Chapter I: Have a Song

[G] Reprinted from the Saturday Evening Post, Philadelphia. Copyrighted 1917 by the Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia.

I have a son who goes to France
Tomorrow.
I have clasped his hand--
Most men will understand--
And wished him, smiling, lucky chance in France.
My son!
At last the house is still--
Just the dog and I in the garden--dark--
Stars and my pipe's red spark--
The house his young heart used to fill
Is still.

He said one day, "I've got to go
To France--Dad, you know how I feel!"
I knew. Like sun and steel
And morning. "Yes," I said, "I know
You'll go."

I'd waited just to hear him speak
Like that.
God, what if I had had
Another sort of lad,
Something too soft and meek and weak
To speak!

And yet!
He could not guess the blow
He'd struck.
Why, he's my only son!
And we had just begun
To be dear friends. But I dared not show
The blow.

But now--tonight--
No, no; it's right;
I never had a righter thing
To bear. And men must fling
Themselves away in the grieving sight
Of right.

A handsome boy--but I, who knew
His spirit--well, they cannot mar
The cleanness of a star
That'll shine to me, always and true,
Who knew.

I've given him.
Yes; and had I more,
I'd give them too--for there's a love
That asking, asks above
The human measure of our store--
And more.

Yes; it hurts!
Here in the dark, alone--
No one to see my wet old eyes--
I'll watch the morning rise--
And only God shall hear my groan
Alone.

I have a son who goes to France
Tomorrow.
I have clasped his hand--
Most men will understand--
And wished him, smiling, lucky chance
In France.

_Emory Pottle_

IN FLANDERS FIELDS[H]

[H] From "In Flanders Fields," by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, courtesy of G. P. Putnam's Sons, publishers.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amidst the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved; and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe!
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch. Be yours to hold it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

_John McCrae_

AMERICA'S ANSWER

Rest ye in peace, ye Flanders dead.
The fight that ye so bravely led
We've taken up. And we will keep
True faith with you who lie asleep,
With each a cross to mark his bed,
And poppies blowing overhead,
Where once his own life blood ran red.
So let your rest be sweet and deep
In Flanders fields.

Fear not that ye have died for naught.
The torch ye threw to us we caught.
Ten million hands will hold it high,
And freedom's light shall never die!
We've learned the lesson that ye taught
In Flanders fields.

_R. W. Lillard_

AMERICAN SENTIMENTS

It is a fearful thing to lead this great, peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts--for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free.

To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.

_Woodrow Wilson_

We came into this war for ourselves. It is a war to save America, to preserve self-respect, to justify our right to live as we have lived, not as some one else wishes us to live. It is more precious that this America shall live than that we Americans should live.

_Franklin K. Lane_

No nation has a right to its freedom if it is unwilling to fight for the freedom of others, and for its own.

The cost of war is not to be measured in money. It is in the slow paid price of the human heart--in the blood drops, one by one.

_Charles C. Gordon_

BIBLIOGRAPHY

See Bibliography at end of monograph.

FLAG DAY

June 14

THE STARS AND STRIPES

It is not a painted rag. It is a whole national history. It is the Constitution. It is the Government. It is the free people that stand in the Government, on the Constitution.

_Henry Ward Beecher_

FLAG DAY

HANNAH H. CHEW, PRINCIPAL CULVER SCHOOL, MILLVILLE

The great war has brought more forcibly to us a realization of the necessity for training the youth of our land to a greater respect for, and a fuller knowledge of our national emblem.

Wherever the flag floats, children must be taught to love it and to respect its significance.

New Jersey long ago required that the flag be displayed on school buildings, and the flag salute be given daily, but no statute can make certain that the spirit of the law is emphasized.

The teachers of the children of the state bear the responsibility of training for patriotism, and the future of democracy depends upon the patriotic ideals nurtured in the public schools. We shall have more patriotic observances than formerly and one of those which we shall celebrate with more interest will be Flag Day.

The date authorized to be observed as Flag Day comes so near the close of the school year that it may well be used as a special occasion on which pupil and parent join in paying tribute to our national emblem.

Flag Day can be made the occasion of raising a new flag, or of taking a collection to provide silk flags or a patriotic picture for the classrooms, thus giving parents an opportunity to contribute to the patriotism of the school. If a new flag is to be presented to the school, Flag Day will be a most appropriate time to receive it, and exercises can be conducted partly or altogether out-of-doors. On the playground all pupils can take part in marches and drills suitable to their grades. In order to have the best effects, some uniformity of costume is best. Any movements uniformly done in mass are pleasing, and teachers can adapt marching figures to their own playground with good effect. The purpose of the teacher of the primary grades should be to awaken love and reverence for the flag and to instill loyalty into the minds and hearts of the children.

In the higher grades children should not only be trained to show love and respect for the flag, but should understand their duty toward their country. They should study the flag, its history, its significance, its various forms and uses, the correct ways of displaying it, and the proper manner of raising and lowering it.

The flag of our state should also be taught, together with its history.

It is a part of our school law that the flag salute shall be a part of the daily program. It is the duty of the teacher to interpret the meaning and the spirit of the salute to the pupils, not neglecting the correct pronunciation of the words. The salute should never be carelessly repeated, but should be given in a serious manner, and only after children have been called to standing position.

In the making of a program, attention should be given to current events. The best of the popular songs may be sung. (Be sure they are the best.) Current literature will furnish some prose and poetry suitable for the occasion. A real, present-day note should always be sounded. The same program should not be used year after year, but the material should be selected anew each time, though some repetition in the use of standard recitations and national songs is to be expected.

A scrap-book kept for suitable material will be a valuable aid to the teacher. Such a scrap-book can be made by using large envelops, fastening them at the bottom within a cardboard cover, and labelling each envelop according to its contents. As additions are made to the songs, poems, programs, etc., a catalog of the contents can be kept on the outside of the envelop. It will be best to mount recitations on heavy paper in order to preserve them longer.

SUGGESTIVE PROGRAMS

PRIMARY GRADES

Opening remarks by teacher in charge

Singing by school, "America"

Recitation, "Our Flag" (by May Howlister), First grade pupil

Recitation, "Your Flag and my Flag" (by Wilbur D. Nesbit), Fourth
grade pupil

Song, "Our Country's Flag" (by Florence L. Dresser)

Flag Drill, All pupils

Presentation of new flag, Member of Parent-Teacher Association

Flag Salute, Entire audience: "I pledge allegiance to my flag, and
to the Republic for which it stands; one Nation, indivisible,
with Liberty and Justice for all"

Song, "The Star Spangled Banner"

GRAMMAR GRADES

Remarks by teacher or pupil in charge

Song, "The Star Spangled Banner," School, led by school orchestra

Oration, "Flag Day Address" (by President Wilson), Eighth grade boy

Recitation, "The Name of Old Glory" (by James Whitcomb Riley)

Song, "The Unfurling of the Flag" (by Clara Endicott Sears)

"Why we should love the Flag" (Best original speech by grade pupil)

Recitation, "Old Flag" (by Hubbard Parker)

Song, "We'll Keep Old Glory Flying" (by Carleton S. Montanye)

Flag drill and grand march, All pupils of grades 5, 6, 7, 8

Presentation of new flag by father of pupil

Flag Raising

Flag Salute: "I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic
for which it stands; one Nation, indivisible, with Liberty and
Justice for all"

Song, "America"

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN FLAG

On the 2d of July, 1776, the American Congress resolved "that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; and that all political connection between us and the states of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." On the 4th of July a Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Congress, and sent out under its authority, to announce to all other nations that the United States of America claimed a place among them. On this 4th of July the nation was born. Its flag, the visible symbol of its power, was not adopted till 1777.

On the 14th of June, 1777, Congress resolved "that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

The national flag--_our_ national flag--grew in the most direct way out of the banners that had waved over the colonists. The flag of the United Colonies had thirteen stripes, one for each colony, and the stripes were alternate red and white. This part of the old flag remained unchanged in the new one. Each colony retained its stripe.

The flag of the colonies, in its union, had displayed the king's colors. There was now no longer a king in America, but a new Union had arisen--a Union of Thirteen States--no longer a Union of kingdoms. The union of the old flag had been the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew conjoined on a blue field. The new union was a circle of silver stars in a blue sky--"a new constellation."

The flag of the United States was derived from the flag of the United Colonies in the simplest and most natural manner. The old flag had expressed the hopes and aspirations of thirteen colonies which had united in order to secure justice from their king and fellow-countrymen in England. The new flag expressed the determined resolve of the same thirteen colonies--now become sovereign states--to form a permanent Union, and to take their place among the nations of the world. They were no longer Englishmen; they were Americans.

Many suggestions have been made to account for the appearance of stars or of stripes in the new flag. It seems unnecessary to seek for any explanation other than the one that has just been given. The old flag of the United Colonies expressed the feelings and aspirations of the revolted English colonists. They were willing to remain as subjects of the English king, but they had united to secure justice. The new flag expressed their firm resolve to throw off the yoke of England and to become a new nation. The symbols of each flag exactly expressed the feeling of the men who bore it.

There is a resemblance between the colors and symbols of the new flag and the symbols borne on the coat of arms of General Washington that is worthy of remark. General Washington was a descendant of an English family, and his ancestors bore a coat of arms that he himself used as a seal, and for a book-plate.

It has been supposed that the stars of the American flag were suggested by the three stars of this coat of arms, and this is not impossible. General Washington was in Philadelphia in June, 1777, and he is said to have engaged Mrs. John Ross, at that time, to make the first flag, though this is not absolutely certain.

However this may be, it is known that the American flag of thirteen stars and of thirteen stripes was displayed at the siege of Fort Stanwix in August, 1777; at the battle of Brandywine on September 11; at Germantown on the 4th of October; at the surrender of the British under General Burgoyne on October 17. The flag had been adopted in June of the same year. The vessels of the American navy flew this flag on the high seas, and their victories made it respected everywhere....

The treaty of peace between England and the United States was signed (at Paris, France) on September 3, 1783. This was the acknowledgment of Great Britain of the independence of her former colonies; and the other nations of Europe stood by consenting. Our flag was admitted, at that time, on equal terms with the standards of ancient kingdoms and states, to the company of the banners of the world....

In April, 1818, the Congress passed "An Act to Establish the Flag of the United States":

"Section I. _Be it enacted, etc._, That from and after the fourth day of July next, the flag of the United States be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union have twenty stars, white in a blue field.

"Section II. _And be it further enacted_, That on the admission of every new state into the union, one star be added to the union of the flag; and that such addition shall take effect on the fourth of July next succeeding such admission. _Approved_, April 4, 1818."

No changes (other than the addition of new stars) have been made in the national flag since 1818. The stars have been added, one by one, until in 1898 there are forty-five in all. Every state has its star; each of the original thirteen states has its stripe.

So long as the United States exists the flag will remain in its present form, except that new stars will be displayed as the new states come in. It will forever exhibit the origin of the nation from the thirteen colonies, and its growth into a Union of sovereign states.

_Edward S. Holden_

MAKERS OF THE FLAG

This morning, as I passed into the Land Office, The Flag dropped me a most cordial salutation, and from its rippling folds I heard it say: "Good-morning, Mr. Flag-Maker."

"I beg your pardon, Old Glory," I said, "aren't you mistaken? I am not the President of the United States, nor a member of Congress, nor even a general in the army. I am only a Government clerk."

"I greet you again, Mr. Flag-Maker," replied the gay voice. "I know you well. You are the man who worked in the swelter of yesterday straightening out the tangle of that farmer's homestead in Idaho, or perhaps you found the mistake in that Indian contract in Oklahoma, or helped to clear that patent for the hopeful inventor in New York, or pushed the opening of that new ditch in Colorado, or made that mine in Illinois more safe, or brought relief to the old soldier in Wyoming. No matter; whichever one of these beneficent individuals you may happen to be, I give you greeting, Mr. Flag-Maker."

I was about to pass on, when the Flag stopped me with these words:

"Yesterday the President spoke a word that made happier the future of ten million peons in Mexico; but that act looms no larger on the flag than the struggle which the boy in Georgia is making to win the Corn Club prize this summer.

"Yesterday the Congress spoke a word which will open the door of Alaska; but a mother in Michigan worked from sunrise until far into the night, to give her boy an education. She, too, is making the flag.

"Yesterday we made a new law to prevent financial panics, and yesterday, maybe, a school teacher in Ohio taught his first letters to a boy who will one day write a song that will give cheer to the millions of our race. We are all making the flag."

"But," I said impatiently, "these people were only working!"

Then came a great shout from The Flag:

"The work that we do is the making of the flag.

"I am not the flag; not at all. I am but its shadow.

"I am whatever you make me, nothing more.

"I am your belief in yourself, your dream of what a people may become.

"I live a changing life, a life of moods and passions, of heartbreaks and tired muscles.

"Sometimes I am strong with pride, when men do an honest work, fitting the rails together truly.

"Sometimes I droop, for then purpose has gone from me, and cynically I play the coward.

"Sometimes I am loud, garish, and full of that ego that blasts judgment.

"But always I am all that you hope to be, and have the courage to try for.

"I am song and fear, struggle and panic, and ennobling hope.

"I am the day's work of the weakest man, and the largest dream of the most daring.

"I am the Constitution and the courts, statutes and the statute makers, soldier and dreadnaught, drayman and street sweep, cook, counselor, and clerk.

"I am the battle of yesterday, and the mistake of tomorrow.

"I am the mystery of the men who do without knowing why.

"I am the clutch of an idea, and the reasoned purpose of resolution.

"I am no more than what you believe me to be and I am all that you believe I can be.

"I am what you make me, nothing more.

"I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself, the pictured suggestion of that big thing which makes this nation. My stars and my stripes are your dream and your labors. They are bright with cheer, brilliant with courage, firm with faith, because you have made them so out of your hearts. For you are the makers of the flag and it is well that you glory in the making."

_Franklin K. Lane_

THE NAME OF OLD GLORY[I]

[I] From the Biographical Edition of the Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley, copyright 1913. Used by special permission of the publishers, The Bobbs-Merrill Company.

Old Glory! say, who,
By the ships and the crew,
And the long, blended ranks of the gray and the blue--
Who gave you, Old Glory, the name that you bear
With such pride everywhere
As you cast yourself free to the rapturous air
And leap out full-length, as we're wanting you to?--
Who gave you that name, with the ring of the same,
And the honor and fame so becoming to you?--
Your stripes stroked in ripples of white and of red,
With your stars at their glittering best overhead--
By day or by night
Their delightfulest light
Laughing down from their little square heaven of blue!--
Who gave you the name of Old Glory?--say, who--
Who gave you the name of Old Glory?

The old banner lifted, and faltering then
In vague lisps and whispers fell silent again.

Old Glory--speak out!--we are asking about
How you happened to "favor" a name, so to say,
That sounds so familiar and careless and gay
As we cheer it and shout in our wild breezy way--
We--the crowd, every man of us, calling you that--
We--Tom, Dick and Harry--each swinging his hat
And hurrahing "Old Glory!" like you were our kin,
When--Lord!--we all know we're as common as sin!
And yet it just seems like you humor us all
And waft us your thanks, as we hail you and fall
Into line, with you over us, waving us on
Where our glorified, sanctified betters have gone--
And this is the reason we're wanting to know--
(And we're wanting it so--
Where our own fathers went we are willing to go)--
Who gave you the name of Old Glory--O-ho!--
Who gave you the name of Old Glory?

The old flag unfurled with a billowy thrill
For an instant, then wistfully sighed and was still.

Old Glory: the story we're wanting to hear
Is what the plain facts of your christening were--
For your name--just to hear it,
Repeat it, and cheer it, 's tang to the spirit
As salt as a tear;--
And seeing you fly, and the boys marching by,
There's a shout in the throat and a blur in the eye
And an aching to live for you always--or die,
If dying, we still keep you waving on high.
And so, by our love
For you, floating above,
And the scars of all wars and the sorrows thereof,
Who gave you the name of Old Glory, and why
Are we thrilled at the name of Old Glory?

Then the old banner leaped, like a sail in the blast,
And fluttered an audible answer at last.

And it spake, with a shake of the voice, and it said:
By the driven snow-white and the living blood-red
Of my bars, and their heaven of stars overhead--
By the symbol conjoined of them all, skyward cast,
As I float from the steeple, or flap at the mast,
Or droop o'er the sod where the long grasses nod--
My name is as old as the glory of God.
... So I came by the name of Old Glory.

_James Whitcomb Riley_

WE'LL KEEP OLD GLORY FLYING

_Song_

We'll keep Old Glory flying fair,
No matter where we are;
We'll let the breeze caress each stripe
And proudly kiss each star.
'Twill never know the despot's heel,
This Banner of the Free.
We'll keep Old Glory flying high,
For Home and Liberty!

No matter where we go, or when,
No matter where we go,
Our starry flag in grandeur proud,
To us the way will show.
On foreign shores, afar from home,
We'll carry it on high,
And let the foeman know its might--
To honor it or die.

_Carleton S. Montanye_

OUR COUNTRY'S FLAG

_Song_

Beneath our country's flag today,
We stand a children's band,
And to it now in loyalty
We pledge each heart and hand.
We love its colors as they wave
Beneath these summer skies,
The flag our fathers fought to save
Is sacred in our eyes.

Our country's flag, the dear old flag,
To it, ev'ry heart beats true!
We will follow far each gleaming star,
Our own red, white and blue.

'Neath each clust'ring fold, as in days of old,
It will gather those oppressed,
And secure from harm and from all alarm,
It will bid them safely rest.
To its slightest call, we will rally all;
Ev'ry pledge it makes to keep;
And it leads us forth over lands afar,
O'er the ocean's blue so deep.

_Florence L. Dresser_

OLD FLAG

What shall I say to you, Old Flag?
You are so grand in every fold,
So linked with mighty deeds of old,
So steeped in blood where heroes fell,
So torn and pierced by shot and shell,
So calm, so still, so firm, so true,
My throat swells at the sight of you, Old Flag.

What of the men who lifted you, Old Flag,
Upon the top of Bunker Hill?
'Mid shock and roar and crash and scream,
Who crossed the Delaware's frozen stream,
Who starved, who fought, who bled, who died,
That you might float in glorious pride, Old Flag?

What of the women brave and true, Old Flag,
Who, while the cannon thundered wild,
Sent forth a husband, lover, child,
Who labored in the field by day,
Who, all the night long, knelt to pray,
And thought that God great mercy gave,
If only freely you might wave, Old Flag?

What is your mission now, Old Flag?
What but to set all people free,
To rid the world of misery,
To guard the right, avenge the wrong,
And gather in one joyful throng
Beneath your folds in close embrace
All burdened ones of every race, Old Flag.

Right nobly do you lead the way, Old Flag.
Your stars shine out for liberty,
Your white stripes stand for purity,
Your crimson claims that courage high
For Honor's sake to fight and die.
Lead on against the alien shore!
We'll follow you e'en to Death's door, Old Flag!

_Hubbard Parker_

THE UNFURLING OF THE FLAG

_Song_

There's a streak across the skyline
That is gleaming in the sun,
Watchers from the lighthouse towers
Signalled it to foreign Powers
Just as daylight had begun,
Message thrilling,
Hopes fulfilling
To those fighting o'er the seas.
"It's the flag we've named Old Glory
That's unfurling to the breeze."

Can you see the flashing emblem
Of our Country's high ideal?
Keep your lifted eyes upon it
And draw joy and courage from it,
For it stands for what is real,
Freedom's calling
To the falling
From oppression's hard decrees.
It's the flag we've named Old Glory
You see floating in the breeze.

Glorious flag we raise so proudly,
Stars and stripes, red, white and blue,
You have been the inspiration
Of an ever growing nation
Such as this world never knew.
Peace and Justice,
Freedom, Progress,
Are the blessings we can seize
When the flag we call Old Glory
Is unfurling to the breeze.

When the cry of battling nations
Reaches us across the space
Of the wild tumultuous ocean,
Hearts are stirred with deep emotion
For the saving of the race!
Peace foregoing,
Aid bestowing,
First we drop on bended knees,
Then with shouts our grand Old Glory
We set flaunting to the breeze!

_Clara Endicott Sears_

YOUR FLAG AND MY FLAG

Your flag and my flag,
And how it flies today
In your land and my land
And half a world away!
Rose-red and blood-red
The stripes forever gleam;
Snow-white and soul-white--
The good forefathers' dream;
Sky-blue and true blue, with stars to gleam aright--
The gloried guidon of the day; a shelter through the night.

Your flag and my flag!
And, oh, how much it holds--
Your land and my land--
Secure within its folds!
Your heart and my heart
Beat quicker at the sight;
Sun-kissed and wind-tossed--
Red and blue and white.
The one flag--the great flag--the flag for me and you--
Glorified all else beside--the red and white and blue!

Your flag and my flag!
To every star and stripe
The drums beat as hearts beat
And fifers shrilly pipe!
Your flag and my flag--
A blessing in the sky;
Your hope and my hope--
It never hid a lie!
Home land and far land and half the world around,
Old Glory hears our glad salute and ripples to the sound!

_Wilbur D. Nesbit_

OUR FLAG

There are many flags in many lands,
There are flags of every hue,
But there is no flag in any land
Like our own Red, White, and Blue.

Then "Hurrah for the flag!" our country's flag,
Its stripes and white stars, too;
There is no flag in any land
Like our own Red, White, and Blue.

_Mary Howlister_

This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a nation. It has no other character than that which we give it from generation to generation. The choices are ours. It floats in majestic silence above the hosts that execute those choices, whether in peace or in war. And yet, though silent, it speaks to us--speaks to us of the past, of the men and women who went before us, and of the records they wrote upon it.

We celebrate the day of its birth; and from its birth until now it has witnessed a great history, has floated on high the symbol of great events, of a great plan of life worked out by a great people. We are about to carry it into battle, to lift it where it will draw the fire of our enemies. We are about to bid thousands, hundreds of thousands, it may be millions, of our men--the young, the strong, the capable men of the nation--to go forth and die beneath it on fields of blood far away....

Woe be to the man, or group of men, that seeks to stand in our way in this day of high resolution, when every principle we hold dearest is to be vindicated and made secure for the salvation of the nations. We are ready to plead at the bar of history, and our flag shall wear a new luster. Once more we shall make good with our lives and fortunes the great faith to which we were born, and a new glory shall shine in the face of our people.

_Woodrow Wilson_

From Flag Day Address, June 14, 1917

STORY OF THE "STAR SPANGLED BANNER"

In the War of 1812, when an attack was being made upon Fort McHenry, Mr. Key and his friend were on board an American vessel just in sight of the enemy's fleet and the flag of Fort McHenry. They remained on board all through the night, holding their breath at every shell that went careering over among their countrymen in the fort, and every moment expecting an explosion.

Suddenly the firing ceased, and as they had no connection with the enemy's ships they could not find out whether the fort had been abandoned, or the siege given up. For the remainder of the night they paced to and fro upon the deck in terrible anxiety, longing for the return of the day, and looking every few moments at their watches to see how long they must wait for it.

Light came at last, and they could see that our flag was still there. At length they were told that the attack had failed and that the British were re-embarking.

The words of the "Star Spangled Banner" were written by Mr. Key, as he walked the deck in the darkness and suspense.

In less than an hour after it went into the printer's hands it was all over town, was hailed with joy, and at once took its place among our national pieces.

Ferdinand Durag, an actor, saw it, and catching up a volume of flute music, he whistled tune after tune; at length, he chanced upon one called "Anacreon in Heaven," and as note after note fell from his lips, he cried, "Boys, I've hit it!" Then, taking up the words, there rang out for the first time the "Song of the Star Spangled Banner." How the men shouted and clapped!

The actor sang it in public. It was caught up in camps, sung around bivouac fires, and whistled in the streets. When peace was declared and the people scattered to their homes, it was sung around thousands of firesides.

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream;
'Tis the star-spangled banner; oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation,
Blest with victory and peace, may the Heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

_Francis Scott Key_

* * * * *

A man came from Europe to this country, and went to Cuba in 1867. He was arrested as a spy, court-martialed and condemned to be shot. He sent for the American and English consuls, and proved to them that he was not a spy. They went to one of the Spanish officers and said, "This man you have condemned to be shot is an innocent man." The Spanish officer said, "The man has been legally tried by our laws and condemned, and the law must take its course and the man must die." The next morning the man was led out; the grave was already dug for him, the black cap was put on him, the soldiers were there ready to receive the order "Fire," and in a few moments the man would be shot and put in that grave. Then the American consul took the American flag and wrapped it around the prisoner, and the English consul took the English flag and wrapped it around him, and they said to those soldiers, "Fire on those flags if you dare!" Not a man dared. Why? _There were two great governments behind those flags._

Let us love our flag, because behind it is "the greatest of the best and the best of the great of all governments."

* * * * *

I have told the story of the making of an American. There remains to tell how I found out that he was made and finished at last. It was when I went back to see my mother once more and, wandering about the country of my childhood's memories, had come to the city of Elsinore There I fell ill of a fever and lay many weeks in the house of a friend upon the shore of the beautiful Oeresund. One day when the fever had left me they rolled my bed into a room overlooking the sea. The sunlight danced upon the waves, and the distant mountains of Sweden were blue against the horizon. Ships passed under full sail up and down the great waterway of the nations. But the sunshine and the peaceful day bore no message to me. I lay moodily picking at the coverlet, sick and discouraged and sore--I hardly knew why myself. Until all at once there sailed past, close in shore, a ship flying at the top the flag of freedom, blown out on the breeze till every star in it shone bright and clear. That moment I knew. Gone were illness, discouragement and gloom! Forgotten weakness and suffering, the cautions of doctor and nurse. I sat up in bed and shouted, laughed and cried by turns, waving my handkerchief to the flag out there. They thought I had lost my head, but I told them no, thank God! I had found it, and my heart, too, at last. I knew then it was my flag; that my children's home was mine, indeed; that I also had become an American in truth. And I thanked God, and, like unto the man sick of the palsy, arose from my bed and went home, healed.

_Jacob A. Riis_

From "The Making of an American"

THE FLAG GOES BY

Hats off!
Along the street there comes
A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums,
A flash of color beneath the sky:
Hats off!
The flag is passing by!

Blue and crimson and white it shines,
Over the steel-tipped, ordered lines.
Hats off!
The colors before us fly;
But more than the flag is passing by.

Sea-fights and land-fights, grim and great,
Fought to make and to save the State:
Weary marches and sinking ships;
Cheers of victory on dying lips;

Days of plenty and years of peace;
March of a strong land's swift increase;
Equal justice, right and law,
Stately honor and reverend awe;

Sign of a nation, great and strong
To ward her people from foreign wrong;
Pride and glory and honor--all
Live in the colors to stand or fall.

Hats off!
Along the street there comes
A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums;
And loyal hearts are beating high:
Hats off!
The flag is passing by!

_Henry Holcomb Bennett_

RULES FOR FLAG ETIQUETTE

In no case should the flag be permitted to touch the ground, nor should it be marred by advertisements, nor desecrated on the stage.

For indoor decorations the flag should only be used as a drapery; it should not be used to cover a bench or table, or where anything can be placed upon the flag.

No words, figures, pictures or marks of any kind should be placed upon the flag.

When our national flag and state or other flags fly together, or are used in decoration, our national flag should be on the right.

Whenever possible the flag should always be allowed to fly in the breeze from a staff or mast, but if it should be necessary to fasten it to the side of a building or platform, it should hang with the blue field at the upper left hand corner. If hung where it can be seen from both sides, the blue field should be toward the east or north.

The correct salute to the flag as required by the regulations of the United States army is:

Standing at attention, raise the right hand to the forehead over the right eye, palm downward, fingers extended and close together, arm at an angle of forty-five degrees. Move hand outward about a foot, with a quick motion, then drop it to the side.

The oath of allegiance to the flag, adopted by the N. S. D. A. R., and by our military schools, the Boy Scouts and other organizations, and which should be taught in all our public schools is:

"I pledge allegiance to my flag, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

When the colors are passing on parade or in review, the spectator should, if a man or boy, stand at attention and uncover.

When the "Star Spangled Banner" is played, all present should rise and stand at attention until the ending.

When the flag is displayed at half mast, for mourning, it is lowered to that position from the top of the staff. It is afterward hoisted to the top before it is finally lowered.

When the flag is flown at half staff as a sign of mourning it should be hoisted to full staff at the conclusion of the funeral.

When used on a bier or casket at a funeral, the stars should be placed at the head.

Our most important holidays (when the flag should be displayed at full staff) are: Lincoln's Birthday, February 12; Washington's Birthday, February 22; Arbor Day; Memorial Day, May 30; Flag Day, June 14; Independence Day, July 4; Columbus Day, October 12; Thanksgiving Day, and State Day.

The flag should not be hoisted before sunrise or allowed to remain up after sunset.

At "retreat," sunset, civilian spectators should stand at "attention" and the men should remove their hats during the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner." Military spectators are required by regulation to stand at "attention" and give the military salute.

When the national colors are passing on parade, or in review, spectators should, if walking, halt, and if sitting, rise and stand at attention, the men removing their hats.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

See Bibliography at end of monograph.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

KATHARINE B. ROGERS, REFERENCE LIBRARIAN, STATE LIBRARY

HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS IN GENERAL

=Armstrong, W. C.= Patriotic poems of New Jersey. New Jersey Society
Sons of the American Revolution

=Bacon, Corinne=, _comp._ One thousand good books for children.
Wilson[J]

[J] This bibliography contains references to books and parts of books
for the different holidays.

=Bates, E. W. & Orr, W.= Pageants and pageantry. Ginn

=Bemis, K. I., Holtz, M. S. & Smith, H. L.= Patriotic reader. Houghton

=Broadhurst, Jean & Rhodes, Clara L.= Verse for patriots. Lippincott

=Chambers, R.= Book of days. Lippincott

=Chubb, Percival.= Festivals and plays. Harper

=Craig, Mrs. A. A.= The dramatic festival. Putnam

=Davis, H. C.= _ed._ Three minute declamations for college men. Hinds

=Davis, H. C.= _ed._ Three minute readings for college girls. Hinds

=Deems, E. M.= Holy-days and holidays. Funk

=Dynes, S. A.= Socializing the child. Silver Burdette (Chapters VII
and VIII for teachers' reading)

=Horsford, I. M.= Stories of our holidays. Silver Burdette

=Mackay, C. D.= How to produce children's plays. Holt

=Mackay, C. D.= Patriotic plays and pageants. Holt

=Mackay, C. D.= Plays of the pioneers. Harper

=McSpadden, J. W.= Book of holidays. Crowell

=Needham, M. M.= Folk festivals. Huebsch

=Olcott, F. J.= _ed._ Good stories for great holidays. Moffat

=One= hundred and one famous poems. Cable

=Patten, H. P.= The year's festivals. Estes

=Paulsson, Emilie.= Holidays songs and everyday songs and games.
Milton Bradley Co.

=Rice, S. S.= Holiday selections. Penn

=Schauffler, R. H.= _ed._ Our American holiday series. Moffat
Separate volumes on Arbor Day, Flag Day, Lincoln's Birthday,
Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Washington's Birthday

=Stevenson, B. E.= Days and deeds. Baker & Taylor

=Stevenson, B. E.= Home book of verse. Holt

=Thorp, J. & Kimball, R.= Patriotic pageants of today. Holt

=Watkins, D. E. & Williams, R. E.= The forum of democracy. Allyn

OPENING EXERCISES

=McNaught, M. S.= Training in courtesy. (U. S. Bureau of Education
bulletin no. 59, 1917)

COLUMBUS DAY

=Brooks, E. S.= The true story of Christopher Columbus. Lothrop

=Colombo, Fernando.= The discovery of America; from the Life of
Columbus by his son. (Old South Leaflets, vol. 2, no. 29)

=Fiske, John.= The discovery of America. 2 vols. Houghton

=Irving, Washington.= Columbus; his life and voyages. (Heroes of the
Nation Series)

=Mackie, C. P.= With the Admiral of the ocean sea; a narrative of the
first voyage to the western world, drawn mainly from the diary
of Columbus. McClurg

=Moores, C. W.= Life of Christopher Columbus for boys and girls.
Houghton

=Seelye, Mrs. E. E.= The story of Columbus. Appleton

=Trenton State Normal School--Junior Class.= Columbus Day; a dramatic
festival. (Manuscript at Trenton State Normal School Library)

=Winsor, Justin.= Christopher Columbus, and how he received and
imparted the spirit of discovery. Houghton

THANKSGIVING DAY

=Kellogg, A. M.= How to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Penn

=Schauffler, R. H.= _ed._ Thanksgiving. Moffat

=Schell, S.= Thanksgiving celebrations. Werner.

=Sindelar, J. C.= Thanksgiving entertainments. Flanagan.

=Trenton State Normal School.= Thanksgiving Day. Crowell Publishing
Co. (Woman's Home Companion)

LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY

=Andrews, Mary R. S.= The perfect tribute. Scribner

=Arnold, I. N.= Life of Abraham Lincoln. McClurg

=Baldwin, James.= Four great Americans, Washington, Franklin,
Webster, Lincoln. American Book Co.

=Brooks, E. S.= The true story of Abraham Lincoln. Lothrop

=Brooks, Noah.= Abraham Lincoln, and the downfall of American
slavery. Putnam

=Coffin, C. C.= Abraham Lincoln. Harper

=Gordy, W. F.= Abraham Lincoln. Scribner

=Hill, F. T.= Lincoln, the lawyer. Houghton

=MacKaye, Percy.= Lincoln centenary ode. Macmillan

=Moores, C. W.= Life of Abraham Lincoln for boys and girls. Houghton

=Morgan, James.= Abraham Lincoln, the boy and the man. Macmillan

=Morse, J. T.= Abraham Lincoln. 2 vols. Houghton

=Nicolay, J. G.= Boy's life of Abraham Lincoln. Century

=Nicolay, J. G.= Short life of Abraham Lincoln. Century

=Nicolay, J. G. & Hay, John.= Abraham Lincoln. 10 vols. Century

=Nicolay, J. G. & Hay, John.= Complete works of Abraham Lincoln. 2
vols. Century

=Putnam, M. L.= Children's life of Abraham Lincoln. McClurg

=Robinson, L. E.= Abraham Lincoln as a man of letters. Reilly

=Rothschild, Alonzo.= Lincoln, master of men. Lane

=Schauffler, R. H.= _ed._ Lincoln's Birthday. Moffat

=Schurz, Carl.= Abraham Lincoln. Houghton

=Selby, Paul.= Anecdotal Lincoln. Thompson

=Tarbell, I. M.= Life of Abraham Lincoln. 2 vols. Doubleday

=Whipple, Wayne.= The story-life of Lincoln. Winston

WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY

=Brooks, E. S.= The true story of George Washington. Lothrop

=Carrington, H. B.= Washington, the soldier. Scribner

=Ford, P. L.= The true George Washington. Lippincott

=Ford, W. C.= George Washington. Small

=Hapgood, Norman.= George Washington. Macmillan

=Haworth, P. L.= George Washington: farmer. Bobbs-Merrill

=Headley, J. T.= Washington and his generals. Scribner

=Hill, F. T.= On the trail of Washington. Appleton

=Irving, Washington.= Life of George Washington. 8 vols. Putnam

=Irving, Washington.= Washington and his country. ("Life" abridged
for schools) Ginn

=Kellogg, A. M.= How to celebrate Washington's Birthday. Penn

=Lodge, H. C.= George Washington. 2 vols. Houghton

=MacKaye, Percy.= Washington, the man who made us. Knopf

=Schauffler, R. H.= _ed._ Washington's birthday. Moffat

=Scudder, H. E.= George Washington. Houghton

=Seawell, M. E.= Virginia cavalier. Harper

=Seelye, Mrs. E. E.= Story of Washington. Appleton

=Sindelar, J. C.= Washington day entertainments. Flanagan.

=Trent, W. P.= Southern statesmen of the old régime. Crowell

=van Dyke, Henry.= Americanism of Washington. Harper

=Whipple, Wayne.= Story-life of Washington. 2 vols. Winston

ARBOR DAY

=Revell, E. I.= Arbor Day exercises for the schoolroom. Educational
Publishing Co.

=Schauffler, R. H.= _ed._ Arbor Day. Moffat

=Skinner, C. R.= Arbor Day manual. Bardeen

MEMORIAL DAY

=Andrews, M. P.= The American's creed and its meaning. Doubleday

=Hale, E. E.= The man without a country

=Revell, E. I.= Memorial Day exercises for the schoolroom.
Educational Publishing Co.

=Schauffler, R. H.= _ed._ Memorial Day. Moffat

=United States Committee on Public Information.= Battle line of
democracy

FLAG DAY

=Canby, George & Balderston, Lloyd.= Evolution of the American flag.
Ferris & Leach

=Harrison, P. D.= The stars and stripes and other American flags.
Little, Brown & Co.

=Holden, E. S.= Our country's flag and the flags of foreign
countries. Appleton

=Ide, E. K.= History and significance of the American flag.
(Published by the author)

=National Geographic Magazine.= Flag number, October 1917

=Preble, G. H.= History of the flag of the United States of America,
and other national flags. Williams

=Schauffler, R. H.= _ed._ Flag Day. Moffat

=Schell, Stanley.= Flag Day program. Werner

=Stewart, C. W.= The stars and stripes. Boylston Publishing Co.

=Tappan, E. M.= Little book of the flag. Houghton

=U. S. Navy Department.= Flags of the maritime nations

INDEX

Adams, John, 107
Address to America, Walt Whitman, 54
After the great companions, Frank Crane, 134
America, William Cullen Bryant, 55
America's answer, R. W. Lillard, 138
Arbor Day, 109-24

Babcock, Maltbie D., 23
Bailey, 22
Baker, George C., 125
Battle hymn of the republic, Julia Ward Howe, 132
Beecher, Henry Ward, 88, 142
Bennett, Henry Holcomb, 156
Bibliography, Katharine B. Rogers, 159-64
Bixby letter, Abraham Lincoln, 82
Blue and the Gray, The, Francis Miles Finch, 130
Boy Columbus, The, 44
Boy that hungered for knowledge, The, 86
Bridges, Madeline S., 22
Bryant, William Cullen, 55
Bryce, James, 107
Butterworth, Hezekiah, 49

Campbell, Mary R., 40
Cat and his servant, The, Alice Lewis, 31
Chastelleux, Marquis, 108
Chew, Hannah H., 141-58
Choate, Rufus, 107
Civility, selections from rules of, 99
Collins, William, 126
Columbus, Christopher, A dreamer they called him, 42
Columbus and the egg, 45
Columbus dared to cross the sea, 41
Columbus sailed over waters blue, 36
Columbus was a sailor bold, 39
Crowning Columbus, 37
Discovery Day, 41
I'll wave my flag for Discovery Day, 38
My beautiful flag, 38
My little ship, 38
We are jolly little sailors, 36
What we can do, 37
Columbus, Joaquin Miller, 52
Columbus Day, Fitchburg (Massachusetts) Normal School, 45;
J. Cayce Morrison, 33-57
Columbus game, 38
Columbus play, Mary R. Campbell, 40
Cotton, history of, Bessie O'Hagen, 28
Courtesy is to do and say, 22
Crane, Frank, 134

Davis, K. C., 121
Depew, Chauncey Mitchell, 50
Discovery Day, 41
Discovery of America, Washington Irving, 49
Dresser, Florence L., 150

Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 54, 60

Fabricant, Josephine M., 135
Farber, Florence L., 24
Finch, Francis Miles, 130
Fitchburg (Massachusetts) Normal School, 45
Flag, American, brief history of, Edward S. Holden, 145
Flag, story about, 155
Flag Day, Hannah H. Chew, 141-58
Flag etiquette, rules for, 157
Flag goes by, Henry Holcomb Bennett, 156
Flag of Spain, 42
Folsom, Joseph Fulford, 84
Forests, value of, U. S. Bureau of Education, 123
Foster, Henry W., 89
Froude, James Anthony, 23

Gaskill, Alfred, 112
Gettysburg Speech, Abraham Lincoln, 79
Gordon, Charles C., 139
Gordon, John B., 133
Green, J. R., 90, 96
Gregg, David, 134
Guitteau, William Backus, 56

Hale, Edward Everett, 50
Hamilton grove, planting of, Charles A. Philhower, 119
Harte, Bret, 129
Haver, Jennie, 13
Hay, John, 134
Hazard, Caroline, 56
Holden, Edward S., 145
Houghton, George W. W., 53
Howe, Julia Ward, 132
Howlister, Mary, 153

I have a son, Emory Pottle, 136
If you have faith, 23
Immortal morn, Hezekiah Butterworth, 49
In Flanders Fields, John McCrae, 138
Irving, Washington, 49, 53

Jusserand, J. J., 94

Kendall, C. N., 7, 9, 111, 112
Key, Francis Scott, 155
Kilmer, Joyce, 110
Kindness is catching, 23
Kipling, Rudyard, 131

Lane, Franklin K., 139, 147
Lee, Henry, 107
Lewis, Alice, 31
Lillard, R. W., 138
Lincoln, Abraham, 79, 82, 96
Lincoln, Acrostic, 84
Lincoln and Judge B. ... swap horses, 87
Lincoln's autobiography, 81
Lincoln's Birthday, Charles A. Philhower, 69-88
Lincoln's honesty, 86
Lincoln's humor, 87
Lincoln's kindness of heart, 86
Lincoln's speeches, sayings from, 82
Logan, John A., 134
London Newspaper, 108
Lossing, Benson J., 52
Lowell, James Russell, 34

McCrae, John, 138
McSpadden, J. Walker, 97
Makers of the flag, Franklin K. Lane, 147
Memorial Day, George C. Baker, 125-39
Miller, Joaquin, 52
Montanye, Carleton S., 150
Morning exercises, Florence L. Farber, 24;
Jennie Haver, 13
Morrison, J. Cayce, 33

Name of Old Glory, James Whitcomb Riley, 148
Nesbit, Wilbur D., 153

O Captain, my Captain, Walt Whitman, 83
O'Hagen, Bessie, 28
Old Flag, Hubbard Parker, 151
On a portrait of Columbus, George Edward Woodberry, 54
Opening exercises, 11-32;
---- Louis H. Burch, 13
Our country's flag, Florence L. Dresser, 150
Our flag, Mary Howlister, 153
Our national ideals, William Backus Gitteau, 56

Parker, Hubbard, 151
Philhower, Charles A., 69, 119
Pottle, Emory, 136

Recessional, Rudyard Kipling, 131
Reveille, The, Bret Harte, 129
Riis, Jacob A., 156
Riley, James Whitcomb, 148
Rogers, Katharine B., 159

Sailor, story of, 96
Sears, Clara Endicott, 152
Second inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln, 79
Service flag, The, Josephine M. Fabricant, 135
Service flag, The, U. S. Bulletin, 135
Shaffer, Roy L., 59-67
Shakespeare, William, 12
Sleep of the brave, The, William Collins, 126
Smith, Laura Rountree, 38, 39
Somebody did a golden deed, 22
Star spangled banner, Francis Scott Key, 155
"Star spangled banner," story of, 154
Stars and Stripes, Henry Ward Beecher, 142
Stelzle, Charles, 57
Stevenson, Robert Louis, 23
Stewart, Judd, 87
Suggestions to teachers, K. C. Davis, 121

Thanksgiving Day, Roy L. Shaffer, 59-67
Thayer, Louis E., 22
There's so much bad, 23
Thing to do is hope, The, 23
Thompson, James, 23
Thwing, E. P., 133
Trees, Joyce Kilmer, 110
Trees and forests, Alfred Gaskill, 112
Truth is honest, 22

U. S. Bureau of Education, 123
Unfinished work, Joseph Fulford Folsom, 84
Unfurling of the flag, The, Clara Endicott Sears, 152

van Dyke, Henry, 95, 108

Washington, Abraham Lincoln, 96
Washington, George, life of, J. Walker McSpadden, 97
How did George Washington look, 95
Lend a hand, 95
Washington as he looked, 94
Washington's Birthday, Henry W. Foster, 89-108
Washington's Farewell address, 102
Washington's Farewell to the army, 102
Washington's sayings, 101
We thank Thee, Ralph Waldo Emerson, 60
We'll keep Old Glory flying, Carleton S. Montanye, 150
Western land, The, Caroline Hazard, 56
Whitman, Walt, 54, 83
Wilson, James Grant, 52
Wilson, Woodrow, 139, 154
Wise old owl, A, 23
Woodberry, George Edward, 54
Woodbury, Ida Vose, 70
Wordsworth, William, 23

Your flag and my flag, Wilbur D. Nesbit, 153

* * * * *

End of Project Gutenberg's Special Days and their Observance, by Anonymous