PREFACE.————
THE last Zigzag volume sought to explain the American consular service, and to relate wonder-tales told in consular offices. This volume seeks to illustrate the White City, and to show what might have been seen at the Fair that would be of service to patriotic American holidays, the Village Improvement Societies, and social life, and especially to commend the work of the Folk-Lore Societies, and to give the history of the White Bordered Flag.
I have made the Folk-Lore Congress a leading feature of the book for story-telling purposes, but give to the White Bordered Flag the place of the crowning glory of the Fair, as the new education of Peace now demands the attention of the people, and especially of societies and schools. The recent resolution of the British Parliament calling for a Peace Commission between America and England to settle international disputes, and the worthy response of the President in his last Message, would seem to be a promising and perhaps decisive advance towards the union of the Anglo-Saxon race in the cause of Peace. The history of the Peace movement in England and in America has now a new interest, and this, amid the usualmélangeof stories which I have used in this series of books, I have sought to illustrate and explain.
“What does the memory of the White City yield to our new patriotic national life?”
This question, so far as it concerns young peoples’ societies, we have sought to answer. The White City was the prophetic vision of the ages, and was itself prophetic of the new eras of fraternity and peace. Its memory is a delight, and to write of it is a pleasure. To the American people it will ever be revelation: “See that thou makest all things after the pattern that was showed to thee on the Mount.”
This is the sixteenth volume of this series of books. In other volumes we have travelled in fancy over the world of stories; in this we go to the White City by the Lake, and meet the story-telling world as it came to us.
I am indebted to Messrs. Harper and Bros. for permission to republish “The Last Song of the Robin,” which I wrote for the Thanksgiving number of the “Weekly,” 1893; and “The Old Smoke Chamber,” which appeared in the Christmas number, 1888; and to the “Youth’s Companion” for like courtesy. Several popular authors have given me helps, and they are duly acknowledged in their places. As in the former volume, Miss Florence Blanchard has afforded me assistance, and in this volume has rendered me much service in preparing the parts on the History of Peace.
The “Chink, Chink” story was first published in “St. Nicholas,” and the poem entitled “The White Bordered Flag” was read at the Fair Auxiliary by the author at the opening of the Congress of Representative Youth.