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Newspaper Page Text
KISSED THE FLAG
A class 01 immigrant children were recently graduated from the,r
Baron de Hirsch school in New York, where in half a year they;j
'had learned to speak well enough to enter the public schools. q
During the graduation exercises, when the American flag waso
borne past the children, one little girl pulled up the folds and rever-
ently kissed them. The flag meant, to her, freedom and safety for J
the refugee, an end to oppression, and the right to life, liberty and6
the pursuit of happiness.
This is getting at education at its very roots.
No other knowledge that can be crammed into a child, immi-7"
grant or native-born, is so valuable to him and to the community as
is the knowledge of the principles of good citizenship and the bless-'
ings of self-government. ' z
It is charged that our common schools teach everything under'
the sun except the most important thing good citizenship. 3
Intimate knowledge of the real purpose of government, of its
operation, and of the advantages of its protection to all well-mean-
ing people breeds the highest and sincerest respect for it. "
The child cannot be taught too early that his first and sacredest2
ters mankind in common interest, good order and brotherhood.
The daughter of an old farmer
was reading the local paper to
him. She had got to the personal
paragraphs, and read this:
"Mrs. William Morritts, nee
Black, has returned from a visit
to her parents in London."
"I don't quite understand that,"
said the old gentleman.
"What don't you understand?"
inquired the daughter.
"That part about Mrs. Wil
liam Morritts, nay Black. What
does 'nay Black' -mean?"
"Oh, that's French, and means
that she was born Black."
"Born black?" exclaimed the
v "Yes; 'nee' is French for
"Well, it ain't so," ejaculated
the old man, jumping up and
shaking his fist. "I knew her par-
ents, and they were as white as3
anybody that ever lived, and I'll?
write to that editor about it."
Before he started off, however,
the daughter explained matters,
and the old gentleman cooled
"Doctor, I wish you would tell?
mq, as a medical man, if you know;
anything that will make the hair1
grow on this bald spot on top of
my head." ,.
"My dear sir, if I could answer;
that question in the affirmative
do you suppose my forehead -
would extend from my eyebrows
to the back of my neck?
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