Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-02-18

45 ), e.: =: :: ;::; ,:': :;'::'; !. q: i;
Virginia, one Sabbath day in June,
A day when earth and Heaven and hearts
seemed oil atune.
Save tho laugh of some care-free youngster that
ripplcd through the air.
All the camp was hushed and quiet as became
the day of prayer
The river danced and dimpled the sunlight
glanced and cleaned,
And sweeter day, or fairer, no poet ever
dreamed.
The soft clouds floating over spoke the infinite
grace above
Why, even the breeze in the tree tops was whis
pering: "God is love"
OF course there were lots OF fellows that
couldn't have told you this,
But their rough hearts felt II, and softened as
under n baby's kiss
And we all had q wordless feeling, somehow
that glorious day,
That the merciful AliFather wasn't quite so far
away.
Our hearts to Him were turning with q longing
for the light,
And kind of shame faced yearning to be winter
in His sight
The bugle called to service--we'd a parson there
that day,
And we all felt more than ready to hear what he
had to say,
But.he preached hell-fire and blazes until his
breath was spent,
And all that he had to give us was, 'repent-re-
pent repent"
Loud.mouthed and big and burly, not word
had he to speak
or the love and mercy waiting for the errng
and the weak;
And If you had heard him praying, you would
have thought his prayer,
So full OF our guilt and vilencss, Just poisoned
hn al
All the light went out OF the sunshine, the beau
ty left the day.
We looked at each other grimly-we hadn't q
word to say.
But we thought: "If this is religion, not any Of
it for me,
No Heaven for us along with any such sanity
fraud as he"
We had strayed like sheep from pasture, but we
knew the fold was there,
And we meant to come back, sometime, to the
shepherds watchful care;
But 1t stirred up all our evil TO hear that fellow
rant
Here he had O chance TO lead US, and he lost it
by his cant
Right in the midst of service came hurried
word to me-
Down in the shining river, still dimpling on in
One of my boys 10y drowned, deep under the
waters fair,
only an nour ago with u.s. ana now forever
where?
took squad of his comrades, and hastened
down TO the bank.
Sadly we fished his body out, oil white and
cold and dank
Sadly We carried him into camp and straight.
ened him out in death,
And spoke OF his widowed mother, with low and
troubled breath.
No wood had we for cofins, and so 1 told the
boys
To tear from my tent the flooring, with the
least they could of noise,
And build box TO put him through, but our
best you see,
The rest Of us in turn might not fare half as
Service was done, and the parson had gone back
into his tent:
The boys asked me to see him, SO with heavy
steps went,
And / said: 'Beg pardon, parson, there's q
burial over there,
We'd like to have you como along and say q
word OF prayer"
His glance cold and chilling, never can for.
For all it was SO long ago, it makes me angry
yet
But thought myself mistaken at first when he
refused.
He was worn out with his sermon; he must
really be excused"
Then said: beg pardon, parson you do moi
understands;
We're going to bury comrade; you're the only
priest at hand.
We only wish word of prayer as we lay the
lad away
The parson answered, wcariedly: mo. thank
you, friend; good day
My heart grew cold as marble; the blood aew
into my head,
And, well. it is hardly needful to tell you what
said.
1 never was really mad till then; could no,
keep 1t in,
And l don't feel yet that my anger was very
much of n sin
/ talked till the pous coward sat shiverng in
his seat
With face as white as the dead face out in the
company street
Then said: III you dare preach here again
you miserable scamp,
I'll order my men-and help them, too-to stone
you out OF camp"
The buglers blew assembly we gathered round
the dead,
And followed tho rough board coffin, with slow
and solemn tread,
~