The Weber Literary Journal Old Glory By J. Edwin Nelson Oh, flag! with your red folds of glory, Oh, flag! with your pure gleams of light, Oh, flag! with the blue of the heavens, I am praying for you tonight. Not that your waves are in danger, Not that your folds droop in shame, Only that you'll wave forever Proud in your beauty and fame. Proud with the life-blood of millions, Whose death wove the threads of your stars. Proud with the heart beats of people Throbbing 'mid your holy bars. God e'er preserve thy dear beauty! If fate bring thee battle and strife, Lend us each strength unrelenting, To guard thy pure honor with life. 6 The Weber Literary Journal A Perfect Day By Grant Williams THE back yard, which was larger than an ordinary city lot, was inclosed by an iron fence looking much like the old wooden picket fences. Within the fence stood a brick garage and several trees, one of which was growing at the corner of the garage. In the yard, two boys stood looking at eacn other. Finally one broke the silence. "What's your name?" "Jim." "Well, I mean your well, all your name." "Jim Rogers." "Ain't you got a middle name?" "Nope. Have you?" "Yes, mine's William Isaac Cornelius Gray." The two boys remained silent for a few minutes. Then Bill said: "Does your Ma let you have cats at your place?" "No," replied Jim, "I ran away one day and went down to the store that's there by our place and got a little white cat, but when I got it home, Ma, she told Hanner to throw the thing out into the street." "Ma won't let me have cats, either. She says they're dirty and ugly." "Can you walk on picket fences?" asked Jim. "I never tried but I bet yuh can't walk our fence here." "Betcha I can." "Betcha can't." "Betcha can." "Betcha can't." "I can." "Yuh can't." "Well, I'll just show yuh I can." 7