Show 1 IS 1 limping jed a davis i i I 1 0 0 at i i 1 1 g s by george eora onto elmer cobb g 0 1 1 copyright 1917 by W 0 chapman chapma nj and the flag was still there I 1 1 old wizened limping jed davis made tile the ring as lie ho trudged along tho the dusty road klowas he wua no singer ringer his voice was cracked and creak croaking but bat there was patriotism in ills his eye finely flashing hope in ills his heart soul in the quivering strained tones ile he was not singing the star span aled banner na as might havo have been supposed but a two verse tiong hong sot set to a familiar popular war melody clody in and each verse ended up with the words and the hog flog was still there it ifill was not a 0 paraphrase or orn a parody on tho the nations great song it told briefly but briskly bil of historical circumstances where the bed white and nine blue had been placed and wn i still therel I 1 now jed davis had composed this new song all by himself once after the civil war at a reunion of Yete veterans tans lie he had written one alint had been sung sting by ills his indulgent comrades and printed in the newspapers and gave chizu a great deal of importance after that ills poetic instinct had slumbered until tho the country called for volunteers to join in tho the great world battle across tho the ocean jed had been the first to present hilli himself self to the enlisting regulars tit nt the county sent seat its true im old an crippled but I 1 want to td light 11 gain again lie ho quavered and with to tender rider reverence lie he was wag told that they could not accept him and old jed went bock back home bottle it disappointed man its better that I 1 went kenw lie he told his granddaughter ivy a poor orphan whose choso bright presence was tho the ono one solace colace of ills his old then you could marry limer lie he could carry the old mortgaged place here and id be doing my duty to my lily country but grandfather elmer eimer will heed tile the cail call to the tha flag too as soon as they want him reminded ivy ear car 1 h I 1 A W aers his voice was cracked and creaking nestly and with pride we were talking over affairs only last evening ile iio wants to hurry the marriage so us its to have me lil his sown own the little time abend lie ile says it will cheer and strengthen hlin to know that ho has it a loving wife lit at home thinking of him while lie Is in tile the distant Iro trenches or on tho the battlefield tle field 11 well arrange it as you like sighed tho the old man 1 I nent much use in tho the world any more it was two weeks after that and within that brief space of time it was air arranged range I 1 that it quiet wedding should inke ake place TI then I 1 ell came tile devastating news like a thunderbolt there them was a mortgage of on tho the davis hoin homestead extend it bad been a matter of pride with elmer bimer davis to pay this on off when lie he married ivy with tile the property clear his wages would enable them thein to got get iong along very well roll and imer elmer E felt that it would ha be a duty its as well as n pleasure plea hure to provide for the old man the rest of his days dryg lie ile came tt to ny ivy with a pale troubled trouble d loco itice tile day that he 16 learned that ft a friend to whom lie ho had loaned leaned I 1 hla is livings had de camped it a bankrupt und and Pw windier hidler all their fond plans were upset old jed who was on the root roof of f tile tho little houze house just finishing setting up a homemade home made flagpole overheard the sad talk of tho the twain in ill front of the house below and nearly neaily lost ills hig balance ite he had little heart now to holst hoist the he flag there the mn inn aerial of which had taken nearly ills his lust last cent aud upon which ivy hall had stitched diligently and steadily fur for nearly a week the clr was hoisted just the same but the tha spirits bf the family were deeply subdued syb dued the old man wandered warl dered bout uneasily ile iio was returning wearied earled W and worried to tho oae 0 bitten vitten ho fie sat down under r the shade of a tree to rest ilia isey eye caught tho flag waving brightly 1 lu t the breeze well well have to put our shoulder to the wheel afresh and trust lu in gd clod he murmured this la Is a n big country with avith lots of chances for tile the willing man and the flag la is still there 1 I tho the words worda inspired Inspire i him the presence of tho the flag it memory the stirring word the great song bong ho to hod had sung with ills his bravo brave comrades going into battle of tile the enebo one ho had written for tile company reunion talent latent poetic instinct la in ills nature it was ilien hen that ills his theme took root it was to muse over it and ami to am it after that out for several days jed would stroll to some isolated place of woodland give out tile the stirring words of ills his crude but appealing composition to tile tho flower laden breeze and the chorusing cho bird barda S then luti into that fertile mind of ills cumo came it bugge suggestion s alo n tit the dally d ily papers had told old him that the lie big city not far away wog was all aflame with patriotic fervor oratory melody s sentiment ment ruled the times lie ile recalled the marvelous popularity ot of the noble melodies of the civil war lie wits was too modest and sensible to get the idea into ills his head that lie ho was a great composer and could write the national anthem but why might not ills his little effort become one of the many catchy songs of the moia alenco his its present trip to 0 o the city lie had told ivy lie he had business there handshe find 0 she supposed it ivas ana something to to do w alth ath the renewal of 0 the mortgage jed got to the city lie ile had little money moncy to spare and lie he secured lie cheni cheapest cst sleeping quarters lie could find and got ills hla licals at it 11 third rate restaurant for two days dayis lie ho went the lie rounds of tile the local music publishers they pitied or laughed at it him jed was getting discouraged when one day 11 lie L ran across a young active but somewhat disappointed journalist at the restaurant look look hert kierr said tile the keen witted newspaper man after looking over the sag song ive an idea have you ilont questioned jed hopefully 1 I have those verses tire are no hinr genis gems but they lilt the be caslon patriotism Is in the ho air I 1 can call get credit to have a thousand slips printed with the song on oil them tomorrow night theres to bo be a great mass meeting to encourage enlistment nt one of the ariti armories orles they say bay there will bp 10 fully people present well get there early and sell the slips at five cents each the verses just lilt hit ill alio occasion if you got the crowd enthused and singing your song youre it made man the songs sold little knots of people began to huni hum the familiar melody they were fitted to tho the entire thousand went like hot cakes tit alio 0 chairman of the meeting suggested that hey ahey sing the song all voices the next nest day the forille reporter enlarged on oil the scheme lie ile had 2 of the songs printed he went to leading business houses and induced them to buy big quantities for general distribution as a patriotic duty jed davis went home with nearly in ills his pocket A glor glorious lous moon wits was rising ris its lie he neared the old cottage inside a light showed ivy hustling bustling about how happy she would bo be to hear the news of wha a limit small fortune to them in their present humble circumstances I 1 the old man suddenly reverentially lifted his for the rising moon cast a rare silver glogover glo glow over the cottage and flagstaff and the stars and stripes floating in the breeze and tile the flag was still there ther 1 ho sang with a will and hastened into tile iho house bouse to tell tile the happy news |