Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-03
COVER THEM OVER.
BY WILL NJ. CARLETON.

Cover them over with beautiful flowers.
Deck them with gar.ands, these brothers OF ours
Lying so silent by night and by day.
Sleeping the years Of their manhood away,
Years the had marked for ;he joys of the braye;
Years they mast waste in the mouldetlng grave
All the bright laurels that waited 10 bloom
Fell from their hopes, when they fell 10 the tomb
give them the need they have won in the past
Give them the honoIs the future forecast,
Give them the chapets they won IN the STRIFE
Give them the laurels they lost with their life
Cover them over. yes, cover them over,
Parent and husband brother anu lover
Crown in your heart those dead heroes OF ours
And cover them over with beautiful MOWERS.
Cover the faces that motionless lie,
Shut from The blue of the glorious SKY.
Faces once decked with the smiles oil Inc gay,
Faces now marked with the frown OF decay
Eyes that looked friendship and love 10 your own,
Iins that the thoughts of affection made known,
Rrnws Won have soothed in the hour of distress
Cheeks You have brghteued by tender caress
Oh how they CLEANED a: the nations nrst cry
on, how they streaInti when they bade you good
byi
Oh now they glowci ia the battles fierce lamei
Oh how they paled when the death angel came
Cover them over, yes, cover them over,
Parent, son, husband, brother ana lover
Kiss in your hearts those dead heroes of ours,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers.
Cover the hands that are living untried,
Crossed on the bosom or low at the side.
Hands to YOU. mother, in infancy thrown,
Hands which you, father, clasped close IN your own
Hands, where You. sister, when tried and dlsinaycd
Hung for protection. and counsel. and and,
Hands that YOU, brother, in loyalty knew,
Hands that you, wife. wrung in bitter adieu;
Brayely the musket and sabre they bore J
Words of devotion they wrote in their gore
Grandly they grasped for garland OF light,
Catching the mantle of deah-darkened night.
Cover them over, oh, cover them over!
Parent son, husband, brother and lover,
Crown in YOUR hearts those dead heroes of ours,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers.
Cover the feet that all weary and torn,
Hither by comrades were tenderly borne;
Fset thai have trodden in fiowery ways
Close by your own in the old happy days.
Feet that have pressed in lte's opening morn,
4 )ses of pleasure, and deaths poisoned thorn,
swiftly they rushed TO the help OF the right.
Firmly they stood in the shock of the fight.
Ne'er shall the enemy hurryne tramp
summon them forth from their death-guarded
camp;
Ne'er iii the bugle of Gabriel sound
will they come out of their couch in the ground.
Cover them over, yes, cover them over,
Parent and husband; brother and lover,
Kiss in your hearts those dead heroes of ours,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers.
Cover the hearts that have beaten so high.
Beaten with hopes that were born hut 10 die.
Hearts that have burned In the heat of the fray,
Hearts that have yearned for the homes far away,
Hearts that beat high in the charges loud tramp.
Hearts that fell low in the prisons foul damp,
Once they were swelling with courage and VIII,
Now they are lying all pulseless and still.
Once they were glowing with friendship and love,
Now their great souls have gone soaring above,
Bravely their blood to the nation they gave!
Cover them over, Yes, cover them over.
Parent son, husband, brother and lover
Kiss in your hearts those dead heroes of ours,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers
Cover the thousands who sleep far away
Sleep where their friends cannot hnd them to-day,
Those who in mountain and hillside and dell,
Rest where they wearied and lie where they fell-
Softly the grass blade creeps round their relose,
Sweeily above them the Wild howeret blows,
Zepbyrs of freedom ly gently Ger head,
Whispering prayers for the patriot dead.
So IN oi.r minds we Will name them once more.
So in our hearts We Will cover them Ger,
Roses and lilies, and violets blue,
Boom in our hearts for the brave and the true.
Cover them over. yes, cover them over.
Parent, son, husband. brother and lover !
Think OF those far away heroes Of ours,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers.
When the long years have rolled slowly away,
Zen to the dawn OF eartll's funeral day;
When at the archangel's trumpet and tread
Rise up the faces and forms of the dead;
When The great world It's last judgment awaits,
When the blue sky shall swing open the gaies
And our long columns march silently through,
Past the great captain for final review;
Then from the blood that has flowed for the right,
Crowns shall spring upward, untaTnlshed and
bright;
Then the giad ears of each war martyred son
Proudly shall hear the glad tdngs-"Well done!n
Blessings for garlands shall cover them over,
Parent and husband, brother and lover,
God will reward those dead heroes Of ours,
Aud cover them over with beautiful flowers.