The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1913-07-05
THE BATTLE CRY
OF FREEDOM

Pollikins Dear: So you want to know
how | spent the Glorious Fourth? Was
sane and sedate comforting myself in
manner BETTING a brand-new college
graduate, or did | run of and romp with
Brother Toms kiddies, as usual, torgett-
ingall my recently acquired dignity? Alas,
my dear! must confess that my Fourth
was far, far from sane, and that instead
of recovering my sanity lve-but there,
my studies in prose style should teach
me better than to jump at the conclusion
OF my story like that! I'll begin at the
beginning.
ii was Independence day. The sun
was shining in newly awakened SPLEEN
dor, when the casual observer might
have discerned "a solitary female form
gracefully scaling the stone wall between
the luxuriant back gardens OF the Rem
dersons and the ditto OF the Bartletts-
Tom and his family are staying with her
mother, you know, next door
This feat accomplished, our heroine
chats mel proceeded up the Bartlett
lawn, collecting dewdrops on her trail
ing cheesecloth draperes and, incident
ally, getting her new white shoes deplor-
ably damp. Her slender form was drap-
ca also III d large amer ltdll nag, flu 4icI
raven curls were surmounted by tillet
of silver stars. This Goddess of Liberty
effect was the result of a promise to
dress up" for the two adoring and ador-
able nephews, Bert and Bob. Arrived be-
meath the window of the room usually
occupied by the nephews, the Goddess
of Liberty proceeds to the time-honored
ceremony OF saluting them; this she does
IL g III IN
crackers, followed by sock dolager''
OF a big one. No joyful acclamations fol-
low. Aunt Peggy is frankly puzzled;
clearly, the boys are oversleeping, and
she bursts into song, rendering the Star
Spangled Banner" with dramatic effect,
marred only by a GREATNESS squeak on
the final Land of the free" Still no
Bob and Bert Our heroine SHES bit
OF turf at the window, with command,
Wake up, la+ybones!" and as the win
dow sash begins TO creak responsive!y
she begins TO carol Shouting the Battle
Cry of Freedom at the top of her very
healthy lungs, for Aunt Peggy has no
foolish dignity when it's a question OF
amusing the kiddies. At last the window
opens wide and looking up, she sees
Polly, what do you think? Instead of
two little white nighties and two tousled
curly heads, there was a man. A strange
young man, my dear; blonde, oiue-eyed,
imma culate in a beautiful duck suit and
gazing at me with what seemed to be
mild horror, mixed with amusement, as
though | We're an escaped lunatic. l felt
life one, | assure you, all the more so
because he was awfully good looking and
well groomed and correct; and | couldn't
imagine who he could be. However, it
seemed to be up to me TO do something,
so | drew myself to my commanding
height of five feet four inches and begged
his pardon for disturbing him, explain
ing that my little nephews usually oc-
cuped that room, and that they were
expecting me over to celebrate the Fourth
with them-but ii all sounded like per-
feet nonsense. Just then, to my mingled
relief and annoyance, Tom appeared at
the window, TOO, with a hendish grin, as
he sized UP the situation and my cos
tune.
Been serenading you, has she, Ar
chic" ne asked affably, while | boiled
with helpless rage. You iiius;nr mind
it, old man; it's the day We celebrate,
you know, and our patriotism stlil runs
so high that even the girls seek out
peaceaDle EnSlSl VISITORS ana ldunl
them with our independence. Quite the
usual thing Then, as Archie" and
preserved silence, Tom sobered down
and introduced us in proper style, and
as soon as | heard the name, | remem-
bered that Archie Nane was Toms cnum
in London, when he was over there set
ting up some machinery He had just
landed and Tom, running across him in
New York the night before, had insisted
on his coming home with him to spend
the Fourth--all natural enough when
Tom explained it. So there I'd been
boarding the British lion in his den with
militant American noises on the anniver-
sary of a day ignored by all English
men; and here was the British lion look
ing at me with his ingenious blue eyes
as if he was trying to decide wnr,ner Ia
bite or not.
Il warn you" Tom added, in his tact
full little way, that Peggy is a rabidly
patriotic person, so | wouldn't advise
you to start any discussions on interna-
tional issues This Columbia getup Is