National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-31
AT MUSTER.


AHLiNuFoNi VA MAY W. loo-
Nv oOn,rdds Ed,odrd Rendud Of M Cursor pos, No.z
What mean these strains Of music,
This mighty crowd that comes;
The waving OF the banners,
The boating Of the drums;
TIE treai Of marshaled thousands
Through all the sunny hours,
And the iramplng of the foaming stecds,
All garlanded with flowers?
Long since the mists Of morning
son Winds have bioSn aside
From all the rich ndurning
Ofthe city ofonr prldei
Long since the mighty multitude
Have thromgcd the crowded ways
TO seek another city,
on this, our Day Of Days.
Over this silent city
The Mny-day sunshine falls,
No wnrder guards the gateway;
No sentry walks the walls;
And yet no earthly RrmOr
No might mortal blow
Can rout its stern defenders,
Or lay Its ramparts low.
All these are they who hold their camp forever
Whose counerslgu no living lips may speak,
For Fame las crowned their lies long, Stern en-
deavOr
Where kindly hands have laid them down to sleep.
The solemn cypress and the waving willow,
with stately plumes their pail have well nigh hid
The earths broad bosom makes their peaceful pillow,
The springs green carpet for their covcrlid.
They hear no more the rifles deadly rattle;
No more they heed the lannon's dearning roar,
Or breast the breakers, where the storm Of battle
Bursts IN its boOd.red pillows on the shore'
Turned backward for n moment
The tide orteeming years
Brings back the mortal struggle
The wounds, aud blood, aud tears;
~ ngs buck the long procession,
liy flo, d, and field, and tenti
The rife, sword, and cannon,
Ofwars arbitramentl
O. DAYS Of echolng thunderi
q, nights OF blood.red bRgel
o, hours ofbreathless watingl
O, miles Of mlry ways
When bllsteriug suns hung over
The clOse-bcoaguercd town,
To crown the heads Of heroes
With the laurcls OF renowhl
IIoi for the n anching myrIads,
The lines Of gid ranks,
Where The horsemen and the iootmen
Close up their serrcd fldnksl
lIol for the roaring battle
The horrid front of war
on which the charging squodrons
Burst with fierce lusrahl
| An, hushed is now tho turmoil and the trouble;
| Above these grass.grown mounds we pause an'
thln'S
If Fame be not n bauble, life bubble,
Whose breaking brings us to tue sr''Vessad ofihk'
You call us. comrades, to your solemn muster,
Aud we are coming slowly, year by year.
Where fc's wild winds no longer blow ana buster,
lii the pure light Of lieavns own atmosphere
So came the gallant HuRLBuT,s old aud hOary,
| And brave old BuRSsiDE,t with Ills rare rcnown;
The wide world wcpt when, ripe In years and glory
| The M hrtyred GAKFlELDt laid HES scepire down
| Here on the sward around us,
| Standing amidst the throng,
| SPOKE he the words of vision,
| sturdy and brave, aud strong:
| uaidly, II seems, we listened
| spull.bound an hour ago
| Standing with heads uncovered
| And now he Is lying low!
So, to the last dread muster,
| Reused by the trumpei's call,
Lony and low must answer
| Under the jasper wall;
And so, when we join the comrades
| who march in the cleaning line, =
| May the God of Battles hear us
And give US the cOunterslsnl
| Comrades in arms, low-lying,
Locked In your lasting sleep,
You have u rest well.conquerCd;
| But IRE have charge to keep
Keeping THE UNION sacred
Her stripes and her starry sheen;
| Guarding the peace you won us,
| Keeping your menl'Ty green
| o. aching hearts OF orphan, maid, or mother,
| Whose tears have dropped on grass or flower to-da
| For sire or sou, for husband or for brother,
May He who sees you wipe your tears away
Look up. beyond the rapid rushing river
The snow-whito dome still cltavcs the summt
skies;
Faith draws one shining arrow from her culver
The PATRIOT lives, the HERo never dies!
But grief is vain and SORROW unavalling;
so, leave our tears and flowers upon The sod;
with arms reversed and slkon bapn rst trailing
We leave our sleeping comrades with Their Godl
sGcnernl Hurlburt was the first commandment
chief OF the q. A. II.
chief.
Decoration Day ct Arlington.