The Four Corners Abroad

ns one day in July. The three older girls were most interested; the two younger were too

er, a tall girl with dark hair, "so w

mple and go hunting for antiques," put in Nan'

r. "I see an American flag, girls," she said. "Hail to you, Old Glory!-Goodness me!" She

ery much of it at home, but over here I feel so American when I remember Bunker Hill and Yorktown and our own Virginia Washi

such thing," said Ma

st in what was being said. "Do paint your face red, white and blue an

ing her arm around her little sister

Lee, let me see,"

ose, red lips," said Nan, touching with

dly. "I thought she might have love

squeeze. "We must do something, girls, and

r firecrackers or some kin

," Jo told her. "They're so terribly particular here in Paris, that if a ca

ings I ever heard it is to run you down and make you pay for it. They needn't talk to me about their liberté, frater

mother and Miss Helen. We might ask that nice Miss Joyce, too. We can have red, white

ith ideas, Jo. Now let's set our wits to work. Who dares brave the

o," cri

go foraging

nce in carrying bundles,

d better stay at home w

t to go, too,"

rabbled, and very likely you'd take cold," remark

rs and waterproofs set out. Mrs. Corner and Miss Helen had gone to the city to attend to some business at their banker's and would not return till later, therefore, the girls concluded,

fter Nan and Jo. "I shall sew red stripes on one of my white frocks.

we do?" qu

es. Go into Aunt Helen's room, Jack, and get all the red Baedekers you can find, and if you see an

do with them?" asked Je

long, for we haven'

a series of red and white stripes, setting a blue covered cushion above the first. When Jack returned with the books, which she managed to drop at intervals betw

the effect of Mary Lee's work. "I know what we can do, Mary Lee, we can co

n Jack scampered off to return in a few minutes with the

here. Fortunately Aunt Helen has blue and white tea things, and they will need only to be set on a red covered tray. I won't do that yet be

blue tie. "I've a lovely idea," Jack whispered to her twin. "Let's go into mothe

et them, red striped skirt in hand. "Well," she ex

e found an old woman around the corner with a cart full of flowers and we took our

Mary Lee. "What

d I am going to make a little American flag to stand up in the middle of it. We have some lady-fingers which we shall tie up with red, white and blue ribbon

helped out the idea wit

re the k

these red stripes on this skirt. I've the last on

belt, maybe, and wear a white shirt-waist and a red skirt. Jo has a striped red and white waist sh

never get as many stars as I need on such a tiny blue ground, for there are such a number of states. Perhaps I can fi

three shared in common. The twins had a little room

g down into her trunk. "I've looked everywher

amp Jack has it,"

ad just painted a series of ragged stripes across her white shoes and was regarding this decoration with much complacency. Jean was about to emulate her

hirteen stripes?" she was askin

he latter. "What are yo

sting out a brilliantly striped foot for Nan's inspection, and

e nearly used up a whole pan of vermilion, and now look what you have done. Get a towel,

t the feet in which sh

an?" asked Jean looking up from

I think you'

eautiful stripes," s

n. "I've a lot of red ribbons and I'll win

m legs. "That will be lovely," she agreed, "and it will save the trouble of painting. I s

he colors into the next room and proceeded hastily to make her flag, sticking a bit of the starred challis in one corner for the field. When it was completed she

he effect. "It doesn't look quite right," she

ing thirteen in all, red and white included," Ma

ing," said Nan. "Why didn't

it, and I am sure it looks very well. Isn't

her. They will look like barbers' poles, but she'll never think of that, so please don't any

d Jo. "I'm all ready as you see,

sponded Nan. "I'll

ght to have speeches or something?" Jo

We'll sing Yankee Doodle and Dixie to comb accompaniments, and I'll recite that poem of

k," she replied; "that w

have the cake, you see, and you can dance a b

Go along, Nan, and get dressed. If you stand here ta

foundation of her costume which was further enlivened by a red, white and blue cockade, made hastily of tissue-paper snatched out of various pla

htest amount of material. Here I've taken the trouble to put these white stars on a blue belt, and Mary Lee has basted all those stripes

come," cri

egin the tea-making. On the way from Miss Joyce's room, where she fortunately found the young lady, Nan encountered Mrs. Corner

for we are both tired out. There was so much red tape conn

dn't ge

e didn't, for

stopped to snatch a kiss from her mother and hurried back. Her costume had indicated that something out of the ordina

you children," exclaimed Mrs.

n appreciative smile. "Then all I have to say is

weet potatoes and green corn, to the small portions of ice-cream served, and the whole oration was full of such humor as brought much laughter and applause. Jo was always happiest in such impromptu speeches. Next each girl provided with a comb covered with tissue-paper gave a shrill rendering of Yankee Doodle

ue this gloomy day, but you dear things have driven my homesickness so far away that I don't believe there is any

l Jo chanced to see an American flag hanging from a window near by. You know down in Virginia we don't make much ado over the Fourth, but here in Paris somehow

he decorations are so original, and such costumes, I don't

ned to came around a package, and one can pinch up a couple of bows in no time; as for the other things, it just means a little ingenuit

encouraged to read the old-fashioned fairy tales, and have so many toys that they never have a chance to invent any plays f

d dew and spirit' must feed on different mental food from the ord

re aiming for," re

ssing, seldom allowed an occasion to go by without getting into some sort of scrape, and that she had done nothing worse than spoil a pair of inexpensive white shoes was really to he

in a foreign country if you can't remember your own sometimes! To be sure the tri-color is French, too