The National tribune., 1885-07-09

though all the letters that stood out bold and
inetfacable were the words, "God of Ages"
And then, from the multitudinous relics of
the fast-fading years, we descended to the
rotunda to stand before the clustered BATTLE
flags of 20 years ago, emblems of the invis-
IDLE phalanxes that keep guard over human
freedom, typified as there by the statue of Wash
ingtOn, with the old War Governor, Andrew,
to the left of u.s. and Charles Sumner, the mar
tyr to freedom of speech, on the right, and the
brass cannon that bear the inscriptions to the
Revolutionary patriots in front, and there, with
the heart too full for utterance, though the
tears flowed fast and free, there came up these
words to the lips:
"Lives there a man with soul SO dead
Who never to himself hath said:
This is my own, my native land
1t was no longer Massachusetts, TWAS Ohio,
Nebraska, California. 1t was the Union. These
flags waved over the boys of the East, as our
cherished banners have waved over the boys of
the West. Yet each is the emblem of unity, the
Stars and the Stripes battered and torn and
notified with the best blood of the Nation, but
the glorious old Star-spangled Banner still.
So you see why the Women of the Relief Corps
who accepted the invitation of Massachusetts,
to stop over and share the inequalities of
Boston are not strangers in a strange land
are among friends aud at home.
THE LOYAL LEGION.
Loyal Legion, Col. Arnold A. Rand, Recorder in
charge The great attraction of the place is the
stack of war albums, filled with historic scenes
and faces. Many of them are the original
views from the battlefields, brought together
after industrious and patient correspondence,
chiefly of the Barnard and Brady collections.
Col. Rand tells US that some of the most relia-
BILE were found among the rubbish of photo
graph rooms, used as playthings for children to
keep them quiet while waiting the photog-
rapher. One could spend week turning over
the leaves of these wonderfully fascinating
albums, with their painfully realistic pages
Some Of the views are of men torn trunk from
limb and head from trunk-awful and yet in
structive to those who are too young, or too
forgetful, to know that any fought and any
fell to save the honor of the Nation.
Stand to your arms! And there came the rush and
the crush of the whirlwnd;
Headless and trunkess they fell the royal old oaks
of the Forest
The men with the sinews of strength and the pride
of the oak kuotted forest
Lay with their lips to the dust and dust the rent
reins Of their valor;s
Lay with their lips TO the sod and their hearts to
the ribbed rocks as pulseless,
And sobs of the ridges back the cries Of their
soul in the conflict
Col. Rand's command was the LIST Mass. Cav.
He is a keen-eyed, methodical man. who, tax
ing every available moment from his extensive
law practice, is making very important history
in form that will present it to the intelligent
understanding of coming ages A building
specially dedicated to the archives of the Loyal
Legion is even now a necessity, as q mass of
interesting matter is filed and crowded into o
limited space, which should be properly dis
played.
THE SOLDIERS HOME.
To-day we visited the Soldiers Home at
Chelsea, on Powder Horn Hill. We had heard
much of this noble Grand Army charity of
Massachusetts,. but had no expectation of find
ing such q real home, so picturesquely situated.
Powder Horn Hill 0verloOks the sea and COM
mands a view of the entire city, 81 suburban
towns and the brOad-swelling ocean, with the
Island of Nahant intervening. On q clear day
and fair weather was our blessed bOOn-one
can look 40 miles away over the calm and
placid seas. 1t is a sight that beggars Worces-
ter's dictionary to describe.
The Home itself has wide halls and broad
piazza running all around. There are at pres
ent ITO inmates; Gen. Cunningham, Superin-
tendent, and Mrs. Cunningham, MatrOn. The
"boys" are grateful for the care bestowed upon
them and have resigned and contented look.
They have the whitest and lightest bread, the
sweetest, gcldenest butter, and meat, sauce and
good coffee in abundance. The tables are we'll
laid and the entire culinary establishment, to
the shining copper boilers, is a model of order
and neatness.
1t was our good fortune to be present at a
meeting of the Ladies' Aid Association, of
which the members of the various Relief Corps
are an important part Mrs. Barker, First Vice
President, was in the chair, owing to the ill
ness of the President MRS. Dyer, and SO we
were quite at home. Among the ladies of the
association present were Mrs. Fuller, Mrs. Tur-
ner and Mrs. Wheeler, National President,
Treasurer and Secretary, respectively. The
meeting was an interesting one, at which many
donations of hospital deicacies and household
cup nj los tod Wa chnyu fhrou oh
the institution, and were proud to see how
comfortably the various Relief Corps had fur
nished the various rooms occupied by the vet
Grams. Spring beds, white Spreads rugs pic
lures, INTERCHANGEABLE the home bits which
loving woman could supply were there. The
old soldiers take great pride in caring for the
rooms thus furnished.
Following the business meeting, Mrs. Barker
| called On Mrs. Wells, of London, England, who
delivered two pathetic poems, illustrative Of
| woman's heroism. with superb effect. Mrs.
| Kate B. Sherwood, Past National President,
addressed the assembled veterans and the ladies,
outlining the objects and work of the Woman's
| Relief Corps, and bore greetings from the
| women of the West to the women of Massachu-
| sets, both engaged in the glorious work of
caring for the veterans. their widows and
| orphans. She introduced the Department
| President Of California, Mrs. Col. Kline, who
spoke for the Soldiers Home in the Golden
State. Z. u. Hampton, department. Inspector,
GAR. of Michigan, and Mrs. Hampton, Depart
ment President; Mrs. Goodale. Department
President of Massachusetts,; Mrs. Gen. Rice,
of Ohio; Mrs. Russell, of California, and Mrs.
Ada F. Clarke, Past Department Secretary of
| Ohio, were among the visitors present.
The Soldiers Home was built for Summer
resort for the Southern shoe merchants and
their families, just prior to the war. 1t was
known as the Highland HOTEL and was es-
| teemed desirable resort for men of means and
| leisure. But the men of the South suddenly
stopped coming North, and after a few years
| the whole establishment was thrown on the
market and bought by the Grand Army, fur
nished, for SIC, 600. The Massachusetts, Legis-
lature donates $4,000 per annum to the sup
port of the Home which is under the manage
ment of board of 1e, Is of whom must be
soldiers Sixteen are of the number now. Be-
sides the Legislative appropriation the Posts
and Corps of the State unto in joint enter
| tainment yearly for the benefit of the Home
| The late carnival has netted over SGD 600 with