Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-03-09

'SSS" Il was down in old
Virginia, one Sabbath day in June,
a day when earth and Heaven and hearts
seemed all atune
Save the laugh OF some care-free youngster that
rippled through the air,
All the camp was hushed ana quiet, as became
the day OF prayer
The river danced and dimpled. the sunlight
glanced and cleaned.
And a 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-
periug: God is love"
OF course there were lots OF fellows that
couldn't have told you this,
But their rough hearts felt it, and softeued as
under babys kiss;
And we all had q voorhees, feeling somehow,
That the merciful Ali-Father WASH quite so far
away.
Our hearts TO Him were turning with longing
for the light
And kind OF shamefa faced yearning to be whittier
in His sight
The bugle called 10 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 hen.fre ana blazes until his
breath was spent
And all that ne had 10 give us was, "repent-re
pent repent"
Loud mouthed ana big and burly, not { word
had he to speak
OF the love and mercy waiting for the erring
and the weak;
And if you had heard him praying, you would
have thought his prayer,
So full OF our guilt and vileness, just poisoned
the sweet June air
All the light went out OF the sunshine, the beau
ty left the day,
We looked at each other grimly-we hadn't
But we thought: III 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;
BUTT stirred up all our evil 10 hear that fellow
rant.
Here he had a chance to lead US. and he lost it
by his can't
Right in the midst of service came hurried
word TO me-
Down in the shining river, still dimpling on in
glee,
One OF my boys lay drowned deep under the
waters fair,
Only an hour ago with US, and now forever
where:
took a squad OF his comrades, and FASTENED
down 10 the bank.
Sadly we hshed his body out, all 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 corfins, and so l told the
boys
To tear from my tent the flooring, with the
least they could OF noise
And build q box 10 put him through, but our
best. you see,
The rest OF us in turn might not fare half as
well as he
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 1 said: BEG pardon, parson, there's a
burial over there
Wed like to have you come along and say a
word OF prayer
His glance so cold, and chilling, never can for
get
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 I said beg PARTON, parsoni you DO not
understand
We're going TO bury q eomrade you're the only
priest at hand.
We only wish word Of prayer as we lay the
lad away.
The parson answered, weariedly. 4No, thank
you, friend; good day.