e bun fund, and at the "collation" in the
woods, he concluded his speech with these words: "I learn that the Hon.
Charles Pitt Macomber, who has been forbidden to fire off crackers, has
some poetry, and I will ask him to read it I would only add that freemen
must stand for their rights." Cheers were now given for "the poet of the
day." Charlie stood up and read these lines, which were subsequently found
by Aunt Stanshy in the pocket of his pants, for these needed the help of
her needle after the great and fatiguing duties of the Fourth. The name
and age of the author, Charlie had been particular to place over the
poetry. We give the lines exactly as they appear in the original now in
our possession.

THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.

By C.P. MACOMBER, (nine years.)

"Hurrah for the Glorious Fourth of July,
When sky-rockets mount to the sky,
When fire-crackers are whizzing so fine,
And all is Majesty Grandeur an' sublime.

"If I could have the whole day to myself,
I would fire off crackers all day like an elf,
The Giant Torpedoes would fall to the ground,
And all would come down with a terrible sound.

"What good are little paper caps?
I would not give two ginger snaps,
They do not make a noise worth hearing,
But fire-crackers, the ladies are fearing."

If Charlie should write this again, he would change the above, but it is
too late to alter now, and we give it as preserved in our note-book.
Furious applause followed this ebullition of poetic genius.

The collation was followed by the raft-race. The ditch that ran beside the
railroad embankment widened in one place to forty feet. Half a dozen logs
were here floating. The keeper of the great seal had brought with him a
hammer and a handful of nails, and seeing on his way several strips of
board, he had picked them up and now nailed the six logs together in
pairs, making three rafts.

"There will now be a race between our first treasurer, our sentinel, and
the keeper of the great seal," pompously announced Sid. "This will be the
first race. I expected Tony and the governor would compete, but they have
gone home. The Fourth was too much for them."

They both began to be sick after the collation. Rick, with his usual
pertinacity, wanted to "stick it out," but his feelings overcame him, and
he adjourned. He and Tony had eaten too much green-tinted candy. The
participants in the raft-race were preparing for the contest, Charlie
having already boa