The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1894-05-30


Outside the birds and the hoy
whistled.
Soon the sound of a drum told the
mother the enemy in her posy bed was
routed by her brave little drummer boy
The boy ran in to breakfast
Dswn went his drum. OFF came the
soldier cap, and from it fell fag-our
flag.
The child ran around the f5Om'wf
ing the flag above his head and wat IL
ing its changing folds and colors.
Lets have the dag with " ior
breakfast, mother"
The mother nodded and smiled. SO
the flag was fastened in the top of the
old-fashioned castor.
They sat down to the table and the
east sun just touched lightly the
child's forehead and shone full on the
mothers head as it was bowed rev.
erently before eating the daily bread. ="
The hungry child was full, always,
of questions.
"Is God keeping father for us,
mother?"
Eyes. dcary." said the gentle voice.
"And will lie keep him till-well,
I'LL we move out of our bodies anu 60
up. up. up 10 the skye"
"Ycs. Silas."
Il should think. tho, He'd lend him
/ to US. mother. Then father would
/ take care nv us and you wouldn I
/ hcv ter work so hard; but | help
! take care. don't I. mother? But
| why don't God send father back? Yer
/ posies kun back, on risin' day in the
| spring. some NV en-. but father don't
never KUN back. Why?'
God knows best, my child" said the
voice of the one who had loved and
! lost
lis father dead like them weeds?"
mo. child. yer father amt dead like
the weeds. Thin; always that he's like
mothers plant yer love so much
80. lInow-the livcf'rever. Yep.
like that there posey. lisa brave 'un.
1t amt afraid NV Jack Frost, and it
| lives frever and a day, ,don'tit, mother?'
''Yes, dear" said the mother, slowly,
as her thoughts flew back to the happy
days when another Silas and she had
planted that posy bed.
What's the flag got three colors in
it for, mother?'
because, my boy, every color means
Notwithstanding fer You to be
somethin' that Washington was. That
there flag NV ourn talks; listen, an I'll
, tell you. The red says: BE brave"
The childish voice repeated: 'Ther
. red says to be brave"
Remember that forever, my boy"
''Nhat does the white sayP'
"The white says: BE pure an the
blue says: BE true"
"The red
The white,
The blue:
BE brave.
lie pure,
| he true
That's nice rhyme, amt it,
mothcr?"
"Hes, my boy, an it's more then that
too"
yep" The child looked up thought
fully at the flag that had been d-aped
around Washington picture ever since
he could remember, while his mother
fastened the little flag in his soldier
cap.
Here we go, me an the flag; no, the
flag an me, on the doublequick. Good
by, mother; guess III pick uh piece uN
livefrever fer teacher" and of ran the
child's feet toward the village school.
The Solder.
The years passed on. Dark eloud'
arose. The drums and flies werec all
ing in the village street.
That morning the sun shone on 9
brave deed-thc Widow Blodgett wal
giving her all. Her hand trembled al
she pointed silently up at the wal
where the calm eyes of Washington
looked down from under the red, white
and blue. She wiped her eyes on hel
checked apron as she followed him t
the door.
The mother and her soldier sol
paused in the doorway. One more lds
"a voiceless prayer on the mother
lips-a backward glance aud wave of ;
soldier cap, and the mans feet marched
} bravely forth To meet what nigh
come.
The tramp, tramp, tramp of march
, ing feet sounded drearily in that moth
, er's ears, as she leaned over the gait
: and waved her apron and looked dowI
the village street long after the tear
dimmed eyes saw nothing before them
, Brave Hearts and True.
~ How that mother worked on alone