I shall release
to you your second son.''
Taking up his pen he began to write the order,
while the grief-stricken woman stood at his side
and passed her hand softly over his head, and
stroked his rough hair as she would have stroked
her boy's.
When he had finished he handed her the paper,
saying tenderly, his eyes full of tears:--
``Now you have one of the two left, and I have
one, that is no more than right.''
She took the order and reverently placing her
hand upon his head, said:--
``The Lord bless you, Mr. President. May you
live a thousand years, and may you always be the
head of this great nation.''
MEMORIAL DAY
(APRIL OR MAY)
FLAG DAY
(JUNE 14)
BETSY ROSS AND THE FLAG
BY HARRY PRINGLE FORD (ADAPTED)
On the 14th day of June, 1777, the Continental
Congress passed the following resolution:
``RESOLVED, That the flag of the thirteen United States
be thirteen stripes alternate red and white; that
the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field,
representing a new constellation.''
We are told that previous to this, in 1776, a
committee was appointed to look after the matter,
and together with General Washington they
called at the house of Betsy Ross, 239 Arch
Street, Philadelphia.
Betsy Ross was a young widow of twenty-four
heroically supporting herself by continuing the
upholstery business of her late husband, young
John Ross, a patriot who had died in the service
of his country.
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