The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-07-03
jim CAsEY's FOURTH.

West Virginia.
The boys had been talking for
weeks about the approaching Fourth,
and the royal fun they expected to
have, and the heart of Jim leaped ex-
pectantly. He was a tall, awkward
lad of II, whose ignorance of the
ways of the village and general lack
of knowledge made him a butt of
ridicule by his fellows, but he was so
good natured that this did not con-
Germ him much, as the boys really
liked him, and their practical jokes
were of harmless kind.
He had never before heard of the
Fourth, and did not have the slight
est notion of its meaning. Nor had
he the least desire to know. 1t was
sufficient for him that there was to
be plenty of fun, and his happy ma
ture was content with this.
AS special mark of honor and
favor, he was assigned to the duty of
ringing the bell of the Baptist church,
beginning at the midnight hour.
His companions did not think it
necessary to inform him that the sex
ton, crusty old fellow, had refused
to permit the bell to be rung, and
that he had promised a thrashing to
any one who should ring it.
Following instructions, Jim forced
a side door, and was pulling the bell
rope merrily, and the loud peals
sounded out above those of the other
bells, when he was seized by the irate
guardian of the church, who cuffed
his ears until he heard half hun
dred bells ringing anything but mer-
ry tunes.
He was brave lad, though, and
said not word of his punishment as
he joined the other boys and follow
ed them about the dark streets, the
silence of which they broke repeated
ly by explosions from the old fash
ioned horse pistols which they car
ried, and fis joy was nearly complete
when one of his companions permitted
him to shoot one, after it had received
six or seven charges of powder.
That the pistol at its discharge few
backward, narrowly missing the head
of playmate, and LETT his fingers in
a sadly benumbed condition for hours
afterward, was reckoned by him as
one of the to-be- expected events of
the day, and his laugh over the mis-
hap was as hearty as that of any of
his fellows.
If he did not understand the school
teacher, later, when, upon the green,
he read the Declaration, or the con-
gresham orator who followed him in
a very patriotic speech, no one would
have thought so from his manner, for
his applause was as hearty, and his
hooplas as vociferous as anybody's.
There was procession of "raga-
mullins" in the afternoon, and the
tireless feet of Jim tramped close be-
hind them all along the march. The
merry fellows were mounted, and
when the horses galloped, Jim ran.
They could not get beyond his close
line of vision.
His Joy was complete, when, later
on in the afternoon, the boys desig-
mated him as a committee of one to
gather up all of the stray barrels and
boxes of the village for the evenings
bonfire on the village green.
He had no money to invest in fire.
crackers or other fireworks, but he
was privileged 10 see the display,
and it was his proud distinction to
start the fire in the evening and keep
it supplied with fuel.
With glad and bright eyes he
watched the sizzling and popping of
the crackers, the loud Kissing and
bursting of the rockets, and chased
wildly about after the "devil dancers"
Nothing marred his keen joy. His
laughter was loudest when boys
placed lighted crackers in his pockets,
or exploded giant crackers between
his legs.
Merriment was at its height, when
cries of fire were heard. There was
but one fire engine in the village,
and this was pumped by hand.
There were no waterworks, and de-
pendence had to be had upon the
wells. All of the houses were OF
wood, and a strong wind prevailing,
there was imminent danger that the
entire village would be consumed.
It was decided that in order to stay
the progress of the flames it would
be necessary to blow up with gum
powder the church, from which Jim
had been forcibly expelled that morn.
ing.
The head was removed from keg
of the explosive, and the same was
placed beneath the doomed edifce.
But little later the wind shifted,
and it was no longer thought neces-
sary to destroy the church. There,
however, was the powder, likely to
explode at any moment from flying
sparks, of which the air was full.
Volunteers were eagerly called for TO
remove the menacing powder, but
there was no response,
Presently the matter was brought
to the attention of Jim, who, without
a moments hesitation, rushed into
the condemned building, seized the
filled keg and ran with it to nearby
we'll, into which he cast it, and the
danger was passed. In the short
Journey he made the air was literally
filled with flying sparks, and it seem
ed little short of miracle that
some one of them did not reach the
exposed powder as he bore it along.
lin was at loss to understand
why he should have been made hero
Of, or that the next day the grateful
people should have presented him
with brand-new suit of clothes and
a nice little purse of money. To him
his daring act was but an incident in
the many of the day, which he deci-
S1ed in his own mind to be the greatest
and most glorious in his uneventful
life.
A GOOD disposition is one that the