Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1891-02-26

through the trying ordeal through
which We haved all passed, and now
our greatest pleasure. We recall
the form and faces of those we loved
so well and hand down 20 tradition
their deeds and virtues. Here we
rejoice in this annual reunion with
the survivors and shed tears ovel
those who have gone. 1t is one OF
the beautiful and touching elements
of friendship that it terminates not
with the death of our friend death
may ruin the source, it may break
the friendship, but it is only the
breaking of the vase in which flow
trs have once been distilled You
may ruin, you may break that vase
but there will arise from the Iuin
Il sweet perfume which fingers upon
| the sense and. reminds US of the
1 beauty and the bloom which the
flowers used to wear and in the re-
grets of that moment we catch up
the relics of the poor faded flowers
and place them aud cherish them in
the hearts strong vase. Thus death
may break the source of our friend
slip, but sweet memory like that
sweet perfume will rise up from the
wreck of the touch and linger Upon
the hearts sense and bring back the
features which friendship used to
wear. In classic land, it is beauti-
full, when one dies, for his compan-
ions to gather around the uncovered
grave and wait until late sunset has
gilded the last hill top and shades of
evening are gathering thick and
heavy about them, and then as if
anxious to arouse the sleeper from
his slumbers, the loved one of that
group breaks in upon the hush of
death and begs the sleeper to
wake and come away, and
when the soft endearments of
friendship pass unheeded by the ten
ant of the tomb and silence echoes
silence, they turn away in sorrow
and leave the sleeper to silence and
the grave-but not forever. The
anniversary of that day, hurries
the friend at the same hour
to the home of the dead and
kneeling he places his lip
to the sod and whispers to the sleep
ing dust. My brother [ love thee
yet, thon art still remembered and
still regretted. So my comrades in
these annual reunions, let us turn
aside for a few moments from the
festivities ard gaities of the occa-
sion, and whisper to the ashes of
Green, Scurry, Randall, Shepard,
Chalmers and our comrades who
died on the field of battle and all of
those who have gone before us to
that bourne from whence no traveller
returns. Ny brother I love thee
vet, thou art still remembered and
still regretted, then will We ever
keep green in our memory the deeds
and the virtues of those gallant men
whose character we reveve, and now
my comrades we turn to the more
cheerful phase of this occasion.
Sweet winged peace has alighted on
the land.
"No more shall the war cry sever
Or Tie winding rivers be red"
The soldier has discarded his mus
ket and resumed the monotonous
pursuits of peace, and devoting him.
self to the humber duties of life
turns the scepter over to woman.
who when she promises to obey
learns to command, and men be-
come willing to her will.
The presence of so many ladies |
here to-day lends a>charm to this
meeting which chastens every pleas
ure and re6nes every emotion, and
will wildly recall to these old sol
diers the time when the sight of
woman would cause whole regiments
to break ranks that each man might |
be the recipient of a woman's smile.
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