Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-06-12
ISLAND POND. VERMONT JUNE 70 1891

Bonneville his last message to his wife and
mother and child, It sounded Just like mes
sage that a northern msn dying far from
home would send to his wife and mother anC
child
And when | picked up from tn. battle
field OF Antietam the fragment OF a letter
which have somewhere yet for the name
and the address were torn OF, | saw il was
the words Of a wife u he.' husband telling
him how the little child prayed for their
father every night that hs might not get
hurt in the battle ami might cOns homs
sound end come home well, but that IL any
thing happened to them they might all m 1T
again in the world where there are no part
ings, IL read just as a northern wife would
write TO a husband away from h2ne AMI IN
peril conveying the messages OF ltttl3 chill
dren. Oh. yes: they were honest on both
sides. Aud those who liyel to get home ar1
living yet wers Just as honest AMI ought
they not for the suffering they endured have
a coronal OF some kiniy
-t1t.t we must not dctain tho two garlands
any longer from the pillows Of those who for
a quarter of a century have bsan PROSTATE
in dreamless slumber, never oppressed by
summer heats or chilled by winters cold
Both garlands are fragrant. Both have in
them the sunshine and the shower of this
springtime. Inc colors Of both we're mixed
by Him who miXel the blu of the sky, and
the gold OF the sunset, and the green of tho
grass, aud the whiteneSS oi the snow crystal.
And do not care which you put over tho
northern grave and which over the southern
grave.
These august throngs gathered this morn.
ing i'll these pews and aisles anl corridors
and galleries are insignificant con o1rsi WITH
the mightier throngs Of heaven who mjnyls
this GaFyica r,anlar IN q NJ a II |
our country while we twist the two garlan Is.
Hail spirits multitu iinous' Hail spirits
blest. Hail martyred OlGI come dOwn from
from the King palaces, How glad are W.
that you have come hIc'; again, Take this
kiss OF welcome aud the$ glrian Is ot remuu.
iscence, We who laugulSlei in hospitals D..
went down under tna thun ier' AMI ths
lightning % fredericksburg AMI Cod Har-
Dor and Mur;reesb0rJ and CDrintd aui
YORKTOWN an above tn, rloI Is on LDJiolt
Mountain.
Among the Thousands Of gather,nyS a;
the nortn and at the south for De 'pr4t,oI
Days | am conscious that this s1rvlr, IS
unique, and that it IS Only one in which there
has been twIstel two gar'auis, oln for thb
grave OF the northern deal aul the otIer .Or
the grave Of the southern dead. OL0ri God
or the American Union, is 1t time that We
bury forever our old gruiges' Ny. Nv! Can
'c ilbt bt ~ IlFdCT On tAlLn Wnhl tUlS mo-
ment in heaven dwell, in perfect love,
Ulysses s. Grant and Robert +. Lee, VIII,
lam 7. Sherman AMI Stonewall Jackson,
and tens OF thousands of northern aud
southern men who though they once looked
askance at each other from the Opposite
banks Of the Potomac and the Chickahomny
and the James and the Tennessee, now are
on the same side Of the river, keeping iub.
lee with some ot those old angels who near
~ Not ,rta
Christmas night - chant over Bethlehem
GLORY TO God in the highest; on earth
peace, good will 10 men
| have been waiting fo- some years for
some one else 10 twist tbs two GarIandS
that to-day twist but 10 one doing it, IN
the love OF God and my country put now
my hand 10 the work. and next spring
about this time, II am living and well. |
VIII twist two more Carlanis for northern
ana southern graves, and every springtim,
nntii some man or woman whom | NAV
have cheered little in the struggle of this
NE shall come out and put pansy or two
on my own grave But il the time should
ever come when this lanl shall be given
over To sectional rAncor and de ma goyiSn
and north and south, or east and west shall
forget what the good God built this nation
for, and It shall halt on its high career Of
righteousness and liberty and peace and be-
oppression, then let some young man whom
l have baptized in infancy at these affairs 60
out t. Greenwood and scOopu up my dust and
scatter 1t to the four winds OF heaven for |
do not want TO sleep and | will not sleep in
land accurSet with sec CtioualiSm or oopreS.
sion.
And now | hand over the two garlandS,
both of which are wet with many tears
tears Os widOwhooi AMI orphanaEs AMI
childlessness, tears o. suTerin an / tears OF
gratitude; AM as the ceremony must bo
performed in symbol there not being enough
flowers to cover all tue graves, take tue one
garland to the tomb Of one northern
soldier who may yeSter Law have been
omitted in the distribution Of the sacra-
ment of flowers, and the other garland to
the tomb OF some southern soldier who may
month ago have been omitted in the diStri.
button Of the sacrament of the flowers, and
put both the wreaths gently dOwn over the
hearts that have CcNset to beat. God bless
the two garlanls' Col save the United
States OF AmTicll