e echoes, and deafened mothers felt their patriotism oozing out at the
soles of their shoes.

Dick Carter was made captain, for his grandfather had a gold medal
given him by Queen Victoria for rescuing three hundred and twenty-six
passengers from a sinking British vessel. Riverboro thought it high time
to pay some graceful tribute to Great Britain in return for her handsome
conduct to Captain Nahum Carter, and human imagination could contrive
nothing more impressive than a vicarious share in the flag raising.

Living Perkins tried to be happy in the ranks, for he was offered no
official position, principally, Mrs. Smellie observed, because "his
father's war record wa'nt clean." "Oh, yes! Jim Perkins went to the
war," she continued. "He hid out behind the hencoop when they was
draftin', but they found him and took him along. He got into one battle,
too, somehow or nother, but he run away from it. He was allers cautious,
Jim was; if he ever see trouble of any kind comin' towards him, he was
out o' sight fore it got a chance to light. He said eight dollars a
month, without bounty, wouldn't pay HIM to stop bullets for. He wouldn't
fight a skeeter, Jim wouldn't, but land! we ain't to war all the time,
and he's a good neighbor and a good blacksmith."

Miss Dearborn was to be Columbia and the older girls of the two schools
were to be the States. Such trade in muslins and red, white, and blue
ribbons had never been known since "Watson kep' store," and the number
of brief white petticoats hanging out to bleach would have caused the
passing stranger to imagine Riverboro a continual dancing school.

Juvenile virtue, both male and female, reached an almost impossible
height, for parents had only to lift a finger and say, "you shan't go
to the flag raising!" and the refractory spirit at once armed itself for
new struggles toward the perfect life.

Mr. Jeremiah Cobb had consented to impersonate Uncle Sam, and was to
drive Columbia and the States to the "raising" on the top of his own
stage. Meantime the boys were drilling, the ladies were cutting and
basting and stitching, and the girls were sewing on stars; for the
starry part of the spangled banner was to remain with each of them in
turn until she had performed her share of the work.

It was felt by one and all a fine and splendid service indeed to help
in the making of the flag, and if Rebecca was proud to be of the chosen
ones, so was her Aunt Jane Sawyer, who had taught her