T

VII

HE American flag is red, white, and blue. It is

easy to see from far off, as all flags must be. It is a beautiful flag.

The citizens of every country love their own flag and think it is beautiful because it means home to them.

English people love their flag, and French people love theirs. Their soldiers have fought under it, and they themselves have lived under its protection.

I must always respect the flags of other countries, and remember that they are dear to their citizens, just as the Stars and Stripes are dear to me.

I love the Red, White, and Blue, the flag of America, because it is my own flag, the flag of my own country, where I live, and where I shall some day be a governing citizen.

I love and reverence this flag, because good men and brave have fought under it for my country; good and brave men are fighting under it to-day.

But most of all, I love and reverence the American flag because it has always stood for right and freedom. It has never led an unjust cause, or waved above a stolen land.

It was born in freedom and honor, it has led many battles for freedom and honor, and it flies above a country which is fighting to-day for the freedom and honor of the world.

The flags of many countries have been taken out to war so that their rulers might take a piece of some other country, or might make a weaker country pay them money.

The flag of America has never been stained by such a war.

With God's help, I, as a citizen of America, will

keep it as clean as now. So far as I can help, it shall never be raised over a war for gain or cruelty, but only to protect the freedom and honor of men. I will guard it, I will fight for it, I will love it, for it has earned my love and loyalty.

HE American flag was born in freedom and honor in the War of the American Revolution. That was a hard and bitter time. The people who gave us this country had to pay a big price for that freedom and honor.

These people were colonists, that is settlers and the descendants of settlers. They had a new land to take care of, with fierce Indians on every side. They had rough work to do and much trouble to bear. But

they were a strong people and made the best of what they could not help. Winter and loneliness and hard work they took cheerfully.

But something came into their lives that no true man or woman takes cheerfully. That was tyranny. The colonists were governed in England. The English Government of that time, with King George III at its head, was selfish and unwise. It began to treat the American colonists not as free men, but as slaves. It tried to get all it could in taxes and service from them, but it gave them no rights in return.

When the colonists sent letters to explain what was wrong, the Government paid no attention. The laws grew more unfair and the taxes grew heavier, and yet the Americans had no part in making the laws or spending the taxes.

Wise Englishmen in England went to the Government and said, "Englishmen will not bear such treatment, these colonists are Englishmen; beware!" But the Government of King George III went from bad to worse.

Among the colonists were many able men, used to thinking for themselves. They said, "We will not obey the laws unless we have a part in making the laws. We will not pay taxes unless we have a part in