sical Festival. Every
one in the school who wished might take part, and after all necessary
preparations they were to have a grand celebration. The assistance of
Feklitus had been secured by giving him a prominent place in the
arrangements for the great occasion. The embroidered banner, which was
to be a salient feature, was sure to be ready, since Oscar's aunt had
undertaken it, which was quite a different thing from being dependent
on Emma. Fani was to be the bearer. To-day the motto must be selected
for it, and at the close of school several of the boys were stationed at
the door, to summon the others, as they came out, to a meeting for the
decision of this important matter. On a knoll in a field near by, the
boys assembled; and then Oscar announced that he had found a pretty
couplet, suitable to the occasion, which he proposed as a motto for the
banner, and he read in a loud voice:--

"Music the truest pleasure gives,
So sing we merrily."

But Feklitus did not approve. He said that he had often been present on
occasions of this kind and had seen many prettier mottoes than this. He
could recall one which he thought ought to be chosen.

"Our Fatherland shall ever live;
May freedom never die!"

Oscar said that this motto would do very well for some patriotic
occasion, but was not exactly the thing for a musical festival. Feklitus
would not yield, and called on his followers to stand by him and his
motto. Then followed loud discussion on both sides, which soon grew into
an uproar. The Oscarians and Feklitusians screamed so loud that not one
word could be distinguished from another. Presently Oscar seized
Feklitus by the arm, and drew him aside out of the mob.

"Don't you see, you mar-plot, that this hubbub is all your fault? and
that you are very provoking? What do you gain by it? Nothing. What do
you lose? Everything. But to show you that I am not like you, I propose
to you to put the two couplets together, and use both. Luckily they
rhyme. See how this will do:--

"Music the truest pleasure gives;
So sing we merrily--
'Our Fatherland shall ever live,
And Freedom never die.'"

Feklitus was pacified; which was fortunate, for nothing would have
induced him to give up his verse, whose great merit in his eyes was just
that it was _his_; he had remembered it, repeated it, proposed it; so it
was naturally better than any other could be. The meeting was informed
of the compro