Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-03-12

corning the life Of our greatest Ameri
can. / guess they take to it naturally.
| Anything about Lincoln or Old Glory
seems to make them lively and eager.
On Friday, February q, there were
exercises at the Marquette school in
memory of both Washington and Lin
coin. We who were there first Wis
tied. the primary room, first grade, in
charge of Miss Graham Miss Ora
ham can improvise a patriotic pro
gram in her school on half minutes
notice. In order that we might see
such exercises as she has now and
then, she called on several of the little
tots to give short recitations about
The flag, and about Lincoln and Wash.
ington. When called upon, each lit
lie one would march TO the front, face
The school and then tell his part as if
ne loved to do it, and it was an honor
to be allowed to do so. One little boy
told the story, in his own language,
of Barbara Frietchie, and then half
dozen of the boys formed in line at
the back of the room to represent the
southern soldiers when
h" street came the rebel tread,
StonewalI Jackson riding ahead"
Several pupils stood near the teach
er's desk to represent the houses
along the street in Fredericktown,
and behind the desk a little Miss
stood holding forth a flag. When the
soldiers came marching up, their
leader, having discovered the flag, or
dered his men to halt and fire. Still
the little lady acting the part of Bar
bara waved her flag saying
Shoot if you must this old gray head,
But spare your country's flag"
Then the boy leader, with Stone
wallis galIantry, cried out
who touches a hair of yon gray
head
Dies like dog! March ont"
And then that southern army
marched away, leaving Dame Bar
baTa still waving the stars and
stripes, All of which, by law of the
child mind, has more of a tendency
than we can understand to make those
little folks feel that there is some !
thing wonderful and grand about "our
flag" And SO there is.
Every child in Miss Graham's room
has a flag Of his own. He keeps it at |
home except when there is use for it |
at school and then he brings it as
be would his choicest treasure. When |
we went there the flags were stand /
ing together at one side of the room, |
When the exercises were to begin, |
Miss Graham laid them carefully Oh |
the floor SO that every child could |
come and pick out his own. AS they !
tip-toed around the little banners, |
Miss G warned them, Don't step on !
them children, Don't step on one Of I
them, for your life!" And they took
very good care not to do 50.
After seeing Miss Graham's way Of /
doing things we went to the room of
the sixth grade where three grades
were to hold exercises together with
Miss Mann in charge. We found sew
eral ladies Of the community present
Is interested school visitors. The
exercises consisted of the singing OF
patriotic songs, recitations, compost
ions and little plays based upon in
.eresting incidents in American his
-ory. Those taking part in these
plays were dressed in costumes Of the
time, and they did their parts very
we'll, indeed, and to the great amuse-
nent Of the audience. There, was so
much in the program that I have not
line to speak of it more in detail.
Everything connected with it was Of
such a nature that when we Grand
Army men went away we said over
md over again how much good the
school ma'ams are doing in the way OF
Ealing into fife and carefully culgivat-
ng the growth of a spirit of patriot
SIN in the little citizens under them
n school
On the 9th of February, Longfel-
Ows birthday, the schools in the 9th
yard. the LongfeIlow school, united