Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-06-03
For the Chronicle.
Soldiers Monuments.
BY ESTERIA.

| JOlOlCI
BY EsTERIA.
The air | am inhaling comes over tn
soft myrtled hillocks in which oversprea'
with howery counterpane, rest bodie
that were once spirit-tenanted, once in
fused with Divinity. Oh / have seen dea
ones lain here! My mother with he
mild eyes, my sister with her pure smil
have gone out into broader life, leavin
me to gaze in pain and wonder on tn
body of weakness. Here lie the shatter
ed lamps of transplanted lights.
This tiny monument saying "Our An
GEL" how its voice thrills my bereaveC
mother-heart.
! II had a little cradle
And little face slept there;
| 1t was the glory of my home,
That childish beauty rare.
! And now have q little grave,
Do thou be still, my heart.
1t is enough-my ehangeful life
Has this one thing secure,
This precious grave, child in heaven,
| child forever pure"
We seek to beautify this sacred spor
Why? We, do not deem that thus we
can add leaf or bloom to the tree o
eternal bliss and beauty that springs W
in the immortal souls that have with
drawn themselves from these earthly
temples, but we who cherish even the
garments that have touched the loved
Aesh how can We forget the case that has
been thought worthy to hold SO dear a
gem. Though the forms that are lying
here, has the image of God, (the human
soul, expressed itself, and our humanity
conveyed its language to our spirituality,
otherwise inthis material world, our souls
would wander silent unrecogniz-
ed by each other, because having no me-
dium of converse. Either then, open
our cemeteries to the strife of commerce,
and say, ''the body is useless husk that
merits no attention after the soul has
flown" or hem them into sweet song-fil-
ed solitude, by shrubs and trees, make the
air oderous with remembrance flowers,
and summon art to beautify imperishable
marble, with such eloquence as often
the white faces that have caught CLEANS
of heaven ere the separation of soul and
body. Though "the dull cold ear of
death" warns not, wakens not, to list to
love, or praise, yet to the living, the voice
of the mortuary tablet speaketh unfor-
gotten words words of precious hope, of
undying love. Ahthe living will not for
get me. There are knees will bend
above me- Here is a soldiers grave am
touched with tenderness as behold it
For me this man died and how many
more have fallen for me, for you, and lie
unmarked on the banks of Stone river,
the Cumberland, the Rappahanock, the
Mississippi and the Gulf. Shall we give
no perpetution to their names, no utter
ance to their valiant deeds and courage
Gus suffering? Shall they lie an union
ored sacrifice, and shall thousands follow
in their death-agony steps without the.
knowledge that their heroism shall be ut
tered to coming generation? They know
we give tears to their trials, but let us
pledge that in marble, we will give a voice
to their deeds. How infinitely it would
cheer them, to fancy some beautiful struc-
ture of marble rising in the dear old
graveyard at home with all the hallowed
of eirlong-loved, early lost broth
er soldiers carved with fitting words
thereon. He would say, ''if fall my
name will glow there with the halo Of
honor" 1 plead in the name of every
soldier, that the people of every town will
raise fund and procure an APP
prepriate,monument, to be placed in the
most central, or elevated graveyard in
every township, dedicated to the memory
of that towns martyrs, whose lives go out
IN the pitiless flames of the present rebel
ion.
Some will say, we had better save our
1lOHcy 10 pTOClTc COLllOIlS lOI AbAIlB SUI
dier, than monuments for departed ones
We have enough for both. Do not tell
ne nay. Most genteel persons carry
enough into their church pews each Sab
bath. in the shape of dress, to fals;fy the
Let every land owner, in eve
y town give one dollar to this purpose,
his year, and next year each town may
proudly point to its list of glorious dead,
ettered on the polished marble. May be
his will procure in some towns, very mod
st ones. Are there in such towns no
Wealthy men who have noble hearts who
will donate mumifcently? No thrifty
mechanics who, though having no lands,
nave something ever to spare to good and
asteful works? Were / ubiquitous, |
would close evsry lady's purse. that open
ID to buy personal decorations, until she
would give its contents to the soldiers
wants. | love dress. Who does not love
brother more ? Woman should be equal
With man. Let her not transcend him. |
How would costly silks appear beside the
,oarse, soiled clothes in which your hus-
L