Mother out. As he did so he handed her a white box. Jimmy was busy
watching the gray horses, and saw nothing else.
"For the boy," whispered the General.
The Little Mother shook her head doubtfully.
"Bless you, madam," cried the General, testily, "I have a boy of my
own--if he _is_ six feet two in his stockings." Then, in a softer tone,
"I beg of you to take it, madam; it will please an old man and give the
boy a start."
So when good-by had been said, and Jimmy stood looking after the
carriage and the prancing grays, the Little Mother put the white box in
his hand.
Jimmy opened it, and there on a nest of white cotton was an egg. But it
was different from any of the eggs that Jimmy had sold on Saturday. It
was large and gilded, and around the middle was a yellow ribbon.
Jimmy lifted it out, and found it very heavy.
"What do you think it is?" he said.
"Untie the ribbon," advised his mother, whose quick eyes saw a faint
line which showed an opening.
Jimmy pulled the yellow ribbon, the upper half of the egg opened on a
hinge, and there were glistening gold coins--five-dollar gold pieces.
"Oh!" said Jimmy, and he sat down on the step, breathless with surprise
and joy.
A slip of white paper lay between two of the coins. Jimmy snatched it
out, and this is what he read:
Please accept the contents of the golden egg, with the best wishes
of THE GOOSE.
=Arbor Day=
No uniform date in the different States
Arbor Day is a designated day upon which the people and especially the
school children plant trees and shrubs along the highways and other
suitable places. It was first observed in Nebraska. The State board of
agriculture offered prizes for the counties and persons planting the
largest number of trees, and it is said that more than a million trees
were planted the first year, while within sixteen years over 350,000,000
trees and vines were planted in the State.
This custom, so beautiful and useful, spread rapidly, and now is
recognized by the statutes of many of the States.
The exact date naturally varies with the climate.
=THE PLANTING OF THE APPLE-TREE=
BY WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT
Come, let us plant the apple-tree,
Cleave the tough greensward with the spade;
Wide let its hollow bed be made;
There gently lay the roots, and there
Sift the dark mold with kindly care,
And press it o'er them tenderly;
As 'round the sleeping infant's feet
We softly fold the cradle-sheet,
So plant we the apple-tree.
What plant we in this apple-tree?
Buds, which the breath of summer days
Shall lengthen into leafy sprays;
Boughs, where the thrush, with crimson breast,
Shall hunt and sing, and hide her nest;
We plant upon the sunny lea
A shadow for the noontide hour,
A shelter from the summer shower,
When we plant the apple-tree.
What plant we in this apple-tree?
Sweets for a hundred flowery springs
To load the May-wind's restless wings,
When, from the orchard-row, he pours
Its fragrance through our open doors;
A world of blossoms for the bee,
Flowers for the sick girl's silent room,
For the glad infant sprigs of bloom,
We plant with the apple-tree.
What plant we in this apple-tree?
Fruits that shall swell in sunny June,
And redden in the August noon,
And drop, when gentle airs come by,
That fan the blue September sky;
While children come, with cries of glee,
And seek them where the fragrant grass
Betrays their bed to those who pass,
At the foot of the apple-tree.
And when, above this apple-tree,
The winter stars are glittering bright,
And winds go howling through the night,
Girls whose young eyes o'erflow with mirth
Shall peel its fruit by cottage-hearth,
And guests in prouder homes shall see,
Heaped with the grape of Cintra's vine,
And golden orange of the line,
The fruit of the apple-tree.
The fruitage of this apple-tree,
Winds and our flag of stripe and star
Shall bear to coasts that lie afar,
Where men shall wonder at the view,
And ask in what fair groves they grew;
And sojourners beyond the sea
Shall think of childhood's careless day,
And long, long hours of summer play,
In the shade of the apple-tree.
[Illustration]
Each year shall give this apple-tree
A broader flush of roseate bloom,
A deeper maze of verdurous gloom,
And loosen, when the frost-clouds lower,
The crisp brown leaves in thicker shower.
The years shall come and pass, but we
Shall hear no longer, where we lie,
The summer's songs, the autumn's sigh,
In the boughs of the apple-tree.
And time shall waste this apple-tree.
Oh, when its aged branches throw
Thin shadows on the ground below,
Shall fraud and force and iron will
Oppress the weak and helpless still?
What shall the tasks of mercy be,
Amid the toils, the strifes, the tears
Of those who live when length of years
Is wasting this little apple-tree?
"Who planted this old apple-tree?"
The children of that distant day
Thus to some aged man shall say;
And, gazing on its mossy stem,
The gray-haired man shall answer them:
"A poet of the land was he,
Born in the rude but good old times;
'Tis said he made some quaint old rhymes
On planting the apple-tree."
[Illustration]
=April Fools' Day=
_April 1_
So old is the custom of playing amiable and harmless tricks upon the
first of April that its origin is not definitely known. It is not a
holiday and not worthy to be one, but it should be good for our sense of
humor and that is one of the best things we can have. An April fool is
sometimes called a "Fourth-month Dunce."
=FOURTH-MONTH DUNCE=
BY H.M.M.
The curious custom of joking on the first of April, sending the ignorant
or the unwary on fruitless errands, for the sake of making them feel
foolish and having a laugh at them, prevails very widely in the world.
And whether you call the victim a "Fourth-month Dunce," an "April fool,"
an "April fish" (as in France), or an "April gowk" (as in Scotland), the
object, to deceive him and laugh at him, is everywhere the same.
The custom has been traced back for ages; all through Europe, as far
back as the records go. The "Feast of Fools" is mentioned as celebrated
by the ancient Romans. In Asia the Hindoos have a festival, ending on
the 31st of March, called the "Huli festival," in which they play the
same sort of first of April pranks--translated into Hindoo,--laughing at
the victim, and making him a "Huli fool." It goes back to Persia, where
it is supposed to have had a beginning, in very ancient times, in the
celebration of spring, when their New Year begins.
How it came to be what we everywhere find it, the wise men cannot agree.
The many authorities are so divided, that I see no way but for us to
accept the custom as we find it, wherever we may happen to be, and be
careful not to abuse it.
Some jokes are peculiar to some places. In England, where it is called
"All Fools' Day," one favorite joke is to send the greenhorn to a
bookseller to buy the "Life and Adventures of Eve's Grandmother," or to
a cobbler to buy a few cents' worth of "strap oil,"--strap oil being, in
the language of the shoe-making brotherhood, a personal application of
the leather.
But this custom, with others, common in coarser and rougher times, is
fast dying out. Even now it is left almost entirely to playful children.
This sentiment, quoted from an English almanac of a hundred years ago,
will, I'm sure, meet the approval of "grown-ups" of this century:
"But 't is a thing to be disputed,
Which is the greatest fool reputed,
The one that innocently went,
Or he that him designedly sent."
=Memorial Day=
_May 30_
It is said that the observance of this day grew originally out of the
custom of the widows, mothers, and children of the Confederate dead in
the South strewing the soldiers' graves with flowers, including the
unmarked graves of the Union soldiers. There was no settled date for
this in the North until 1868, when General John A. Logan, as
commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, designated May 30.
It is now generally observed, and is a legal holiday in most of the
States.
=THE BOY IN GRAY=
_A Ballad for Memorial Day_
BY MARY BRADLEY
Fredericksburg had had her fray,
And the armies stood at bay;
Back of wall, and top of hill,
Union men and men in gray
Glowered at each other still.
In the space between the two
Many a hapless boy in blue
Lay face upward to the skies;
Many another, just as true,
Filled the air with frantic cries.
"Love of God!" with pity stirred,
Cried a rebel lad who heard.
"This is more than I can bear!
General, only say the word,
They shall have some water there."
"What's the use?" his general,
Frowning, asked. "A Yankee ball
Drops you dead, or worse, half way,
Once you go beyond the wall."
"May be!" said the boy in gray.
"Still I'll risk it, if you please."
And the senior, ill at ease,
Nodded, growling under breath,
"For his mortal enemies
I have sent the lad to death."
Then a hotter fire began
As across the field he ran,--
Yankee shooters marked a prey,--
But beside each wounded man
Heedless knelt the boy in gray.
Parched lips hailed him as he came;
Throats with fever all aflame,
While the balls were spinning by,
Drained the cup he offered them,
Blessed him with their dying cry.
Suddenly, through rain of those
Pattering shots, a shout uprose;
Din of voices filled his ears;
Firing ceased, and eager foes
Made the welkin ring with cheers.
[Illustration: "BUT BESIDE EACH WOUNDED MAN HEEDLESS KNELT THE BOY IN
GRAY"]
Foes they were, of bitter need,
Still to every noble deed
Hearts of men, thank God, must thrill;
And we thrill, too, as we read
Of those cheers on Marye's Hill.
Days of battle long since done,
Days of peace and blessing won,
Better is it to forget
Cruel work of sword and gun:
But some deeds are treasures yet.
While a grateful nation showers
Graves of heroes with her flowers,
Here's a wreath for one to-day:
North or South, we claim him ours--
Honor to the Boy in Gray!
[Illustration: THE EVOLUTION OF OUR FLAG]
=Flag Day=
_June 14_
The first recognition of Flag Day by the New York schools was in 1889,
but it is now generally observed by appropriate exercises. June 14 is
the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes by the
Continental Congress in the year 1777. This was the flag which, first
raised over an American vessel by John Paul Jones, became the emblem of
the new republic. In some places another day is set apart instead.
=THE STARS AND STRIPES=
BY HENRY RUSSELL WRAY
While every lad and lassie in the land knows and has read all about the
famous old Liberty Bell, too little is known of the origin and growth of
America's dearest emblem--her flag. William Penn's city--Philadelphia--is
gemmed with many historical landmarks, but none should be more dear to us
than that little old building still standing on Arch street, over whose
doorway is the number--239. For in a small back room in this primitive
dwelling, during the uncertain struggle for independence by the American
colonies, was designed and made the first American flag, known as the
"Stars and Stripes," now respected and honored in every quarter of the
world, and loved and patriotically worshiped at home.
The early history of our great flag is very interesting.
It is a matter of record that during the early days of the Revolution
the colonists made use of flags of various devices.
It is nowadays generally accepted as a fact that the final idea of the
Stars and Stripes as a national flag was borrowed from or suggested by
the coat of arms of General George Washington's family.
The first definite action taken by the colonies toward creating a flag,
was a resolution passed by Congress in 1775, appointing a committee of
three gentlemen--Benjamin Franklin and Messrs. Harrison and Lynch--to
consider and devise a national flag. The result of the work of this
committee was the adoption of the "King's Colors" as a union (or corner
square), combined with thirteen stripes, alternate red and white,
showing "that although the colonies united for defense against England's
tyranny, they still acknowledged her sovereignty."
[Illustration: NUMBER 239 ARCH STREET, PHILADELPHIA--THE HOUSE IN WHICH
THE FIRST "STARS AND STRIPES" WAS MADE]
The first public acceptance, recognition, and salute of this flag
occurred January 2, 1776, at Washington's headquarters, Cambridge,
Massachusetts. The name given to this flag was "The Flag of the Union,"
and sometimes it was called the "Cambridge Flag." The design of this
flag was a combination of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew in
a blue field in the upper left-hand corner, bordered by thirteen stripes
for the thirteen colonies.
But in the spring of 1777 Congress appointed another committee
"authorized to design a suitable flag for the nation."
This committee seems to have consisted of General George Washington and
Robert Morris. They called upon Mrs. Elizabeth Ross, of Philadelphia,
and from a pencil-drawing by General Washington engaged her to make a
flag.
This flag, the first of a number she made, was cut out and completed in
the back parlor of her little Arch street home.
It was the first legally established emblem, and was adopted by Congress
June 14, 1777, under the act which provided for stripes alternately red
and white, with a union of thirteen white stars in a field of blue. This
act read as follows: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be
thirteen stripes, alternate red and white: that the union be thirteen
stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."
=Fourth of July=
This is the greatest secular holiday of our country, its observance
being sanctioned by the laws of every State. The birthday of our liberty
would be a hard one to fix, but by common consent the anniversary of the
signing of the Declaration of Independence is the one observed. The use
of powder to celebrate the day is gradually going out on account of the
large number of lives annually lost through accidents. It is known
officially as Independence Day.
=A STORY OF THE FLAG=
BY VICTOR MAPES
When the Fourth of July came, we had been abroad nearly two months, and
during that time I think we had not seen a single American flag. On the
morning of the Fourth, however, we walked out on the Paris boulevards,
and a number of flags were hanging out from the different American
shops, which are quite frequent there. They looked strange to us; and
the idea occurred to Frank, for the first time, that the United States
was one of a great many nations living next to one another in this
world--that it was his own nation, a kind of big family he belonged to.
The Fourth of July was a sort of big, family birthday, and the flags
were out so as to tell the Frenchmen and everybody else not to forget
the fact.
A feeling of this nature came over Frank that morning, and he called
out, "There's another!" every time a new flag came in view. He stopped
two or three times to count the number of them in sight, and showed in
various ways that he, America, and the American flag had come to a new
understanding with one another.
During the morning, Frank's cousin George, a boy two or three years
older than Frank, who had been in Paris the preceding winter, came to
our hotel; and, as I had some matters to attend to in the afternoon,
they went off together to see sights and to have a good time.
When Frank returned about dinner-time, and came up to the room where I
was writing letters, I noticed a small American-flag pin stuck in the
lapel of his coat.
"George had two," he said in answer to my question; "and he gave me this
one. He's been in Paris a year now, and he says we ought to wear them or
maybe people won't know we're Americans. But say, Uncle Jack, where do
you think I got that?" He opened a paper bundle he had under his arm and
unrolled a weather-beaten American flag.
"Where?" asked I, naturally supposing it came from George's house.
"We took it off of Lafayette's tomb."
I opened my eyes in astonishment; while he went on:
"George says the American Consul, or the American Consul-General, or
somebody, put it on the tomb last Fourth of July, for our government,
because Lafayette, don't you know, helped us in the Revolution."
"They ought to put a new flag on every year, George says," explained
Frank, seeing my amazement, "on Fourth of July morning. But the American
Consul, or whoever he is that's here now, is a new man, George thinks;
anyhow, he forgot to do it. So we bought a new flag and we did it.
"There were a lot of people at the tomb when we went there, and we
guessed they were all waiting to see the new flag put on. We waited,
too, but no soldiers or anybody came; and after a while the people all
went away. Then George said:
"'Somebody ought to put on a new flag--let's do it!'
"We went to a store on the Boulevard, and for twenty francs bought a new
flag just like this old one. George and I each paid half. There were two
women and a little girl at the tomb when we got back, and we waited
till they went away. Then we unrolled the new flag and took the old one
off the tomb.
"We thought we ought to say something when we put the new flag on, but
we didn't know what to say. George said they always made a regular
speech thanking Lafayette for helping us in the Revolution, but we
thought it didn't matter much. So we just took off our hats when we
spread out the new flag on the grave, and then we rolled up the old flag
and came away.
"We drew lots for it afterward, and I'm going to take it back home with
me.
"Somebody ought to have done it, and as we were both American boys, it
was all right, wasn't it?"
Right or wrong, the flag that travelers see on Lafayette's tomb this
year, as a mark of the American nation's sentiment toward the great
Frenchman, is the one put there by two small, self-appointed
representatives. And the flag put there the year before, with fitting
ceremony by the authorized official, Frank preserves carefully hung up
on the wall of his little room in America.