BY MARGARET E. SANGSTER.
To be glad that some one we love was born,
And began his life on a certain day,
In the time of the sun and the tasselled corn,
In the time of the blossom, the time of May,
Or perhaps, when the feathery snow-flake flies,
And the world lies white under winter skies.
All that is nothing, 'tis one we know,
One who is with us in our class,
School days and home days, to and fro,
We smile and chat, and we meet and pass;
But here is our chief! Our hero! One
Who lived and died, and was done with earth
Long before our time! Washington,
And we keep with gladness his day of birth!
The cannons rock, and the banners wave,
The soldiers march, and the proud drums roll,
For knightly and gallant, true and brave,
Fame wrote his name on her faceless scroll,
Never to wane, that stately fame
Forever dear to a grateful State,
From age to age that immortal name
Shall a joyful people celebrate.
[A WINTER'S MORNING IN THE YELLOW SEA.]
AN INCIDENT OF THE CHINO-JAPANESE WAR.
BY AN AMERICAN NAVAL OFFICER.
here exists no more disagreeable place for a winter's anchorage than the so-called harbor of Che-foo, China, just north of the Shan-tung Promontory, in the Yellow Sea. During the winter of 1895-6 a powerful fleet of some twenty war-vessels, representing the flags of seven nationalities, was there gathered together. The Chino-Japanese war was then in progress, and the active operations of the Japanese, in the investment of Wei-hai-wei, had been going on for some time. From Wei-hai-wei, Che-foo was distant about thirty-five miles, and this latter port, having been one of those originally opened by treaty, had acquired importance as a commercial centre for the north of China. In the immediate vicinity of this place, and for miles in the interior, were scattered hundreds of missionaries of different sects and nationalities, the Americans forming a large majority.
To guard the interests of foreigners in general, and incidentally to take advantage of such lessons as were to be learned from the war then in progress, the several nations had assembled in the East as many vessels as should best serve the interests involved.