HOME, SWEET HOME.

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home; A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there, Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere.

Home, Home, sweet, sweet Home! There's no place like Home! there's no place like Home !

An exile from home, splendor dazzles in vain;
O, give me my lowly thatched cottage again!
The birds singing gayly, that came at my call
Give me them—and the peace of mind, dearer
than all !

Home! Home! sweet, sweet Home! There's no place like Home! there's no place like Home !

How sweet 'tis to sit 'neath a fond father's smile, And the cares of a mother to soothe and beguile ! Let others delight 'mid new pleasures to roam, But give me, oh, give me, the pleasures of home!

Home! Home! sweet, sweet Home! There's no place like Home! there's no place like Home !

To thee I'll return, overburdened with care;

The heart's dearest solace will smile on me there;

No more from that cottage again will I roam;
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home!

Home! Home! sweet, sweet Home!

There's no place like Home! there's no place like Home!

—John Howard Payne. 1792-1852.

AMERICA.

My country! 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died!
Land of the Pilgrims' pride!

From ev'ry mountain side
Let freedom ring!

My native country thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;

I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom's song:

Let mortal tongues awake;

Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers' God! to Thee,
Author of Liberty,

To Thee we sing:

Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!

-S. F. Smith. 1808-1895.

OUR FLAG.

Our flag is the symbol of our nation.

Red for

valor, white for purity, blue for justice, is what it says to us and for us. It should always be treated with reverence. Whenever it passes us we should pay it a proper tribute of respect.

In the United States army the following ceremonies are prescribed in connection with the flag:

"At every military post or station the flag will be hoisted at the sounding of the first note of the reveille, or of the first note of the march, if a march be played before the reveille. The flag will be lowered at the sounding of the last note of the retreat, and while the flag is being lowered the band will play "The Star Spangled Banner."

"The ceremony of Escort of the Colors' is

so conducted as to render it one of the most impressive to the soldier, especially to the young recruit, of all the functions in which he is required to participate. Proper salutes will be observed by all persons in the military service, not under arms, during the raising and lowering of the national emblem.

"On Memorial Day, May 30, at all army posts and stations, the national flag will be displayed at half staff from sunrise till midday, and immediately before noon the band, or field music, will play some appropriate air, and the national salute of twenty-one guns will be fired at 12 M. at all posts and stations provided with artillery. At the conclusion of this memorial tribute, at noon, the flag will be hoisted to the top of the staff, and will remain there until sunset. When hoisted to the top of the staff the flag will be saluted by playing one or more of the national airs. In this way fitting testimonial of respect for the heroic dead and honor to their patriotic devotion will be appropriately rendered."

The Navy Department, under the heading, "Honors and Distinctions," provides as follows:

"The following ceremonies shall be observed at 'colors' on board ships in commission and at naval stations: The field music and the band, if there be one, shall be present. At morning' colors' the band shall play "The Star Spangled Banner,' at

the beginning of which the ensign shall be started up and hoisted smartly to the peak or truck. Alj officers and men shall face the ensign and stand at attention, and sentries under arms shall come to the position of 'present' while the national air is being played. At the end of the national air all officers and men shall salute, ending the cere mony. If there be no band available, the field music shall sound the 'colors' call in place of the national air.

"The same ceremonies shall be observed at sunset colors,' the ensign to be started from the peak or truck at the beginning of 'The Star Spangled Banner.' The ensign shall not be lowered hurriedly."

The naval regulations also prescribe the following:

"All officers and men shall stand at attention whenever The Star Spangled Banner' is being played, unless engaged in duty that will not permit them to do so. The same respect shall be observed toward the national air of any other country, when played in the presence of official representatives of such country."

One flag, one land, one heart, one hand,

One nation evermore.

Oliver Wendell Holmes.