The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1904-07-01

end of a century were together-yel-
low locks against white name. a boy
on an old mans knee; the one earnest,
the other eager.
why do l do it, my boy? Why do l
celebrate? You want to know all
about it.
ut Is because l love my country, and
want everybody for miles around
to remember that this is the day dedi-
Gated to liberty.
years ago there was a young man
who had more money than was good
for him, Billy. He was plum worth
earth except himself. He was selfish.
He wore good clothes and strutted
about like a turkey gobbler. He was
puffed up. He put in all his time hav
ing fun.
There was war on In his coun-
try. The people were fighting a 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
it 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.
1.-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, If he
had had mother he wouldn't have
been such a fool.
His brothers, three of them, lad,
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
ruffies in his shirt and the coins thai
ingled in his pockets? The crippled
brother said he wished he could tight
for his country on his stumps of legs
because he loved 1t.
And then, one day, they carried the
father into the old home. 1t would
have made you cry, boy, to have seer
him. He was ragged, SCARED, and IL
his breast there was a great wount
that made those who saw it shudder
and just before he died he called hi
worthless son to him and whispered
Don't be a cowardl No man can eve
pay the debt he owes to his country
1t should be more to him than fathe
or mother. Hoist your colors. my boy
Don't shed a tear for me. Take my oil
musket and fight for the cause.
BILLY, that young man promised. II
got down on his knees and buried hi
face in the bedclothes, and as he erie
the life went out of a brave, gent
man, and there was a smile on a dea
face, and a cold hand rested on tn
! head OF one who had been a cowar
5 and was trying to be a man.
HE fought Billy, and he learned
/. love the flag. He got a bullet in III
= at Guildford Courthouse He found OF
r what hunger meant. He spent his Ii
r tie fortune to help better men, and
). his heart grew a great love for h
. flag, and he wondered how any ma
. could ever forget his duty.
o zone day 1t was all over.
b 1.-THE enemy marched away, and II
( sun shone on broken but happy pc
o Pile, and the young man praised CO
because he had found himself al
d been allowed to live to know the gloi
l. of freedom.
It EVERY year after that he celebrate
n Independence Day. He took that o
a musket given to him by his father al
: fred a salute to the 10 original Stat
and cheered the President Of Il
a United States.
e "And when this man moved away