The Penn's Grove record., 1891-06-05

the migitier throngs OF heaven who n,,yla
IN this service which we render 10 GoI ana
our country while we twist tn two vnriards
Hail spirits multitu Iinodsi Hail spirit.
bIesti Hail martyrodo ones come down from
from the Kings palacesi How glad arc We
that you have come back again! Take this
kiss OF welcome and these g~arlanis OF remiu-
isceuce, ye who languishel IN hospitals Or
went down under the thunders and the
lightning of Fredericksburg aud Cold Har.
Dor and Murfreesboro and Corinth AMI
Yorktown and above the clouds on Lookout
Mountain.
Among the thousands Of gatherings Al
the north and at ths south for Decoration
Days | am conscious that this service d
unique. and that 1t Is only one In which there
has been twisted WI garlands, one for the
grave of the northern dead and the other for
the grave of the southern dead. OLord God
Of the American Union, IL It time that We
bury forever our old grudgcs? Myi Nyi Can
we not be at peace OK earth when this mo
mont In heaven dwell, In perfect love-
Ulysses 8. Grant and Robert e. Lee, WIN
lam +. Sherman and Stouewall jackson,
and tens Of Thousands Of northern and
southern men who, though they once looked
askance at each other from the opposite
banks Of the Potomac and the C~hickahominy
and the james and the Tennessee now are
on the same side Of the river, keeping tubt
lee WltH EOIbt VI uOr1 VA ahiBCAo ~ AlcaE
nineteen centuries 6 came down q
Christmas night to chant over Bethlehem,
GLORY to God IN the highest; on earth
peace, good will to menr'
have been waiting for some years for
come one else to twist the two garlands
that I to-day twist, but, no n doing II, in
the love Of God and my country put now
my hand to the work, and next spring
about this time, II / am living and well, 1
viii TWIST W more garIands for northern
and southern graves, and every springtime
until some man or woman whom i may
have cheered q little In the struggle OF this
life shall come out and put a pansy or y
on my own grave. But IL the time should
cver come when this land shall be gtver
over to sectional raucor and d~emagogism,
and north and south, or east and west shall
forget what the good God built this nation
for. and 1t shall halt on its high career OF
Righteousness and liberty and peace, and be-
come the agent OF tyranny and wrong anil
oppression, then let some young man whom
1 have baptized in infancy at these altars go
out to Greenwood and SCOOP up my dust and
scatter il to the four winds of heaven, for 1
do not want to sleep, and l will not sleep IN
a land accursed with sectionalism or oppres-
sion.
Aud now I hand over the two garlands,
both of which are wet with many tears.
tears of widowhood and ~orphanage
childlessness, tears OF suffering and tears OF
gratitude; and as the ceremony must 30
performed In symbol. there not being enough
flowers to cover all the graves, take the one
garland to the tomb Of some northern
soldier who may yesterday have been
omitted in the distribution OF the facra-
ment Of flowers, and the other garland to
the tomb OF some southern soldier who may
a 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 ceased to beat. Coo piesi
the two garlandsi God save the uniteo
States Of Americai