From Willie's Sister to Willie's Mother.
Washingtonville, July 4.
MY DEAREST MAMMA,—Something awful has happened. Willie has been burned pretty nearly all over, I guess. You know, this is the Fourth of July, and we have had such a time! You can't know how nervous I am, and I hope you will never go away again and leave me to look after Willie when there is going to be a Fourth of July. He simply would not mind one thing I said to him, just because he is a year and a half older than I am—the idea!—when he knows I have better judgment than he has. Boys never have any judgment, anyhow, on Fourth of July—that's been my experience. Why, Willie's judgment was worse than Carlo's—he knew enough to be scared, and Willie didn't. The poor dog just sat in the wood-shed all day and barked, and to-night he is so hoarse that I am going to put a flannel around his neck. And poor darling Miss Mouser, I don't know where she is. I would be very much alarmed about her if I hadn't seen two big yellow lights under the barn, which I hope and trust were her eyes.
Of course Aunt Lou helped me to look after Willie a good deal, but I'm very sorry to tell you that he didn't always mind her. As for papa, I think he was 'most as bad as Willie. Not that he let off fire-crackers in his hat, or had any horrid fireworks go off in his pocket, but he would just let Willie go on awfully, and never say a word to him. But he was frightened when Willie got burned. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about that. I don't know how it happened hardly, but there was a lot of boys and a bushel of fire-crackers and torpedoes and fireworks and everything, and it all went off together, and Willie was right down in it. I was dreadfully frightened, and Aunt Lou screamed, and Carlo barked, and papa just took Willie by the collar and lifted him right out. We had two doctors. Harry Austin got burned too, half an hour later, but I believe they had only one doctor. I must stop and go and look after Miss Mouser.
Ever your loving little Mollie.