Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1906 — LITTLE VISITS WITH "UNCLE BY" [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LITTLE VISITS WITH "UNCLE BY"

The*'Boy’s Fourth. The Fourth’s th’ time fer boys! "They’s peanuts then—and noise. An’ ma she sort of lets me loose with one last, warnin’ cry: "Now, WIMe, please toe good, And don’t fergit th’ wood—" Then I skip out t’ celebrate th’ Fourth day of July! Why, way back In th’ night, Before th' break of light, I heared th’ cannons rip and roar down on th’ public square Where William Blunt, Esquire, Is loadin’ fer t’ lire! His coat is off, his sleeves rolled up, his arms is brown an’ bare! 1 grab th’ powder can Jlst like a growed-up man, An’ help Bill load th’ cannon up, an’ help him ram ’erdown! Bill lays th' trail of black An’ 1 jlst hustle back An’ hold my ears, and holler when th’ cannon shakes th’ town! I spend a dime fer punk An’ light a great, big chunk To shoot my crackers with an’ blow an’ git some In my eye! An’ Jlst pertend t’ smoke! It’s funny fer a joke— They’s heaps of things fer boys t’ do, the Fourth day of July!

They’s flags an* candy stands, An' lemonade—and bands! An’ public speakin’ in th’ square an’ roast ox fer th’ crowd— Twas awful big this year! At least thet’s what I hear— t Well, us kids et and fit until we couldn't griint out loud! There's rockets, too, at night Thet go clean out of sight— But this here Fourth wuz bad fer ma —It ended with a cry! It closed up in a row— I didn't bring th' cow, An’ plumb fergot t’ split th’ wood the Fourth day of July! An' jtst before pa cum, I burned my finger sum! My, pa wuz mad clear through, but ma she "shh-ed" him with her eye— She got th’ vaseline An’ done me all up clean, ▲nd said: “I wisht th' calendar would skip the Fourth day of July."