Corvallis Gazette

An Episode of the Fourth,

Oh, yes, we had a glorious time, of course. We always do. We didn't begin firing till 7 o'clock, partly because it wakes people up, and partly because it is so silly to use up all your crackers before breakfast, as some boys do, and have none for the rest of the day, and have every one think you a nuisance besides.

We had no accidents; that is, nothing to speak of. Polly burned two or three of her fingers a little, but we made that all right with soda and a rag, and she never cried a bit; but there was an episode, and it happened to me. This was the way it happened:

I wanted both my hands to use, and I had a piece of punk in one of them, and there was no place to lay it down, and everybody's hands were full, too, so I—well, I just put it into my pocket for a minute. It was lighted, but I didn't think it would do any harm just for a minute. I forgot that I had a whole bunch of firecrackers in that same pocket.

Suddenly I heard some one cry out "Tom is afire!" and then there came a puff of smoke in my face, and I felt something hot against my leg, and then—pop! snap! bang! crack, fizz, whizz! cracklety-bang! the crackers began to go off in my pocket!

Everybody was yelling, and just for a minute I didn't know what to do. I ran, but the crackers ran with me, and the faster I went the harder they popped. Then all at once I saw what to do, and I pulled off my jacket and threw it on the grass. Luckily it was my jacket, and not my trousers pocket!

Billy took it up and shook out the crackers, and then he turned out the pocket, but there wasn't much left to turn. It was just a black rag, and it dropped into little pieces. Then there was a big piece that looked as if it had once been white, and that, they said, was my handkerchief, but I should never have known it.

Well, of course they all laughed at me a good deal, but I didn't mind much, for it really was very funny, I suppose; but my advice to other boys is, don't carry crackers in your pocket,—and if you do, don't put a lighted slow-match in with them!—Laura E. Richards.