the iron grating which she had borrowed from the cook across it, and
built the fire underneath. "We ought to have something especially
patriotic and Thanksgivingey," said Joyce, standing on one foot to
consider. "Oh, now I know," she cried, after a moment's thought. "Cousin
Kate has a lovely big silk flag in the top of her trunk. I'll run and
get that, and then I'll recite the 'Landing of the Pilgrims' to you
while the rabbit cooks."

Presently a savory odor began to steal along the winding paths of the
garden, between the laurel-bushes,--a smell of barbecued meat sputtering
over the fire. Above the door of the little kiosk, with many a soft
swish of silken stirrings, hung the beautiful old flag. Then a clear
little voice floated up through the pine-trees:

"My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing!"

All the time that Joyce sang, she was moving around the table, setting
out the plates and rattling cups and saucers. She could not keep a
little quaver out of her voice, for, as she went on, all the scenes of
all the times that she had sung that song before came crowding up in her
memory. There were the Thanksgiving days in the church at home, and the
Washington's birthdays at school, and two Decoration days, when, as a
granddaughter of a veteran, she had helped scatter flowers over the
soldiers' graves.

Somehow it made her feel so hopelessly far away from all that made life
dear to be singing of that "sweet land of liberty" in a foreign country,
with only poor little alien Jules for company.