God's own stars are gleaming through it,

Stars not woven in its thread,
Unfurl it, and that flag will shine
With the heavens overhead.

Oh! it waved above the soldiers,
On the pinions of the prayer;
And it billowed o'er the battle,
On the surges of the air;
And the stars have risen on it,
Till the Eagle waits the sun,
And Freedom from her mountain-watch
Has counted "Thirty-one.'

When the weary years have halted
In the mighty march of Time,
And no new ones throng the threshold
Of the corridors sublime;

When the clarion call, "Close up!"
Rings along the line no more,
Then adieu, thou blessed Banner,
Then adieu, and not before.

Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest,
Lend less than thou owest.

-Shakespeare.

* Since this poem was written fourteen stars have been added to the flag.

JOHN TRUMBULL'S PICTURES

The four pictures by John Trumbull, which are shown in this book, are in the rotunda of the capitol at Washington, D. C. In the picture “Signing the Declaration of Independence," John Hancock, the President of Congress, is seated at the table. In front of him, and standing, are Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert L. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Colonel John Trumbull was present when General Burgoyne surrendered. The sketch which was used for the picture," The Surrender of General Burgoyne," was made at the time of the surrender. General Burgoyne is offering his sword to General Gates; General Phillips stands beside General Burgoyne.

In the picture "The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown," General Lincoln is conducting the British officers between the lines of American and French armies, who are drawn up to witness the surrender. The British are on foot and General Lincoln is riding a horse which had carried him on many a long march.

One of Trumbull's best pictures is "General Washing ton Resigning His Commission to Congress." Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and James Madison stand near Washington; a little distance back are Charles Carroll of Carrollton and his two daughters, and in the gallery is Mrs. Washington accompanied by her three grandchildren.

A BOY'S SONG

JAMES HOGG

JAMES HOGG. Born at Ettrick, Selkirkshire, Scotland, in 1770; died at Eltrive Lake, November 21, 1835. In early life he was a shepherd, and he is often called the "Ettrick Shepherd." His early advantages for aquiring an education were not good, but his perseverance conquered many difficulties and enabled him to obtain a good education. The kindness of Sir Walter Scott was a great encouragement to him. He published a number of poems and some prose productions of merit.

Where the pools are bright and deep,
Where the gray trout lies fast asleep,
Up the river, and o'er the lea,
That's the way for Billy and me.

Where the blackbird sings the latest,

Where the hawthorn blooms the sweetest,

Where the nestings chirp and flee,

That's the way for Billy and me.

Where the mowers mow the cleanest,
Where the hay lies thick and greenest;
There to trace the homeward bee,
That's the way for Billy and me.

Where the hazel bank is steepest,
Where the shadow falls the deepest,
Where the clustering nuts fall free,
That's the way for Billy and me

Why the boys should drive away
Little sweet maidens from the play,
Or love to banter and fight so well;
That's the thing I never could tell.

But this I know; I love to play,
Through the meadow, among the hay;

Up the water and o'er the lea,
That's the way for Billy and me.

TAKING POSSESSION OF THE NEW WORLD

The picture "Columbus Landing at San Salvador," by John Van der Lyn, is in the rotunda of the capitol at Washington. Columbus holds aloft the banner of Spain and takes possession of the new land for his sovereigns.

Compare the way Van der Lyn tells of the landing of Columbus with the picture of the same subject by Gregori. "Taking Possession of the New World," by Gregori, is a fresco on the wall of the main entrance hall of the University of Notre Dame, at Notre Dame, Indiana.

The picture of De Soto discovering the Mississippi, by William Powell, is another one of the eight large paintings in the rotunda of the nation's capitol. The two not found in this book are "The Baptism of Pocahontas," by John G. Chapman, and "The Embarkation of the Pilgrims at Delft," by Robert W. Weir.