Americanism. This is not a new word to me; in fact, it is one with which I have been familiar for several years. Yet it has not been long since I have come really to understand and appreciate it

Eaton, Herbert

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of furniture which his ancestors hadbrought from Old Spain in 1797. Since theboys had said they had one more place toshow her before siesta time, they soon left,after Marian had promised to dine withthe mayor and his wife that night.As they walked around the plaza to-ward La Calle de Las Rosas, the boys toldMarian the history of La Cathedral deNuestra Senora. She was intensly interest-ed in it before she saw it, and when shedid see it, she could do nothing but standand stare. With the bright afternoon sunshining on it, the Cathedral looked allpink and gold, and showed all the carvingin detail. Marian slowly walked throughthe doorway, and in the quiet of the littleCathedral she hardly dared to breathe, forfear of disturbing the saints. She walkedslowly up to the altar, stood for a fewminutes looking at the carved figures ofMary and Jesus, and slowly knelt to pray.As she neared the end of her prayer shesaid, more as a question to herself than aplea to the Virgin, "Why can't all peoplebe like these in this little town? If it werepossible, greed and wars would be unheardof, and the world would be more as Heintended it to be."AmericanismHERBERT EATONAmericanism. This is not a new wordto me; in fact, it is one with which I havebeen familiar for several years. Yet it hasnot been long since I have come really tounderstand and appreciate it. "American-ism," to me, is the one word which symbo-lizes all of the ideals of a great nation. Itsignifies the ideals of which we are veryproud, the ideals which our ancestors setup and struggled and fought to maintain,the ideals which we are fighting to preserveagainst our enemies today. It is the loveof our churches and the free establishmentthereof regardless of our religious creed.It stands for the principles and rights of afree people, the freedom of speech and ofthe press, the freedom of opportunity andof enterprize, the right of the individual toseek the kind of employment he chooses,the right of the individual to sell his pro-ducts to anyone at any time, the right ofthe individual to use the proceeds of suchsales as he sees fit, the right of the indivi-dual to own private property, the freedomof election and assembly. All this isAmericanism - the one word which sym-bolizes all of the ideals of a great nationwhich today, by the preservation of theseideals, stands as a guiding star for the con-quered peoples of the world, leading themfrom the pit-falls of barbarism onto th~road of peace, hope, and happiness.(22)

Americanism

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Americanism

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