Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-03
BIDDY's FOURTH OF JULY
Little Irish Girl Thought II Greater
Than Il Really Was.


Biddy was born on the "ither soide,"
as she told everybody that was curious
enough to ask her Though foreign by
birth, in feelings and actions she was
thoroughly American. She had spent
one Fourth Of July in this country and
had observed with intense interest the
enthusiasm all boys and girls showed
in the day. At the same time she re-
solved that when the Fourth next
fourth came around her celebration
would be as lively as anybody's. And
so it turned out.
Now, it might be said of Biddy that
there had been serious double mis-
take in her life. Instead Of an Irish
girl she should have been a boy and
an American. But American she was
bound to become anyway, and no boy
living could have entered more heart
lily into the celebration than this
same Biddy O'Hare, in her straw hat
with a wide dropping brim and her
green frock.
There was just one peculiar thing
in Biddy's makeup, and that, to call It
by its gentlest name, was tendency
to prevaricate. Indeed, prevaricate
will hardly do, for she often made up
whole stories without even a founda-
ton Of truth. 1t was Biddys weak
ness. Her parents fondly hoped that
she would outgrow it-she was only
eight-but, as things were now, al
most all she said had to be carefully
considered as coming from Biddy.
In the town where Biddy lived there
was a public celebration, and this
young Irish American made her plans
to attend. She did not think it worth
while to ask permission. When the af-
ternoon came she found 1t easy enough
to get herself lost in the crowd and to
follow the rest Of the patriotic citizens
out to the fair grounds.
This, she felt, made her fully an
American. The flags waved for her as
much as for anybody. And there was
not sight that escaped her. Wher-
ever there was something extra to see
Biddy would crowd in between the
older persons or she would get under
the ropes or the edges Of tent. When
she wanted pink lemonade or peanuts
she invited some man to buy them for
her. She clapped when the band play
ed. She even climbed to the band
stand, where she could stand beside
the man with the bass cornet
So fascinating 1t all was that she
did not notice when the sun went
down and the torches and Japanese
lanterns began to glow. She stayed
works. It was late when her father
found her, high up in the grand stand.
OF course there had been a fright
when her absence was noticed, and so
that they actually forgot to punish her
for running away.
Many days passed before Biddy was
through telling the wonders Of her
celebration. Everything she described
became under her artistic touch three
times as wonderful as It really had
been. Biddy gave her imagination full
play. The climax came when she told
Of going up in paper balloon at
night. She declared there were seats
all around on the inside, that 1t was
light as day in there and that the man
who sent the balloons up wanted 9TH
er children to go, too, but that she was
the only one who dared do 1t. And
that" she explained, "is why they
called me the hero Of the celebration.
And when I came down on the very
spot from which l started the band
played a new piece called Brave Bid
dy O'Hare.' And
Just at this point her father inter-
rupted her to say very sternly that
she need continue the narrative no
further. There was look in his face
that Biddy had never seen before,
and her story Of the Fourth stopped
right where 1t was-Washington Star.