"Hadn't he afterward something to do with a change in our flag, Grandma
Elsie?" asked Grace.

"Yes; our flag at first bore thirteen stars and thirteen stripes, and as
new States were admitted another star and stripe were added for each one.
But it was soon found that that was making the flag very large unless the
stripes became narrower and narrower, while there was nothing to show what
had been the original number of States. Captain Reid suggested the plan of
retaining the thirteen stripes to indicate that, and the adding of a new
star every time a new State was admitted, and Congress adopted that plan.
He was certainly a talented man. He invented and erected the signal
telegraphs at the Battery and the Narrows."

"I'm proud of him, Grandma Elsie!" said Grace, her face lighting up with
enthusiasm. "His defence at Fayal against such overwhelming numbers was
wonderful. And so was Jackson's at New Orleans. England was a great and
powerful nation while ours was but small and weak, but we were in the
right--fighting against dreadful wrongs done to our sailors--and God
helped us to drive away our haughty, powerful foe, and deliver our brave
tars from her unendurable oppression."

"Yes, dear; and to Him let us ever give all the glory and the praise. Oh,
may our nation always serve God and trust in him! then no foe shall ever
prevail against her."

"I hope we do, grandma," said little Elsie, "for on a quarter papa gave me
the other day, I saw the words, 'In God we trust.'"

"Oh!" cried Ned at that moment, "the folks are coming! I see them there on
the Peristyle--papa and mamma, Grandpa and Grandma Dinsmore, Lu and the