Page:St. Nicholas (serial) (IA stnicholasserial402dodg).pdf/436

882 The biggest celebration is in the evening. The public buildings are illuminated with thousands of lights: fags blue, white, and red, and Japanese lanterns, appear everywhere; bands play on little stands set up along the streets, Along the boulevards, there are merry-go-rounds, and side-shows, and booths where all sorts of cheap toys are sold. The merry-go-rounds often have big pink pigs to ride on instead of the ponies we see in America.

Many people have their dinner on little tables set out on the sidewalk before the restaurants, These are, of course, people of the working-class. After dinner, when the music starts up, they begin dancing in the streets, and dance until morning.

Toward ten o'clock, fireworks are sent up from the Hotel de Ville and the different bridges along the Seine. Then, indeed, does it seem to the American boy or girl who is visiting in Paris that it is a real celebration, like the Fourth of July at home. They cheer with the others, “''Vive le quatorze Juillet! Vive la République!''”

At the time that these two revolutions took place, war was the only means known to nations by which to settle their differences; but now we are working toward a better way. Formerly, when two men could not agree, or quarreled, they used to resort to force in order to get their own way, and often killed each other in duels; in these days, they take the affair before a court and a judge to he settled. Many men are now devoting their entire lives to the cause of peace, and are. trying to induce nations to settle their disputes in a similar manner, before a court made up of representatives from the different countries.

There can never be perfect peace between either men or nations, however, while hatred, greed, revenge, jealousy, and selfishness find a place in the hearts and minds of men, for these are the seeds of war, So long as they are allowed to exist, they may grow up into armed strife among people and nations, So, you see, it depends upon each of us to decide whether or not there is to be any more war, and it is our duty to destroy the little war-seeds that we find in our own hearts. If every boy and girl and man and woman could cast out all hatred, greed, revenge, jealousy, and selfishness from his or her heart, how or where could war begin?

This would bring about real peace, for peace means more than the ceasing of war. Peace is based on love and good-fellowship. Peace is active and makes its presence felt by acts of love and sympathy, It is based on the same under-lying principle that prompted France to reach out a helping hand to our forefathers in their struggle for independence. To-day there is a greater desire, among the nations of the earth, to help one another than ever before. Numberless charitable organizations, the Red Cross, societies for the protection of birds and animals, all these indicate that the hearts of men are growing kinder and better. So, though war does still hreak forth occasionally, the signs of the times are encouraging to those who are working for universal peace.