The mirror., 1923-06-14
OLD GLORY'S ANNIVERSARY
By G. L. Morrill,

day of Old Glory which George Washington
helped design, and of whose symbolism he said,
eve took the from heaven the red from Mother
Country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing
that have separated from her. and the white stripes
shall go down posterity representing liberty"
1t was prophetic fact that our flags design
found in the Stars and Stripes the of of
the Washington family The proud honor of making
the first American flag was given Betsy Ross of Pha
delpha Gallant Paul Jones raised the glorious ensign
over his vessel August g. 1777 the Stars and Stripes
were unfured the captured British colors Fort
Stanwix.
The flag is immortal in story and song. At the Revo
luon it was the swaddng clothes of the infant nation
when lay Graded in the lap of liberty In the Mexi
can War it bird which pumed its wings and
scared through cloud and above storm During the
Rebellion it a rainbow spanning North and South
prophesyng "Union and Liberty, and forever more"
In the Spanish War it the Cherubim and Seraphm
with outstretched wing of tluest liberty equality and
fraternity In the recent Allied War Old Glory bios
somed and budded like Aarons rod beautiful and bene6
cent for all.
Why do we love this flag? Because it stands for lib
erty, HONOR bravery and beauty. Compared with flags
of despotism in other lands it is flower in wilder
ness, in night life in DEATH Mid the of
Alaska the sands of Egypt, the monuments of Greece
marbles of Italy, the sight of Old Glory always seemed
to me if the sky had suddenly burst into bloom with
JOY
1t is the flag of america, land founded ON granite,
domed by the sky, lit by the stars, and bounded by the
sea- God reserved this land the refuge for the qvorld
oppressed The blood of all qvords is with He qvho
strikes our flag strikes the evord, and suiH haze to
reckon with the 44uthor of Liberty.
God made and breathed His blessing on our flag for
church, home and native land. 1t floats sea and
land 1t waves over the graves of the dead and the
cradles of the living Though it has been cut by the
sword it has been cemented by blood and there is
AS long its motto is, "In God we trust"
it will ave DER the land of the free and the home of
the brave" Should the time when the hum
best citizen black yellow, red white beneath its folds,
not heard in his cry for justice, the beautiful banner
will fade and become thing despised by God and man.
Our youth do we'll to observe Flag Day. There is no
sweeer school exercise than that which says T give
country, one language, and Aag." Amen! shouts
the sea- roars the rock shines the and echoes the
earth.
The flag of Union forever The breath of spring
floats it, the summers baptzes it with gold, autumn
splashes it with spendor and winter welcomes it with
of white. "Three cheers for the red white and
blue" May its red mngle with the rising sun, its
white with the floating Clouds its blue with the heaven
and its stars with the skies until time gives place
eternity.
The dear old flag casts spell because U. S.
spells it
Faith in the God of Washington and Lincoln.
Liberty of body, mind and SOUL
A-army land navy to defend rights.
G-good of everybody, everywhere, all the time.