The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-07-02
BOY'SPOOR FOURTH
For Various Reasons Bobby
Didn't Enjoy Day That Is
Meant to Be Enjoyed.
Declaration of independence and Tea
Played Part Last Year, But This
Year Youngster Has Deter
mined to Make Another
Declaration.

- ULY 3. 11:20 p. m.-Long
:: :: !: !: s: !; :: :: !: !
" past bedtime, and I'm aW
full, awful sleepy. Asked
Aunt Jane long ago If l
AV couldn't go to bed, SO as
~ to be up early on the
Fourth, but Uncle Hab-
akkuk he just raised his eyebrows,
and Aunt Jane she said: Pretty
soon, Bobby; keep awake a while
longer, dearie; then you can sleep
right through until breakfast time, and
the unseemly sounds which erroneous
~ are linked with the birth of our in
dependence is a regular Aunt
Jane talk, this is-"will not disturb
your rest" Hope they give me some
crackers tomorrow. They will, guess
not What did pop send me up here
for, anyway?
July 4, $40 a. m.-Darn it! Slept
right through till breakfast time, just
as Aunt Jane said l would. Looked
out the window and saw Uncle Habak-
kuk. He was calling a boy down for
firing off a cap pistol just outside the
gate. I can see myself getting crack
ers out of him!
S:35 a. m.-What's this coming?
Aunt Jane just knocked on my door
and said it was high time we were eel
ebrating Maybe they've got some fire
crackers for me, after all; few packs
OF those unseemly sounds which are
errone-what-d'y er-call-it linked with
the birth of our independence would
come in mighty handy now. Told
Aunt Jane I'd be down in second.
8:45 a. m.-Well, we've been cele-
brating all right We'd begin the day,
SO we went in the parlor and Aunt
Jane sat down at the melodeOn-pop
says he remembers that melodeon
when he was boy. Aunt Jane sang
America" she and Uncle Habakkuk
duetted on THE Star Spangled Ban
ner," and then they made me sing
that crazy song in our school book,
| How CAM serve-my country
best? Is 1t by taking sword in-h-h-
hand?" l could see a crowd gathering
outside the fence, and somebody threw
a lighted cannon cracker on the porch
Also, it blew six branches off the hon
eysuckle and made an awful unseemly
sound.
9:15-a m.-Breakfast After it was
over, Uncle Habakkuk kept me half
an hour at the table while he talked
about William Pitts part in parlia-
ments repeal of the hated stamp act
10 a. m-Out on the front lawn.
Uncle Habakkuk read the Declaration
| To nd
| and Aunt Jane told me how once,
when she was a girl, she went to Fan
euil hail. Philadelphia, and saw the
very pen that Benjamin Hancock
wrote with when he wrote the words:
"By the Internal! The Union must
and shall be preserved"
1880 a. m.-Some boys down the
street set off four packs Of giant
crackers in an old tin Washboiler.
Uncle Habakkuk saw me looking at
them, SO he said: Bobby, come in
the house with me, I've something l
want to show you
1880 a. m-Uncle Habakkuk has
been reading me some statistics he
calls them They show that since the
Fourth Of July, 1776 there have been
1905, 4431a fingers blown off by cele-
brations, S63,401 eyes blackened, s.
100000 eardrums ruined, and do you
think, Bobby, in the face of these elo-
quent facts, it is wise to encourage
boys in such er-pernicious folly?
No, sir; II guess not, sir. Sensible
lad! l thought you would agree with
me!
1890 D. m.-Lunch; somehow
hadn't much of an appetite. When
| Aunt Jane said l should take a nap
Immediately after eating, had less.
4:25 p. n1.-Well, I've had my nap
Once, when [ was awful sick, they
gave me something or other to make