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Show A HISTORICAL FLAG. On flag day Mr. Hugh C. Tarbet brought from his home a flag that he has kept in his possession for forty years, which he watches over with a devotion which it is touching to see. It is a ship flag, not a pennant, but such as was carried in the old days at the mizzen peak, such as dipped in salute to passing ships. This flag saw much service; it was transferred from ship to ship during the great war, it is much wcauicr worn; it shows the marks of the wind and the salt spray it has moie impressive marks still. There is a lagged hole through it made by a minnie or Winchester Win-chester bulllet; the same bullet that mortally wounded Lieutenant Webster, and besides the bullet hole the flag cairies the stains of the blood of the brave Lieutenant, for when dying he begged that the flag might be put under his head, his wish was complied with, and the flag still carries the stain of the blood that dripped from his fatal wound The ships oi those days are all gone; the men win. manned them are nearly all gone; the lieutenant lieu-tenant has been dust for two score years, but the flag remains' and carries on its folds the certificate of character of the brave man whose head the flag pillowed as he died. The old veteran who owns it received it from Captain Gould of the navy, when the war closed, and to him it is a sacred inheritance, he fondles it as a mother does a child, and one seeing him with it understands that to him it is everything. He can look at it and hear again the fierce winds shrieking tlnough the shrouds; looking at it he hears again the boom of hostile guns and the roar irTreply of the guns which the flag shaded. To him it represents all the glory of those four glorious years and one can see that he would resent any slight to that flag more quickly than he would a personal per-sonal afront. To him it is a symbol of all that is giand in life, all that can be glorious in a soldier's death. That is the spirit which makes the army and navy of the United States invinciblle; the flag is what the eagles were to old Romans. Political parties ought to keep this in mind for no party in this country coun-try can make headway by directly or indirectly impugning the motives of those who carry the flag and are willing to die under it. |