“And what do you say to that, children?” Vassar shouted.
“Three cheers for Uncle Sam!” they answered. Three times three they gave it without the need of a prompter.
Vassar waved a signal to the right and from the dressing-room slowly marched a procession of children of all nations, dressed in their native costume, each child bearing the tiny flag of their old-world allegiance. The line of floating color circled the open space in front of the platform, and, as they passed Vassar surrendered the old flag and received from his hand the Stars and Stripes which each waved in answer to a cheer from the crowd.
When the last nation had surrendered allegiance the procession marched again around the circle to the continuous cheering of the crowd and took their places about Vassar who held aloft the regimental standard of the nation with its golden eagle gleaming from the staff. The little children crowded close and about them gathered a ring of Boy Scouts and beyond them the mothers of the kids.
He lifted high the flag and every Scout and grown up and every child saluted it with uplifted hands and cheered.
“Now, boys and girls!” Vassar cried to the outer circle.
They solemnly responded in chorus:
“I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands—one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
“Now, kiddies!” he shouted to the little ones.
The answer came in straggling unison: