The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-12-07
Soldiers 8moget.
Sacred Arlington.

CaOhNu ~, ing
Arlington holds within her emerald
bosom 10000 heroic warriors.
Like an egyptian queen in mournful
majesty. Gazing on the eternal waters
of the Nile, Arlington rears her ro-
mantle head to the skv and bathes her
feet in the murmuring waters of the
Potomac.
The gnarled oak, the cedar and sigh
ing pine echo back the cry Of the raven
and the song Of the wild bird, and
through the morning sunlight and even
ing twilight the various voices OF ma
ture chant requiem over the monl-
dering remains Of our loval dead. The
sacred spot is dedicated to heroism. It's
green swsrd shall be the mausoleum of
patriotic hearts, its dome the bending
heavens. and its altar candles the
watching stars Of God.
As the wears glide away and coming
centuries usher into life millions of
human beings, Arlington shall be
Mecca for the unalterable principles of
truth, and around its undulating wales
and green hillocks the spirit of love
and LOYALTY shall kneel at the vespers
of nationality and swing perfumed CEN
sors at the holy shrine of prayer and
patriotism.
Monuments in marble, granite and
bronze lift their modest or pretentious
heads, appealing to the memory Of
those who wander near the lowly bed
where valor sleeps. but when these en-
bems IF love end remembrance have
crumbled into imrapable dust the truth
for which thew died shall shine out like
l. ..a..S - 1,n %
nitv.
The home Of romance. wealth and
slavery has become at last the sepul-
cher Of the dead, and the LAUGHING,
musical voices of the proud past are
but q memory in the columned mansion
of General Lee. Sheridan of the armv
and Porter of the navv sleep their last
sleen in front of Arlington mansion.
and the Stars and Stripes floating from
tall staff throws its elinting shadow
over the heroes that rest below. Long
reoimental lines Of white headstones
fade away into forest vistas. md Sheri-
dan seems to ride again down the val
lev Of Winchester to turn retreat into
victory. Temnled unlike the Roman
pantheon. its divinities are dedicated
to patriotism and its worshipers are
Christian people. From ITS columned
porch the eve beholds to the east and
north, across the Potomac. the man.
sions, temples, steeples, domes and
monuments of Washington city and
Georgetown. framed in by the rolling
hills of MARYLAND.
The brave hearts that slumber forever
at Arlington. as well az those dear COM
rades at Shiloh, Chickamauga, Fred
ericksburg and Gettysburg, dedicated
their lives to liberty and immortalzed
their devotion by death. Who will care
for their loved mounds when we are
gone? Who will then strew roses and
plant bright flowers in the May time of
nature? Other patriotic hands of brave
men and fair women will take up the
roll of duty, and even when all but lib
ertv has persisted from the earth. The
robin and the hluebird. the jay and the
mocking-bird will MARBLE at sunrise a
reveille over the green sod that wrans
their sacred clay. Nature herself will
deck the graves of her fallen comrades,
and the winds Of heaven will chant
requiem to their memory and kiss the
loved spot where heroes slumber
Thousands of loved comrades rest in
unknown graves far awav from the loved
ones at home. They also sleep in the
land of strangers, where the tears of
love cannot moisten the green shroud
that mantles their ashes. But if no
kind hand is there to strew flowers or
loved eyes to shed the tear of sorrow,
there is one who reigns among the
eternal stars that daily floods the I'M
known grave with sunshine and daily
waters the budding wild flowers with
dews from heaven.-John A. joyce, in
Philadelphia Times.