a_?

But it was not long until after Columbus had gone back to Europe and
told the people there of the wonderful things which he had seen in this
far, far away land that ship-loads of white people, who were educated
and who had been taught to love God and to keep his commandments, came
over and settled in this wild, new country. They plowed the land and
planted seed; they built houses for themselves, their wives and little
ones, and in time they made school-houses for the children, and churches
in which to worship God. Long and hard was the struggle which these
first white men had to make in this strange, new country.

Year after year more and more white men came. These new settlers
prospered, and new towns were built, and roads were made from one town
to another, and stores and manufactories began to be seen.

At last the little handful of people had grown so strong that they
established a government of their own, which welcomed all newcomers,
providing they were law-abiding citizens. The poor and oppressed, the
persecuted and discouraged in other lands came to this new shore, where
they found wealth if they were willing to work for it.

Here they need no longer fear the persecutions from which they had
suffered. Here they gained new hope and became honored and respected
citizens.

Little by little the small country grew into a great nation, the
greatest on earth, because it is the freest, and each citizen in it has
his rights respected. But for the courage and determination and
self-sacrifice of Columbus this great new world might have remained for
hundreds of years unknown to men.

Four hundred years afterwards the children of the children's children of
these early settlers, had a grand celebration in honor of the brave old
man, Christopher Columbus, whom the people of his day called crazy, and
all the nations of the earth were invited to bring their most
beautiful, their richest and rarest products to this celebration, in
order that not we of America alone, but _the whole world might celebrate
the wisdom and the courage of the great Columbus_, "_the finder of
America_."

In the rejoicing and in the celebration the nations did not forget the
good Queen Isabella, who was willing to give up her most precious jewels
in order that she might help Columbus in his voyage of discovery.

_A STORY OF DECORATION DAY FOR THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF TO-DAY._

I want you to listen to a sad, sweet story to-day, and yet