Page:What to do for Uncle Sam; a first book of citizenship (IA whattodoforuncle00bail).pdf/188



"I want to be in Uncle Sam’s service to-day! I don’t want to have to wait until I grow up!" you say as you stand on the street curbing some day and watch a parade of soldiers, drums beating, and "Old Glory" flying on ahead.

Just as this thought comes to you, and you stretch up on tiptoe so as to seem a little nearer the stature of a soldier, you see something. The crowd that watched the parade is a careless, holiday crowd. As the people move along they toss papers into the street, and litter the sidewalk with fruit skins and peanut shells. Out of the crowd steps a boy of about your age, dressed in khaki. He picks up the scattered rubbish and puts it in one of the tin cans that the Street Cleaning Department provides at corners for just this purpose. The boy does not stop with this service. Some of the children have pushed over the edge of the sidewalk and out into the street, standing right in the way of the horses. This boy motions them back to their places and then he leads the blind man, who stood at the corner selling flags, over to the other side of the street in safety. Rh