Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1906 — OUR FOURTH OF JULY BOY. [ARTICLE]

OUR FOURTH OF JULY BOY.

He started out early, our dear little boy, With seventeen pack* and a nice cannon toy, A platol for cape and torpedoea galore. And a hundred and forty-nine pinwheels or more. We hired a man just to watch him at play And to follow hi* footaepa around ail the day, Ten times in the morning be saved the dear's life. But was blown up himself and sent home to his wife. And at night when they brought what was left of our boy. Our anguish was tempered by small graine of joy, For he said, as the powder was picked from his eye, "I wish 'at to-morrow was Fourth o' July. Then the doctor came round at our urgent request And tacked on the limbs where they fitted the best, But the kid only said, “I'd be willin' to die Every day if 'twas only the Fourth of July.