The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-06-16

and we had eaten watermelon or
some Ice cream We went TO bed mourn
ing that whole year must pass be-
fore another Fourth of July would
come around.
"Of course as we grew older our
way of spending the day changed.
When we reached the youth period we
would get together at the country
home of some one of our set of young
fellows and girls. | rNmember that
when | was eighteen years old ! was
invited to one of these Fourth Of July
parties composed of youngsters about
my own age. | met there for the first
time a girl about sixteen. She was
called by nickname which had been
given her by her father when she was
a baby. 1t was Tottie. The moment
looked at her | felt sure that l had
seen her somewhere before. But when
saw that she didn't appear to regard
me as a former acquaintance l made
up my mind that ! must have been
mistaken. OF course we were now too
Oid, thC IVY . W btS ttaNhCiS anu Nuh
mons. the girls torpedoes. and we were
obliged to find other means of amuse-
ments. The place where we were
spending the day was partly a country
home and partly q farm. Our hosts,
who were the sons and daughters of
the owner. got out wagon used for
carrying grain, and. covering its bed
with straw. took us all on the after
noon of Independence day for long
ride.
I'VE sang songs and shouted and
laughed loudly at the poorest jokes,
just as boys and girls of that age
have always done on such occasions
and will always do TO the end of time.
But there was no harm In II. for the
Fourth is day devoted to noise, and
we had the open country In which to
do our singing and shouting. At every
farmhouse we passed urchins who
waved little flags nj us, and we waved
a return with our own flags and hand
kerchiefs.
Men off herer cried the driver as
we came to steep ascent, and we
jumped from all parts of the wagon
like startled frogs from log. | was
trudging along with the others behind
the wagon. the girl they called Tottie
being one of those ut its rear end.
~ hope you're not going to be as
disagreeable as you were once she
said TO me. with Il spark of mischief
IN her eyes.
"'What do you meanr asked.
thing once
"'When2 WhereT
81 was sitting just as | am now
on the rear of wagon and you were
walking behind
"'Do you mean to say that you have
seen me beforeT
"'Of course ] do
"'And what is the mean thing !
didg
"'You didn't do 1t alone. Others
did 1t too
"'Tell me-
"'You were one of Juvenile artil-
lery company dragging a small can
non in Fourth of July parade. You
all turned out OF the line without no.
tifying your standard bearer. who
marched on alone. exciting a laugh
from those who saw him. especially
us girls on the float.
81 fixed my eyes on Tottie and kept
them on her while she spoke. Grad
ually In the features of the girl Of
sixteen I brought back those of the
girl whom | had fallen In love with
at ten. Six years don't count for
much after twenty. but between ten
and sixteen the change In q boy or a
girl is considerable.
"Just think of IT. children; she had
remembered me perfectly for yearsl"
But | thought you said. grandpa"
put in Lucy. that when you turned
out of the procession she didn't look
at you"
"Yes. but l said girls of that age are
apt to be ofiish.''
go on" said one Of the older girls;
~ thought 1t queer that ! should
have so long considered this girl a sort
of sweetheart and then did not know
her when ! saw her again. But the
fact that had so considered her made
me feel very differently toward her
now that | had met her again. And
another thing made lot of difference
to me-the fact that she Ind remem-
bered me so long and recognized me
notwithstanding that | had grown as
tall as | am now. When we. men got
on to the wagon again | took seat
beside Tottie. and we talked over that
procession-how proud we boys felt
dragging our cannon
well, when we came In from our
ride, hungry as boys and girls are
hound to be after an outing. we sat
down to tea. and ! took especial pains
to secure a seat beside Tottie, and we
kept on talking about that procession
in which we had first met till the other
boys and girls asked II that was the
only Fourth of July procession we
had ever taken part In. In the even
ing when the others were setting or
the fireworks Tottie and ! stole away
together and were so engaged with
each other that we didn't see any fire.
works M all That's the end OF the
story"
what became of Tottier asked the
oldest girl.
"Oh. Tottie aud | concluded to go
through life together. We've never
separated"
"You don't mean to say grandma Is
Tottie?"
Yes. she Is"
"H'mr' said the Oldest girl Il knew
that all the time"