The Newtown bee., 1907-03-01

Like that tonight. that oh! 'tis pain
 To break its links so soon."
 That is the way that every one felt when the time came, last Friday even ing, at the pleasant home of Miss $. j. Scudder, to say adieus to the hostess there was anything that happened to mar the full enjoyment of the passing hours, that thing has not yet been discovered. It seemed as if all cir cumstances-an ideal moonlight night, a program of unusual merit, con- pany that dovetailed the, corners Of congeniality most perfectly, decora- tions subdued, yet eloquent with pa triotic pride and a charming home suited as we'll for such an event as if it had been erected for no other pur. pose-squared themselves in solid pha- lanx to make this of all gatherings of the Reading Circle this year the crown and queen. It is, perhaps, quite with in the bounds of moderation to say that never in the long history of this | old historic town has the natal day of | the great man, to W hOm more than to all others we Americans owe our liber- l ties, been more tittingly remembered. | It was happy idea of those who are conducting the Circle along their his tOric tour to turn aside from their
 
 glow brightly the beacon fires that | light the way to highest pride in the | land that we love.
 By half-past seven the company be- gan to assemble, and by eight o'clock | forty-three persons had passed within I the doors. The moment they were shielded from the shivering blast, they | were made aware of the character of | the occasion that had brought them | together. A large flag was caught in l e. l,o onin Cf ipvHy yoyy | and within Old Glory's folds were en- sconced the pictures of George and Martha Washington. The stereo- typed hatchet, too, without which the | chopper of the cherry-tree would have been compelled to forfeit a consider evidence. On the library table were set three jars of hyacinths that made the air heavy with fragrance. The l flowers were appropriately red, white and blue; and as flowers speak the language of devotion, they made known the reverence in which the inn | mortal name of Washington is held. | Small flags at the windows and other | large flags over the doors made all feel, as with honest pride the eye fell on | them, that there is no flag like Old | Glory.
 | The program started with pot pourri of National airs played by Miss Mabel E. Morris and Miss Mabel L.. l Taylor. A special chorus had been in training to sing some of our National airs; and in the course of the evening these three were given in a manner that would stir the sluggish blood of the man whose soul is so dead that he never to himself has said: 'sThis is my own, my native landIh 9sa,ho SWeleome' gled Banner" and "The Red, White and Blue" proved the triumvirate o1 patriotism. The first of these, to the tune of America, was piece eSpeci- ally composed for Washington's Birth day, and had the right ring about It. The chorus consisted of w. P. Tom lin, Mrs Arthur J. Smith, Miss Helen Tenders, Miss Minnie R. Thlcket, Ar. thur J. Smith and Mrs l.. c. Morris
 Rev Otis w. Barker acted as master of ceremonies, and kept things nov some historical incident or humorous anecdote. Miss Marguerite Beecher deserves large praise for the spirited way in which she told the story of the making of the first flag by the
 Philadelphia milliner, Betsey Ross
 and recited "The Flag of the Rainbow and Banner of Stars" with the soft ac
 compartment on the piano of ''The Star-Spangled Banner" Whatever
 Marguerite attempts to do, she does
 well; and bright future is in store fol
 her if she cares to cultivate her gift It may not generally be known thai
 the original design was to add to the flag one bar and one star for each new
 State admitted. The framers of tht
 Constitution did not foresee the Louis l territory by the Mexican War ane the saving Of Oregon to ths } Union by one home missionary. Wha flag we should have with 45 bars Miss s. J. Scudder read from "The } Historians History of the World" { l I Of cd ject, "Was Washington Good Gener , al?" Every mans work must b, judged by the materials he has to us and the obstacles he has to Overmas } ter. Washington had no Old Qua rt
 which had never beat retreat; Con gress could not vote the money h. } asked for as alater Congress responded
 to Mckinley; he~did not have Nortl with countless treasure and legion } that shook the earth with their tread Mrs w. M. Reynolds recited well humorous little poem, showing hoy } although Washington did not hay . some things that we possess today ? lucifer matches, telephone and electri ! lights-he did have vision that ha . large dreams of the future and vii I that fought trying war to succesSfu l issue, a result impossible without him The story of how Washington mad
 his way from city to city, huZZahed
 the multitudes to whom he ha
 brought blessings untold, was read b
 Mrs Charles H. Northrop from Mt
 Masters ever-entertaining book. I
 the Farewell Address, read, by MI
 l.. c. Morris, was clearly seen tn
 shadowing forth of the doctrine whic ,, Monroe afterward enunciated: "Le
 us have no entangling alliances wit
 foreign powers. Very dainty leaflet
 had been prepared as souvenirs of th
 occasion. The front was graced wit
 soft-tone picture of the man wh
 was too great to be made king. A
 tached to the inside was a folde
 sheet containing some epigrammat saying of Washington or some citatiO y concerning him. Al this point in th / program the company rose in tur
 and read the clippings. Take if together, they would form a co n lection of bon mots and meat
 proverbs, equalled only by tt
 words of one other American, who's
 name will at once suggest itself, tt
 author of Poor Richards Almana 3 Lowell's centenary ode, "Under tt Washington Elm," was sympatheti
 ally read by Miss Edith w. Canon . In July, 1775, George Washington u .. der the venerable elm that still stant A at the entrance Cf the WatertoW K road to Cambridge, unSheathed h