The crowd began to disporse. "Now,
little one" said the tai! man, you
have seen all there is to see." And
he made motion to put her down,
but the little girl clung tight to his
neck.
"Did your little girl ever kiss you?"
she whispered in his ear.
"Bless your little heart" said the
man, "she did indeed, but it's long
time since" The child bent down,
and kissed him heartily on the cheek.
'If it hadn't been for you," she
cried, 81 should have seen nothing at
all, except the plaid shawl. think
you are the kindest man that ever
lived, and / love you very much. "
And then she slipped down, and taking
her nurses hand, ran away homo as
fast as she could. Youths Com
panion.