Tip Lewis and His Lamp | Page 6

come up to my house to-night at dark, and see if you can find it there. We are going to have fireworks, and songs, and all the fun we can."
Tip was not by any means a bashful boy, and it took a great deal to astonish him; but this sudden invitation almost took his breath away. The idea that Mr. Minturn had actually invited him, Tip Lewis, to come to the white house!--to come near to that wonderful fountain, near enough perhaps to feel the dash of its spray! He could have danced for joy; yet, when Mr. Minturn said, "Well, will you come?" for the first time in his life he was known to stammer and hesitate.
"I--I don't--know. I haven't got any clothes."
"Clothes!" repeated Mr. Minturn; "what do you call those things which you have on?"
"I call 'em rags, sir," answered Tip, his embarrassment gone, and the mischief twinkling back into his face again.
Mr. Minturn laughed, and looked down on the torn jacket and pants.
"Not a bad name," he said at last. "But you've got water at your house, haven't you?"
"Lots of it."
"Then put your head into a tub of it, and a clean face up to my house to-night, and we'll try and find that fun you're looking for."
And Mr. Minturn, who had spent a great deal of time for him, was passing on. "See here!" he called, after he had moved forward a few steps; "if you see any boy raggeder than you are yourself, bring him along,--bring every boy and girl you meet who haven't anywhere else to go."
"Ho!" said Tip, as soon as the gentleman was at safe distance; "if this isn't rich, then I don't know,--fireworks in that great yard, pretty near the fountain maybe, and lots of fun. We can take anybody we like. I know what I'll do. I'll hunt up Bob Turner; his jacket has got enough sight more holes in it than mine has. Oh, ho! ain't it grand, though?" And Tip clapped his hands and whistled, and at last, finding that didn't express his feeling, said, "Hurrah!" in a good strong tone.
Yes, hurrah! Tip is right; it is glorious to think that one man out of his abundance is going to open his heart, and gather in God's poor, and, for one evening at least, make them happy.
God bless Mr. Minturn!
Never had the good man's grounds entertained such a group as, from all quarters of the large town, gathered before it was quite dark.
Ragged boys and girls! If those were what be wanted, he had them, sure enough, of almost every age and size. There were some not so ragged,--some in dainty white dresses and shining jackets; but they went down and mingled with the others,--brothers and sisters for that night at least,--and were all, oh, so happy!
How they did dance and laugh and scream around that fountain, and snap torpedoes and fire-crackers, and shout with wild delight when the rockets shot up into the sky, or the burning wheels span round and round, scattering showers of real fire right in among the crowds of children!
Well, the evening hasted away; the very last rocket took its bright, rushing way up into the blue sky; and Mr. Minturn gathered his company around the piazza with the words,--
"Now, children, Mr. Holbrook has a few words to say to you, and after that, as soon as we have sung a hymn, it will be time to go home."
Mr. Holbrook was the minister; many of the children knew him well, and most of them were ready to hear what he had to say, because they knew, by experience, that he was old enough and wise enough not to make a long, dry speech after nine o'clock on the Fourth of July.
Only Tip, as he turned longingly away from the last dying spark of the rocket, muttered, "Bother the preaching!"
Mr. Holbrook came forward to the steps, as the boys and girls gathered around him.
"Children," said he, "we have had a good time, haven't we?"
"Yes, sir!" came in a loud chorus from many voices.
"Yes; I thought you acted as though you felt pretty happy. Now this has been a busy day, and we are all tired, so I'm not going to keep you here to make a speech to you; I just want to tell you, in as few words as I can, what I have been thinking about since I stood here to-night. I have watched you as you frolicked around that fountain,--so many young, bright faces, all looking so happy,--and I said to myself, When the time comes for us to gather around that fountain of living water which is before the throne of God, I wonder if one of these boys and girls will be missing--one of them? Oh, children, I pray