Fourth of July is coming, boys, and we must do something to celebrate the anniversary of the glorious Declaration of Independence.
Let us see if we can not plan something that will be better and pleasanter than setting off fire-crackers, firing pistols, guns, and toy cannons. All these things make a hideous racket, which annoys sick and delicate persons, to say nothing of the serious accidents that have so often turned the great national holiday into a day of pain and sorrow for many a boy who started out in the morning to have a good time, and ended before night with bandaged hands and aching heads. It will be much better for you to be content with seeing the public display of fire-works which will take place in almost every village, managed by men who are used to handling these dangerous articles, than to run the risk of losing an eye or a hand in the reckless use of explosive toys.
There are many pleasant ways in which you can celebrate the Fourth without any danger. There is no reason why you shouldn't have a supply of lanterns for one thing, and make the woods and lawns and the inside and outside of your houses just as bright as possible. I am going to have a great illumination. My lanterns were all finished up a week ago, and now I am going to tell you just how I made them, so that if you like you can have as many and as great a variety as are now piled up in one corner of my room all ready for the evening of the glorious Fourth.
Fig. 1.
My first lantern (Fig. 1) is made out of a Chicago corned-beef can, of which I procured a number from our grocery man. Having thoroughly washed them out with hot water and soda, I took them to a friendly tinsmith, who cut out from the sides the squares, circles, and ellipses. Over these I pasted red, white, and blue tissue-paper, while, to make the lantern still more luminous, holes were punched through the tin sides in various designs. This lantern can be either suspended with wires, or stood on window-sills, balconies, etc.
Fig. 2.
My next lantern (Fig. 2) is an imitation of the Chinese "bucket" lantern. The top consists of a strip of pasteboard one inch in breadth, the ends of which are sewed together, thus forming a circle, with a diameter of about seven inches. The bottom consists of a circular piece of pasteboard. The body of the lantern is composed of one piece of tissue-paper, either red, white, or blue in color, which is pasted to the top band and to the circular bottom piece. The lantern is suspended by means of three pieces of stout thread or fine wire as shown in the illustration.
