The National tribune., 1897-07-15
TED's GMuLET.
A Character Story Showing How One Woman
Made the World Better.

A Character Story Showing How One Woman
Made the World Better.
The sound of singing. accompanied by th,
beating OF drums, smote upon the air. and three
boys scrambled off the roof of Ted Donovan
pigeon coop. and gathering up sticks and stone;
rs they ran, made their way to the street
where, peeping round the corner, they waited
expectautly. Down the street came the Saliva
ton Army, followed by motley crowd of boys
and girls, whose shouts and srieks almost
drowned the sound of singing.
Now !" shrieked Sammy Price: "up. boys
and at 'em!"
At this moment the breeze caught the fut
tering folds Of the flag borne at the head o.
the marching singers. 1t foated out its full
length, and Ted Donovan with a gasp let fall
his ammunition and clutched at his breast
where. few hours before, he had pinned a tiny
flag. the miniature Of that which had rem led
him of his pledge:
81 will do nothing unbecoming one who
dwells in the shadow of the Stars and Stripes
or that will In any way dishonor the flag love
II shall be my aim to grow into good citizcn
respecting the rights and views of others, and
doing all In my power to promote the cause OF
patriotism"
This is why the Salvation Army passed by I'M.
molested, for the other boys, hearing the clattel
made by the fall of Ted's munitions of war
turned upon him.
What's the matter with your" demanded
Sammy PRICE, while Ben Morgan's face looked
like an animated interrogation point. Usually
Ted was the first to attack the Salvation Army,
Well. dassn't. Do you know what this
amulet means? It's just this: It says Pm Ia
do nothing that Abraham Lincoln or George
Washington or Con. Grant or any Of them
Generals and things we read about wouldn't
have done. It says Pm to respect other people
nd To a
and be true to 1t and what IL teaches me- II /
hadn't seen it now I'd have made break sure,
and where'd my pledge have been then?"
This was pretty long speech even for Ted
Donovan; 1t was full of mystery, too, for
Sammy Price and Ben Morgan.
Now, where did you get all that?D they
questioned. And what does it all mean, any
way? What kind of secret s'ciety Is III"
It's no secret s'ciety, and got il ut school,
where you fellows would have got It, too il
you hadn't been playing booky." answered
Ted. "Say, why don't you 70 all the time
now? Miss Davis makes things interest
ing. She gave US all flag like this, and she
made our pledge for u.s. She told us all about
the Gag"
Then, urged on by Ben and Sammy, Ted told
the story of the flag as he had heard it at school
what it means, and how brave men have
fought under it and forit and tho principles
il embodies; told 1t all ia a graphic, thoroughly
boyish way, until his two friends felt their
hearts glow with true patriotic fervor.
guess I'll start again on Monday" said
Sammy, refectively, when the story was told.
al guess will. too," said Ben, ierkily. at
used TO be slow enough, but guess it's diffren
now"
We'll, Pm glad to hear you both gay that.
Be sure and come aud learn all about II. And
you'd better get flag to wear; it'll help you
mind about it. Miss Davis called it an amulet :
that's something that doesn't let you do the
things you oughtn't to do. Be sure and get
one, SOS to start in right"
During the weeks that followed the boys
grew moro and more interested in I" following
the flag" as they called their devotion to it.
Their thoughtfulness for others surprised even
themselves. Even the banana men and the
old umbrella member who hated the boys az
ferceiy AS in times past the boys had tor.
mented them, were allowed to come and 90 in
peace. Stray dogs and cats appealed to their
sympathies as they had never done before.
They were known to carry coal without an
audible murmur, and even to refrain from
teasing as persistently as they had done before
the advent Of Ted's amulet. The neighbor.
hood wondered and still wonders 40 to the last
ing quality Of their reform. That, however.
is question that only the future can answer.
But Miss Davis, their teacher, has unbo unded
faith in tho boys who wear amulets like Ted's.
OLA Belle Hotham.