The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-05-25
BRAVE HEARTS AND TRUE.
"And springs fairest flowers
In gratitude strew
Der those who have cherished
The red, white and blue.
THE BOY.

THE BOY.
The sun shone in at the cast window. A
mothers voice called up the attic stairs:
'.SiIas, Silas, where's my little drummer
boy? Time to march among hem weeds
in the posy field"
Swift came the answer, and there was
sunshine on the woman's careworn face as
she listened for the sound of that little
drummer boys feet and his childish voice
calling:
yep. I've turned out, mother. COMM
PHI make the enemy skedaddle-an' then
I'll drum.''
The neighbors said: 'They never seen
two folks set SO much store by each other
as Silas Blodgett and his wife, an that
now sence Silas was dead an gone the lit
tie one an the mother was jist wrapped up
in each other, livin' there all alone.'
Down into the kitchen clattered the boys
feet. Merry blue eyes were raised to true
blue, thoughtful ones in glance that
meant much, and the boy ran into the
garden, while the mother stepped quickly
to and fro laying the breakfast table. This
now oId-fashioned mother, in her tidy
"Sprigged' calico gown and clean brown
checked Bingham apron, stepping briskly
back and forth between stove and table in
the one big "living room" made pleasant
picture. Breakfast started, she crossed the
room quickly to loom in one corner and
began to weave; for the neighbors all
agreed that 'Widow Blodgett's rag carpets
was wOve better than any they had ever
SEEM" and Neighbor Wagner said:
81 never did see nothin' so handsome as
the hiG-an'-miss pattern Wilder BlOdgett
wOve for me-but l tell We there want no
hlt-an'-miss about the Weavin'.''
So the busy hands worked on weaving
part of her daily 'Hstint" before breakfast
weaving for bread,
Outside the birds and the boy whistied.
Soon the sound of drum told the mother
the enemy in her posy bed was routed by
her brave little drummer boy.
The boy ran in to breakfast.
Down went his drum. Off came the
soldier cap, and from it fell tlag-our
flag.
The child ran around the room waving
the flag above his head and watching its
changing folds and colOrs.
''Lets have the flag with us for break
fast, 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 fore
head and shone full on the mothers head
as 1t was bowed reYerently before eating
the "daily bread.''
The hungry child was full, always of
questions.
''Is God keeping father for us, mother ?''
eyes, deary," said the gentle voice.
''And will he keep him till-weII, till we
move out of our bodies and go up, up, up to
the sky ?''
"Yes, Silas.''
81 should think, tho He'd lend him to
us, mother. Then father would take care
NV us and you wouldn't hav ter work so
hard; but 1 help take care, don't 1, mother?
But why don't God send father back? Yer
posies kun back, on risin' day in the
spring. som NV lem, but father don't never
kun back. Why ?''
''God knows best, my child,' said the
voice of the one WHO had loved and lost.
els father dead like them weeds? ''
''No, child, yer father amt dead like the
weeds. Think always that he's like
mothers plant yer love so much.'
90! 1 kEow-the live frever. Yep. I
like that there posey. It's brave 'un. 1t
amt afraid NV Jack Frost. and it lives
frever and day, don't it, 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
somethin' fer you to be-some-
thin 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'''
''What does the white say? -
"The white says: - pure, an the blue
says: BE true"
The red,
The white,
The blue;
Be brave,
Be pure
'sThat's nice rhyme. amt it, mother ?'
eyes, my boy. an it's more then that,
too.''
"Yep." The child looked up thought
fully at the flag that had been draped
around WashingtOns picture ever since he
could remember, while his mother fastened
the little flag in his soldier cap.
s.Here we go, me am the flag; no, the flag
an me, on the doublequick. Good-by,
mother; guess I'll pick uh piece NV live
f'rever fer teacher and off ran the ehild's
feet toward the village school
THE SOLDIER.
The years passed on. Dark clouds arose.
The drums and flies were calling in the
village street.
That morning the sun shone on a brave
deed-the Widow Blodgett was giving her
all. Her hand trembled as she pointed
silently up at the wall where the calm eyes
of Washington looked down from under
the red, whise and blue. She wiped her