One afternoon, after school, the boys were all busy weeding in their gardens, when one of them suddenly cried out, "Phil, do you know how long it is to the Fourth of July?"
"To be sure I do," answered Philip; "it is just four weeks and four days."
"So it is, I declare," said Thomas, the first boy who had spoken. "Boys, I'll tell you what we will do. Let us all write to our parents, for an immense lot of fireworks; then, we will club together, and keep all, except the crackers, for a grand display of fireworks, in the evening."
"Oh yes, yes," cried all the boys, "that is an excellent idea."
"I will ask Mr. Harrison," said Phil, "to help us fix the wheels and so forth, for all I ever fixed myself, stuck fast, and would not go round at all."
"I mean to write for lots of Roman candles," said Frank, "they look so beautiful going up. They look like planets with wings."
"I will go largely into the snakes and grasshoppers," said another boy; "it is such fun to see the boys cutting round to get out of the way."
"We'll make some wooden pistols, to put the crackers in," said another boy.
"Yes, and I will send for a little brass cannon that my uncle Major Brown gave me," said another.
Just then the bell rang for tea, and the boys, putting their little rakes and hoes into their tool-house, ran in to wash their faces and hands, and brush their hair. Then they took off their overalls or coarse pantaloons, which they wore when at work in the garden, and hung them up in the play-room. They had a nice large play-room for playing when the weather was unpleasant.