IN ANSWER to the request made by Bill Wylie (Letters, April 23), the lines quoted come from the poem Barbara Frietchie by the poet John Greenleaf Whittier. This poem described an incident during the American Civil War when the Confederate army, commanded by General Stonewall Jackson, had taken down the Union flags in the town of Frederick. Barbara Frietchie (in her eighties) in a spirit of defiance had flown the Union flag from her house window in the face of gunfire from the Confederate troops. She told the troops: “Shoot, if you must, this old gray head, But spare your country’s flag.”

Mr Wylie quotes the words attributed by Whittier to Stonewall Jackson in response to Barbara’s spirited act of defiance to his Confederate troops forbidding them to shoot at Barbara.

It is interesting to note from the poem that Barbara’s courage and spirit, qualities which we have seen so often demonstrated recently by many of our own senior citizens, were appreciated, valued and respected by Stonewall Jackson and by the poet Whittier.

Stewart Munro, Bishopton.

JOHN Greenleaf Whittier was inspired to write poetry when he chanced upon the works of one Robert Burns. Whittier went on to become a notable poet and campaigner against slavery. Winston Churchill when he visited Maryland in 1943 stopped outside Fritchie's house in Frederick and recited the poem.

Quintin Oliver, Lamlash, Isle of Arran.

THE Glasgow accountant’s office in which Bill Wylie (Letters, April 23) worked appears to have employed more erudite characters than the one in which I trained.

The most profound statement repeatedly heard during my apprenticeship, and how true it is today, was “these things are set to try us".

David Miller, Milngavie.

The new 40

THE practice of quarantine began during the 14th century in an effort to protect coastal cities from plague epidemics. Ships arriving in Venice from infected ports were required to remain at anchor for 40 days before landing.

This practice, called quarantine, was derived from the Italian words quaranta giorni, 40 days.

Why 40? Why not 30 or 50? Why 40? Was it an echo of earlier biblical allusions?

God forbade the Israelites from entering the Holy Land for 40 years. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai, where he received the Ten Commandments. After being baptised by John the Baptist, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights in the Judean Desert. And 40 days was the period from the resurrection of Jesus to His ascension.

All I know is that with my new “exercise regime” in the garden I feel … guess what? … 40.

Duncan McAra, Bishopbriggs.

Open the churches

CHURCHES should reopen this Sunday. Many church buildings are large and many congregations are small. There is plenty of room for safe self-distancing. Go on Christians. Stand up for Jesus.

Rev Dr Robert Anderson, Dundonald.

A cheering encounter

ON my daily walk on the nearby golf course a couple of giggly toddlers recognised me from the previous day and rushed over to greet me, and as age doesn’t permit me to outrun them, I managed to nicely shoo them away, after which an out-of-breath dad arrived and informed me that unfortunately they hadn’t quite grasped the concept of social distancing. In these gloomy times it’s wonderful that a couple of irascible youngsters can raise such a smile.

Alan Stephen, Glasgow.

Put me in charge

IN response to James Gracie (Letters, April 23), who suggests that we “turn running the country over to the letter writers, and writing as someone who occasionally gets a letter published in The Herald, may I be the first to volunteer?

John Jamieson, Ayr.