“Hello, Scout,” said Uncle Ned, who had dropped in for dinner, as
the boy named Billy came in in his new khaki uniform, “whither
away?”
“I’m just getting my kit packed,” said the boy named Billy, “we
Juniors are going to hike out to Long Lake for over the Fourth.”
“You’ll miss all the fireworks,” said Uncle Ned.
“No, we won’t, we’ll be back before evening,” said Billy. “We’ve
got to because we’re going to have Company fireworks on the
Parade Grounds--every fellow’s going to bring his own and pool
’em--Dad’s given me some regular sky-shooters to celebrate my
country’s birthday with.”
“Not much like the unsafe and insane Fourth your Dad and I used
to have when we were youngsters,” grinned Uncle Ned. “We had real
gunpowder those days.”
“Dad’s told me all about it,” said Billy. “It must have been
loads of fun. I like a big noise as well as anybody, but I sort
of like to be all in one piece when I take the count at bedtime,
and Dad has always missed that finger of his a lot--that middle
one he lost the Fourth just after he was nine years old.”
“Guess I do know,” said Uncle Ned. “I carried him in to Mother,
and I’ll never forget how she looked, either.”
“Well,” said the boy named Billy, “when it comes to having fun
that would make Mom sorry I’ll go without the fun.”
“You’re all right, Billy Boy,” said Somebody, who had been
listening to the conversation, “those old fellows did not have
half the fun they think they did.”
[Illustration: Fireworks!]
“Well,” said the boy named Billy, “she’s a grand old country and
I’ll help celebrate her birthday every time, but I’m glad that
they pay more attention to us boys nowadays and let us have hikes
and scout suits and drills and everything. It would be hard to
find a place where a boy can have a better time just being a boy,
than in this good old Land o’ the Free--don’t you think?”
“’Deed and I do, Billy Boy, think just that!” said Somebody.
“Somebody, what is in the Declaration of Independence?”
“Compton’s Pictured Encyclopedia gives it briefly,” said
Somebody. “‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life,
liberty and pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers
from the consent of the governed; that, whenever any form of
government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right
of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a
new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and
organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their safety and happiness--
“‘We, therefore--do solemnly publish and declare, That these
United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, Free and
Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance
to the British crown, and that all political connection between
them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally
dissolved; and that as free and independent States, they have
full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances,
establish commerce and do all other acts and things which
independent States may of right do. And for the support of this
declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine
Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our
fortunes, and our sacred honor.’”