And most she marked their kindling eyes
  When telling of the victories
  That made the Stars and Stripes a name,
  Their country rich in honest fame.

  It was a noble land, she said,—­
  Its poorest children lacked not bread;
  It was so broad, so rich, so free,
  They sang its praise beyond the sea;

  And thousands sought its kindly shore,
  And none were poor and friendless more;
  All blessed the name of Washington,
  And loved the Union, every one.

  She made them feel that they were part
  Of a great nation’s living heart.—­
  So they grew up, true patriot boys,
  And knew not all their mother’s joys.

  Sad was the hour when murmurs loud
  From a great black advancing cloud
  Made millions feel the coming breath
  Of maddened whirlwinds, full of death!

  She prayed the skies might soon be bright,
  And made her sons prepare for fight
  Brave youths!—­their zeal proved clearly then
  In such an hour youths can be men!

  By day she went from door to door,—­
  Men caught her soul, unfelt before;
  By night she prayed, and planned, and dreamed,
  Till morn’s red light war’s lightning seemed.

The cry went forth; forth stepped her sons
In martial blaze of gleaming guns: 
Still striding on to perils dire,
They turned to catch her glance of fire.

No fears, no fond regrets she knew,
But proudly watched them fade from view: 
“Lord, keep them so!” she said, and turned
To where her lonely hearth-fire burned.

* * * * *

JEFFERSON AND SLAVERY.

Any one who feels deeply the truths in which our great men of old founded this Democracy, and who sees clearly the great lines of political architecture by which alone it shall stand firm or rise high, finds in the direct plan and work the agency mainly of six men.

These may be set in three groups.

First, three men, who, through a series of earnest thoughts, taking shape sometimes in apt words, sometimes in bold acts, did most to found the Republic:  and these three are Washington, Adams, and Jefferson.

Secondly, two men, who, as statesmen, by a healthful division between the two great natural policies, and, as politicians, by a healthful antagonism between the two great natural parties, did most to build the Republic:  and these two are Jefferson and Hamilton.

Thirdly, three men, who, having a clear theory in their heads, and a deep conviction in their hearts, working on the nation by sermons, epistles, programmes, hints, quips, innuendoes, by every form of winged word, have done most to get this people into simple trains of humanitarian thought, and have therefore done most to brace the Republic:  and these three men are Franklin, Jefferson, and Channing.