Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-05-26

everywhere, ana teaches US IN almost
constant lessons their use in this di-
rection. After an elemental passion
has swept over the land, devastating
fields, uprooting forests and destroy
ing human habitations, then comes the
gentle south wind, dropping invisible
seeds from out its fragrant wings
and 10, in bat little while the poor,
Scared surface of the earth, so
gashedand bare, is once more healed and
rounded and made whole. Its wounds
become only a memory, and flowers
bloom and grasses wave where all was
bleak. and drear, and desolate. So
when the mighty earth is aroused by
its own passions and the giant hills
are rent asunder to leave yawning
chasm. d waste OF drearineSs, the sun
softly kisses the snow upon the
mountain top, and through that desc
late canyon 4 stream flashes and dances
and sings, making even the barren,
blackened sides of the preoipice
tremble with laughter and music.
Ambitions of men inspired them to
unholy conflict. They flew at the
throat of the mother country, wound
ltlE AAGI SOLClg btAOLC NAAG 0lA1AN W as
done; but, when it passed and peace
was come again, there came also the
messengers Of song and bloom to drown
the memories of battlefield and hide the
scars covering the nations breast.
What is more beautiful than the
gnarled and rugged hand of the vet
Gran, disfgured by wounds, shrunken
with age, dropping from its trembling
fingers the flowers of love upon the
grave of a recent foe? Decoration day
itself is of but short duration, yet it
symbolizes feeling that rounds the
year even as the Ave Maria or the An
gelus circles the world, for the evening
of the first ringing is the morning
of the last prayer. ''When Johnny
Comes Marching Home" or Marching
Through Georgia" may not be grand
in themselves as are the more stately
chimes of the old masters, but when they
are inspired by the love and tenderness
that fill the day of forgiveness they
become holy. And they are truly
American.
In olden times the conqueror led his
captured enemy back to his camp,
loaded him with chains and set him at
work to grind the wheat which was
never to pass his lips, or to weave the
beautiful laces which he was never to
wear. To-day there is no war of con-
quest, and the remnant of that saw
agery which eliminated in our late
civil strife gave to peace its sweetest
possible assurance in the words of the
conqueror, who said to his subjected
foemen: $50 back to your plows,
your workshops, your offices. We are
brothers STILL
Memorial day is not day for hilari-
Gus rejoicing, neither should it be one
of sadness, but only sweet and peace
full meditation; a day in which we feel
that not only natures children but ma
ture herself has given up her music
ana her bloom u drown the disvord
and hide the sears of passionate con-
hict; day in which we may invoke
the spirit of our common country and
all her children sing:
Columbiai strip thy blossoned grovesl
Make bankrupt all thy bowersi
The sword that drank the nations blood
To-day is sheathed in flowers.
Ger verdant plains thy children run
Full handed with thy bloom,
And north and south clasp hands above
One common hero-tomb.
Coumbial Freedoms queenly child
Dear mother Of our race
Sweet hope draws all-sus tanning strength
From thy oersmiling face,
And in the blossoms Of thy May
We drowned the CALLING ''Must'
And meet cnce more, as kinsmen true,
Beside kinsman's dust
Columbiai grandest goddess thou
That ever temple blest
For twenty million kings have drunk
Sweet freedom from thy breast
And from thy hands outstretched in peace
Bright garlands fall to-day,
A fragrant shower, to rest alike
Upon the blue and gray.
CHARLES EUGENE BANKs-