WITH THE COLORS***
E-text prepared by Rick Niles, Rudy Ketterer, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/)
Transcriber's note:
Italicized words or phrases are enclosed by underscores; example: _word_
WITH THE COLORS
Songs of the American Service
by
EVERARD JACK APPLETON
Author of "The Quiet Courage"
Cincinnati Stewart & Kidd Company 1917 Copyright, 1917 by Stewart & Kidd Company All Rights Reserved Copyright in England
TO THE
BEST FLAG OF ALL:
The Stars and Stripes.
CONTENTS
I--WITH THE COLORS
The Colors 9 Loyalty 10 The Old National Guard 11 The Alien 13 The 'Skeeter Fleet 17 Little Mother 18 Soldiers of the Soil 20 The Lady's Man 22 Cookie Jim 23 The Sandwich Girl 25 Bugler Bill 28 Heinie the Hostler 29 Our Job 31 Her Johnny 33 The First Fleet 34 Briggs of Base No. 8 36 The Penguin Driver 39 Waitin' 40 We're All Right Here 42 Reprisal 44 The Soul of Sergeant Todd 45 The Busy Lady 47 Overdoing It 49 The Givers 50 Hullo, Soldier, How's the Boy? 52 Beans 54 Behind the Lines 56 The Disappointed 58 Good-bye, Boys! 60 That's All 61 An American Creed 63
II--IN OTHER KEYS
Youth o' the Year 67 Unfinished 69 Paid in Advance 70 We Rode at Night 71 Now--and Then 73 Understood 74 The Christmas Spirit 75 The Reason 76 The Modern Way 77 Because----! 79 That Smile 80 The Gift of Gifts 81 The Neighbors 82 Uncle Bill's Idea 83 'Lizabeth Ann's Picture 85 The Small Boy Explains 87 The Bold Lover 88 Imagination 89 Willing to Trade 91 The Lonely Child 93 Th' Little Feller's Gone 95 The Fisherman's Son 97 The Dog Confesses 99 Br'er Rabbit in de Bresh Pile 101 When 104
WITH THE COLORS
THE COLORS
It isn't just colors and bunting-- The red and the blue and the white. It's something heaps better and finer,-- It's the _soul_ of my country _in sight!_
There's a lot of ceremony 'bout the Flag, Though many half-baked patriots believe Salutin' it and hangin' it correct "Is only loyalty upon the sleeve." But we who work beneath the Flag to-day, Who'll honor it--and die for it, perhaps-- Get a slightly different view of the old red, white and blue Than is visioned by th' criticisin' chaps.
It isn't just for decoratin' things, It isn't just an emblem, clean and bright, No matter what its "hoist" or what its "fly," To us it means our country--wrong or right! The sobby stuff that some good people spout Won't help a man to understand this view, But: Wherever that Flag goes, the man who follows, _knows_ That a better, cleaner citizen _goes too!_
It's not just a banner to look at,-- For which we're expected to fight; It's something that represents _freedom;_ It's the _soul_ of my country--in sight!
LOYALTY
This is no time to quibble or to fool; To argue over who was wrong, who right; To measure fealty with a worn foot-rule; To ask: "Shall we keep still or shall we fight?" The Clock of Fate has struck; the hour is here; War is upon us now--not far away; One question only rises, clarion clear: "How may I serve my country, day by day?"
Not all of us may join the khakied throng Of those who answer and go forth to stem The tide of war. But we can all be strong And steady in our loyalty to them! Not with unfettered thought, or tongue let loose In bitterness and hate--a childish game! But with a faith, untroubled by abuse, That honors those who put the rest to shame!
