Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-31

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your crumbling dust, will forever live and IL
June the world, as in the heavens, speeding so
enshrouds them, the stars shine only in purer
ana eternal glory. can understand that, when
.he war closed, the same disinterested and
slngie loyalty which compelled the true citi-
zen 10 arms, made many soldier shrink from
even the appearance of farther display, either
by Joining your organization or by publicly en-
gaging in the decoration of graves. But with
the lapse OF time, with the inroads on the
ranks, Win the general and, In some states,
statutory recognition OF its observance, Me-
morlai day will hereafter gather around it not
only the love and tears and pride of the gene
inner circle OF tenderness, the Hnkirk memories
oi every comfadc, SO long as one survives.
THE PAST.
AS the dawn ushers it in, tinged already with
the exquisite flush of Fastening June and sweet
with the bursting fragrance of her roses the
Abraham Lincoln, wise, and patient and hon.
est, and tender, and true, Is at the nation 8
helm; the north is one broad blaze; the boys in
Diue are marching to the front; the fife and
drum are on every breeze; the very air is
patriotism; Phil. Sheridan, forty miles away,
gut, dashed to the mast head. is steanaing into
Mobile harbor; Hooker is above the clouds. aye
now forever above the clouds; Sherman
throttled Lee with the grip that never lets go
either its duty or its magninimity; Richmond
last great review at pass C y! tes
plume is there but Kearney's saddle is empty;
ahu now again our veterans come marching
nome to receive the welcome of grateful peO-
pie and TO stack the tattered flags which the re-
pubic forever hence shall wear above her heart
In memory OF the dead, In honor of the living,
tor inspiration to our children, We gather TO-
day to deck the graves OF our patriots with
flowers, to pledge nation and town aud citizen
all TO fresh recognition Of the surviving soldier
and to picture yet again the romance, the
reality, the glory, the sacrifice OF his service.
As II It were uut yesterday you recall him. He
had but turRed twenty. Tue exquisite tint OF
youthful kaes4a was In his cheeks His pure
heart shone'fiOfn frank out peakiug eyes. HIS
fair hair clustered from beneath his cap. He
hau pulled a stout oar In the college race, or
walked the most graceful athlete on the village
green: He had just entered Oh the vocation of
son OF the year was brilliant in the dewy morn
with the clamberiug vine aud fragrant flower
as In and out he went, the beloved OF mothers
anu sisters, and the ideal OF American
youth:
In face and shoulders like god he was:
For Ger Liui had the goddess b. eatheL the charm
vi youthful, locks tine ruudy gov vi youth,
a generou, giadues, in his e, IS, such grace
As carver's manu- 10 ivoyy gives, or wnen
Is SET
The unreckoned influences of the great dis
ed MIN into
A CHAMPION OF FREEDOM.
He had passed no solitary and sieepless night
watching the armor which he was 10 wear when
dubbed next day with the accolade OF knight
hood. But over the Students lamp or at the
hresjde 5 blaze he had passed the nobler init
ate vi heart ana mind trained TO tine sense
oi justice and TO resolution equal to the sacri-
nee OF lie Itself In behalf OF right and duty. He
kueW nothing of the web auu woof OF politics,
but he knew instinctvey the needs OF has coun-
try. His ideal was Philip Sidney, not n napoleon.
And wnen the drum beat, when the nrst mar
tyrs blood sprinkled the stones OF Baltimore,
he took MS place in the RANKS and went Tor
ward You renemDer his Ingenious and glow
Ing letters TO his mother, writ.en as il bis pen
were dipped III his very heart. How novel
seemed 10 him the routine OF service, the lie of
camp and march. How eager the wish to meet
the enemy and strike his first blow Tor the good
cause. What pride aL the promotion that came
and put It's cuevrOu on his arm or its strap up
On us shoulder. How graphically he described
his sensation In me urSt battle, the palior
That he ieit creepin. up his face, the Thrilling
along every nerve, and then the utter fearless
ness when once the charge began and his blood
was up. Later Oh how gratefully he wrote Of
the days Ia hospital, OF tne opening of the box
from home, OF the generous distributing vi deli
cacics that loving ones had sent, and of the
never-to-ue-iOrgotten comfort OF The gentle
nurse whose eyes and hands seemed 10 brIny to
his bedside the summer freshness and healLn Of
the open Windows OI his ana her northern
homestead. No Amazon was she with c;.ilous
half breast, but her whole woman heart was
devoted, as were the hearts OF All her SISTERS at
the north, To tightening the hardship and pain
Oh war Let her praise never tail to Inluyie with
the soldiers tribute, nor her abilities be be-
Titled in u land to whose salvation and honor
she contributed as nobIy in her service lie in
his.
They took him prisoner. He wasted in Libby
and grew gaunL and haggard with the horror vi
his suIterinss anu pity Ior the greater horror OF
the suneriuss OF his comrades Vino tainted and
died at nis slide. he saw his scuOOlnate pant
lug with me fever OF thirst, yet shot ike a dog
Tor reaching across the line 10 drink the stag
nant water u dog would have scOrned. He tun-
neied the eartn and escaped. Hungry and
weak, i'll terror vi recaptare, he followed by
night the pathway OF the railroad. Upon its
Linbers. hoar with Irost, be tottered in the dark
erous fuothOld. He slept III tuicKets and SANK
III swamps. In long and painful circuits he
stole around hamlets where he dared not
ask for shelter. He the glitter OF
hOrsemen VINO pursued him. He knew
the bioounound was on his track. A faithful
nesro-good SAnarItan-took compassion on
hiIn, bound up his wounds, and set him ON his
Way. He reached the liue and with his hand
grasping at freedom, they caught hlm and took
at last; and you remember wnen he came nome
Oh short Iuriough, how manly and warworn
he had grown. but he soon returned to the
RANKS and 10 the welcome OF his Comrades.
Iney loved MIN Tor his nauIiness, his y II bear
Ing, his 1ne sense OF honor. Tney felt the uo-
bility OF conduct and character that breatned
OUT Iroin nim. They recall him now alike with
tears and prize. In the ritie-pits around Peters
burg you heard his steady Voice ana nrn COM
manu. The bullet OF The snarpsnOOter picked uH
the soldier no stood at his side and dying IN
his arms, one last brief message Whispered
and faithfully sent home. 1t Was forlorn nope,
the charge Of The brave regiment to Wnlcn ne
belonged, reduced now by three years long
nShLus 10 a hundred veterans, conscious that
somebody nad bluudered yet grimiy oDedient 10
duty. sumo one VINO saw nlm then iaucied
thai he seemeu that day like VINO ioreIelt
the end. But there was hinchinR as he
charged. He had just turned to give cheer when
the Iatai ball struck him. There Was u cOnvul-
sion Oh the upward hand. His eyes, pleading
and loyal, turned their last glance to the uas
Ais lips parted. He feu dead, aud AT uighL.uii
lay with nis luce to the stars. Home they
brought him, Iairer than AdonS over whom
the goddess Of beauty wept. they buried him
in Inc village church yard under the green
turf. Year ny year his comrades and his
KIN, nearer than comraues. scatter his grave
with flowers. His picture hangs OH the nome
stead walls. Children look up at it ind ask to
hear his story. II was more tnan twenty years
ago; and the face is 50 young, SO boyiSh and
Jar, That you cannot believe Ne was the hero of
twenty battles, u veteran i'll the wars, u leader
OF men, brave, cool, commanding, great. DO
you ask VINO he was? he in every reyi.
ment and in every company. He went OUT
from every northern village. He sleeps In every
northern Ouryiny-grounu. Recall romance
reclte the names oi heroes Of legend and song
but there il That in his peer. Can you think ri
hln aud not count the cost Of such precious
lie, not thrill with gratitude ut such = sacri.
nee, not ask why such promise, such hope, such
worth should have Deen cul down. know not
why 1t Is that, ii the future is always progress,
THE PAST IS ALWAYS SACRIFICE,
unless 1t be that in the nation, as In man. sac
rihce is the soil and seed OF progress. 1 know
not why 1t IL, in the providence Of God, that
through blOOd-not the sacrifice of rams and
goats, out the blood OF human hearts-the