The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-06

nate comrades, who had never seen the
land that they claimed as their own
though one of them had literally been
born under the flag, for in the hour
of his nativity his father had, with pat
riotic instinct, spread the stars and
stripes above.
They were true Americans. however
and in the breast of each one of ''us
four" there burned a sturdy patriot
ism. 1t had frequently devolved upon
them in their numerous arguments
with missionary children of other ma
tionalities, to demonstrate oft-times
with force of arms, the superiority of
America and Americans over the bal
ance Of the universe, until the youthful
part of the community had been pretty
we'll convinced, and when they heard
of Grants coming visit to Picking, their
four little heads were seen together in
frequent consultation for they, too,
were determined in some way to give
the general some token of special well
come. But their plans were kept Sc
cret, although each of them suddenly
announced at home that he must have
flag. This was no small request, for
flags could not be gotten and there
was but a single one in the mission.
Several ladies. however, joined hands
to crafty their wish. Bunting was
one of ''us four flag was presented.
One day the word was given that
Grants procession was in sight of the
city and a large number of missiona-
r1eS, living within easy distance of the
city wall, went up on the wall TO watch
the cavalcade come in. There was to
be no demonstration at Grants entry
into the city, for with the methods of
travel in vogue there, no one could tell
when it would occur. But this was
the opportunity of "us four and along
the steep incline ascending the Picking
city wall that day, they trudged, each
one with his priceless treasure rolled
UP under his arm.
1t was a momentous occasion in
their young lives; they were going to
offer their tribute to the greatest of
living warriors, whose greatness in
deed over all others, and especially
over all English warriors, they had
often proved with their own sturdy
little arms until none dared to dis
pute it. ...........
The boys planted themselves above
the arch of the great inner gate, for in
entering the Tartar city you must al
ner gate being protected by a semi
circle wall, which is pierced by other
gates. Here "us four waited until
they learned from the others that the
procession had entered the outer gate:
then unfurling their flags they hid
them behind the parapet until the
great imperial chair, borne by eight
carriers, in which the general rode,
came through the outer gate and en-
tered the space within the semi-cfrcu-
lar wall Then drawing their tiny flags
they waved them vigorously. shouting
at the top of their voices, "Hurrah for
General Grant"
The general heard, and CHANGING out
of his sedan chair up at the great bare
wall over the inner gate toward which
the carriers were rapidly bearing him.
ne saw the four small boys with their /
nagS, and with a. wave of his hand he
passed into the gate and out of their
sight.
The general had just entered the an
Gent capital of the oldest empire in
the world, and though borne through
Its gates in an imperial chair. there
was not sign Of welcome. Not
cheer nor fieck of color displayed in |
anticipation of his coming The great
hurrying masses whom he passed |
scarcely raised their eyes in inquiry. |
Here at last he had found a people |
among whom his name and fame were !
unknown. The striking contrast of |
this entry with those of his into other I
capitals must have been noticed by |
the general, and it is not strange that |
he felt touched by the sight of those
little flags and the sound of those
childish cheers, for they were his sole |
welcome as he passed into the great I
capital of China.
After arriving at the American lega-
ton he inquired of Secretary Holcomb |
who his youthful saluterS were and on