Last night, I found myself humming an old song
that I had learned in grade school, but I couldn't seem
to recall all of the words.   As I was trying to think of them,
I remembered that somewhere there was a couple of old songbooks
that belonged to my Mother that I had kept after she died.
I began scanning my bookshelves, and it didn't take me long to find them.
The small, green hardback books were still in good condition.
One book caught my eye because it had a picture etched on the front.
I picked it up and ran my finger over the etching as if to
do so might transport me to that time in the past.  It was a picture
of a small community with children walking to their
school, carrying books.  The girls were wearing dresses and hats,
and a little boy was trotting ahead, leading the way to their school.
The one room schoolhouse had a small belfry on the roof,
the American flag flying above the front entrance, and
children playing in the school yard.  To complete
the scene were trees, shrubs, and houses with
 a church steeple reaching up toward the sky in the background.

I opened the book that had the picture etched on the front.
It's title was, "The Music Hour", and on the inside of the cover,
my Mother had written in red pencil:
Edna B. Meilicke
Locust Hill
Instantly, my mind went back to when Mom told me she had taught
in several country schools and I remembered her
telling me about Locust Hill.  Although, she was single at that time,
 I'm sure she must have met my Daddy while teaching there
because his family farm was located nearby.  Mom loved the
children and the people of Locust Hill.  The ladies there even made
her a friendship quilt that she treasured.  Locust Hill
 is still there today, although the old school building is no longer in use,
 the church that sits next to it is still active.

 My thoughts came back to the book in my hand and I turned
to the index in the book. and there it was, "All Through The Night",
the very song I had been humming earlier and wanted to find.
After I found "All Through The Night", I simply got lost in the book as I
began singing aloud, "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat", "Billy Boy" and
"Pop! Goes The Weasel."   I turned more pages and there were all kinds of
patriotic hymns.  I saw songs like "America", "The Star Spangled Banner",
"Battle Hymn of The Republic", and I was glad to find  "Dixie" there too.
There was "My Old Kentucky Home", "Old Black Joe"
and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot".  I found an Indian song
called, "Papoose", another called "Eskimo Song",
and a bouncy tune about a dancing Gypsy.  I began thinking
about these songs and how most of them are not included in
our school books today.  Will some of these songs eventually
be forgotten and our true history lost?

Along with the music, there were many pictures for children
to observe and enjoy.  Included were portraits of the great composers
such as Brahms, Schubert, Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven;
as well as paintings like "The Angelus" by Millet,
and "Pilgrims Going To Church" by Boughton.

     I turned a few more pages and found Thanksgiving Hymns and
many Christmas carols.  Schools that try to replace "Silent Night" and
"O Come, All Ye Faithful" with "Winter Party" songs only leave
our hearts as cold as winter.   As I continued through the schoolbook,
there were even classic hymns such as "Faith of Our Fathers"
and "Come Thou Almighty King."   Most of these songs are not
in school books today nor would they be allowed in most public schools.
How much of our heritage have we lost by allowing political correctness
to influence and even control our lives?

God and country was certainly a big part of these old songbooks
and was of the utmost importance to the people who came before us.

I found another song in the book that I remembered so very well as a child,
and I had to smile at the memory.  Maybe you will remember it too.  It's called:

"The Crooked Man"

There was a crooked man
He walked a crooked mile
He found a crooked six-pence
Against a crooked stile
He bought a crooked cat
Which caught a crooked mouse
And they all lived together
In a crooked little house

If I were asked to write a moral for this song, it would be:
"A crooked man seeks and values only crookedness."
Or
"If a man is crooked, all that he touches will become crooked."

I hope we will get back to the values handed down to us
by our founding fathers and others who have fought and even given
their lives because they loved God and country.

Remember to watch out for "The Crooked Man!"

The path of righteousness must always be guarded.

Pamela R. Blaine
copyright, April 2002

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is
that good men do nothing."
Edmund Burke