cared for and educated, and they seem likely, before many years, to
become good and useful citizens of our country.

[Illustration: CUSTER'S LAST FIGHT.]

Now I have another story to tell. Our Civil War, which you have read
about, ended in 1865. For thirty-three years after that--one-third of a
century--we were at peace at home and abroad, and our country had the
wonderful growth of which you have just read. Then, in 1898, almost at
the end of the century, war came again. By good luck, it was not a big
war this time, and it was one I can tell you about in a few words.

It was pity and charity that brought us into this war. South of Florida
is the large and fertile island of Cuba, which had long belonged to
Spain, and whose people had been very badly treated. At length they said
they could stand it no longer, so they took their guns, left their
homes, and went to war with the soldiers of Spain. For two years they
fought bravely. Their old men, and their women and children, who had
stayed at home, helped them all they could; so the Spaniards drove these
from their homes into the cities, and left them there with hardly
anything to eat. Thousands of these poor wretches starved to death.

You may be sure that our people thought this very wicked. They said that
it ought to be stopped; but Spain would not do what they wished. Then
they sent food to the starving people. Some of it got to them and some
of it was used by others. Everybody in our country felt very badly to
see this terrible affair going on at our very doors, and the government
was told that it ought to take some action. What the government did was
to send one of its war-vessels, the "Maine," to the harbor of Havana,
the capital of Cuba.

Then something took place that would have made almost any country go to
war. One dark night, while the "Maine" floated on the waters of the
harbor, and nearly all her crew were fast asleep in their berths, a
terrible explosion was heard under her, and the good vessel was torn
nearly in half. In a minute she sank into the muddy bottom of the
harbor, and hundreds of her sleeping crew were drowned. Only the captain
and some of the officers and men escaped alive.

I fancy all of you must know how angry our people felt when they heard
of this dreadful event. You were angry yourselves, no doubt, and said
that the Spaniards had done this and ought to be punished by having Cuba
taken from them. I do not think there were many American