could not
tell.

And all this time the fathers, brave men as they were, had been marching
down to the war. Oftentimes they slept on the hard ground with only
their army blankets wrapped around them, and the stars to keep watch
over them, and many a day they had nothing to eat but dry bread and
black coffee, because they had not time to cook more, and sometimes
they had no breakfast at all because they must be up by day-break and
march on, even if the rain poured down, as it sometimes did, wetting
them through and through. What were such hardships when _their country
was in danger_?

Then came the terrible, terrible battles, more awful than anything you
ever dreamed of. Men were shot down by the thousands, and many who did
not lose their lives had a leg shot off, or an arm so crushed that it
had to be cut off. Still they bravely struggled on. It was for their
beloved country they were fighting, and for it they must be willing to
suffer, or to die.

Then a hundred thousand more soldiers were called for, and then another
hundred thousand, and still the bloody war continued. For four long
years it lasted, and the whole world looked on, amazed at such courage
and endurance.

* * * * *

Then the men who had not been killed, or who had not died of their
sufferings came marching home again, many, alas, on crutches, and many
who knew that they were disabled for life. But _they had saved their
country_! And that was reward enough for their heroic hearts. Though
many a widow turned her sad face away when the crowd welcomed the
returning soldiers, for she knew that her loved one was not with them,
and many little children learned in time that their dear fathers would
never return to them.

War is such a terrible thing that it makes one's heart ache to think of
it.

Then by and by the people said, "our children must grow up loving and
honoring the heroic men who gave their lives for their country." So in
villages and towns, and cities, monuments were built in honor of the men
who died fighting for their country. And one day each year was set apart
to keep fresh and green the memory of the brave soldiers, and it has
been named "DECORATION DAY," because on this day all the children, all
over the land, are permitted to go to the graves of the dead soldiers
and place flowers upon them.

BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

A STUDY OF CHILD NATURE.

THE VISION OF DANTE. ILLUSTRATED BY WALTER CR