Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-06-23

less. He didn't care for a soul on
earth except himself. He was selfish.
| He wore good clothes and strutted
about like turkey gobbler. He was
pulled mp. He put in all his time hay
ing fun.
There was n war on In his cOun-
try. The people were fighting bad
| King who wanted to take away their
| liberty. and there were some terrible
battles. Men went without food. They
walked without shoes till their feet
bled. They froze because they did not
have clothes enough to keep them
warm. But they wouldn't give up.
They said that all men should be free
and equal, Billy; that God meant that
1t should be so. and they were willing
to die rather than go back to the old
way OF doing the things a selfish King
wanted done.
| THE idle young man didn't go to the
war. He thought men were fools for
| lighting. He said he had all the lib
erty he wanted. Perhaps. BILLY. II he
| had had mother he wouldn't have
been such a fool.
His brothers, three OF them. lad,
went to the war. and two were killed.
Jacob was shot down In sight Of Gen
eral Washington. God bless him, and
Robert came home with both legs gone.
What do you suppose he told the
stay at home. who cared most for the
rutfies In his shirt and the coins that
ingled in his pockets? The crippled
brother said he wished he could fight
for his country on his stumps Of legs.
/ because he loved it,
And then. one day. they carried the
father into the old home. 1t would
have made you cry. boy. to have seen
him. He was ragged. SCARED. and In
his breast there was great wound
that made those who saw 1t shudder,
| worthless son to him and whispered.
Don't be a coward! No man can ever
pay the debt he owes to his country.
1t should he more to him than father
| or mother. Hoist your colors, my boy.
Don't shed Il tear for me. Take my old
BILLY. that young man promised. He
got down on his knees and buried his
face In the bedclothes, and as he cried
the life went out OF Il brave. gentle
man. and there was Il smile on dead
face. and cold hand rested on the
head Of one who had been coward
| and was trying to be a man.
nj
love the flag. He got bullet in the
hip at Monmouth and a bayonet wound
!! at Guildford Courthouse. He found out
what hunger meant He spent his lit
tie fortune to help better men, and In
his heart grew great love for his
flag. and he wondered how any man
could ever forget his duty.
.One day it was all over.
1.-THE enemy marched away, and the
sun shone on broken but happy peo-
pie. and the young man praised God
because he had found himself and
been allowed to live to know the glory
Of freedom.
Every year after that he celebrated
Independence Day. He took that old
musket given to him by his father and
fired a salute to the l3 original States
and cheered the President Of the
United States.
"And when this man moved away to
far place, and kept on celebrating,
the people called him Liberty Bell.
"Why, that is you. Mr.. Bell" said
the boy
Yes. Billy. that is me. Now get
your firecrackers Off the horse block;
| I'll load the old musket and We'll fire
an extra salute to let the world know
that the cause is as great to-day as 1t
| was In the beginning"
And they did. And they cheered the
President of the United States and the
| flag. In the cracked voice of an Old
| man and the piping treble of the yell
| low haired boy.
And it was all on Independence Day.
Cincinnati Post.