World War, 1914-1918 -- United States -- Juvenile fiction; Young women -- Societies and clubs -- Juvenile fiction
“Lincoln, whose life-story you know,” Nathalie pointed to the
green-wooded heights of Mount Lincoln, “also proved himself a Son of
Liberty when he gave of the noblest and best that was in him to the
people, in his great struggle to free the slaves. In fact,” the girl
spoke a little sadly, “this great man was not only a Son of Liberty, but
he was a martyr to Liberty.” And then she told how he had lost his life
because of his heroic determination to do what he thought was right.
“Children,” cried the girl suddenly, facing the row of intent, eager
faces regarding her, “can any of you tell me who to-day are proving
themselves true Sons of Liberty?”
“The soldiers who are fighting in the trenches!” burst from Danny
quickly.
Before Nathalie could assent, a thin, quavering voice burst out with the
ringing cry, “Vive la Belgique! Vive la Belgique!”
“Good for you, Jean,” cried the girl, as she enthusiastically clapped
her hands in approval. “_It is long_ _live Belgium_. Yes, Jean, the
soldiers of Belgium, of France, England, and America, too, now, are
proving themselves Sons of Liberty, because they are all fighting to
give liberty to the world. And brave Belgium,” patting the shoulder of
the refugee, whose pale face was strangely illumined, “every man in that
little country has proved that he is a Son of Liberty, when, rather than
dishonor the great principles of liberty and justice, he took up arms
and defended it against the Germans when they made their mad rush to
Paris. They not only saved France, but every nation as well, saved it so
that each man in it could fight and thus give liberty to the world. Now,
children, let us cry with Jean, ‘Vive la Belgique.’”
When this cry ceased, Tony’s velvety black eyes, with a sly gleam of
humor lurking in their shadows, became scarlet flames, suddenly
remembering that his native land was also in the war, and, with dramatic
fervor, he yelled, “Viva l’Italia!”
Danny, not to be outdone in this burst of patriotism, immediately
started in with the lusty shout of, “Hurrah for the United States!
Hurrah for the United States!”
Altogether it was a very patriotic little company that stood by the old
stone ledge facing those blue-hazed mountains on that sunny afternoon
and “yelled their heads off,” as Danny said, in honor of the Sons of
Liberty, who were fighting in the trenches across the sea to give
liberty to the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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