The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-05-30

everywhere, and 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 ont its fragrant wings
and 10, in bat little while the poor,
scared surface of the earth, so
gaShed and 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, a waste of dreariness. the sun
softly kisses the snow upon the
mountain top, and through that desc
( late CANYON a stream flashes and dances
and sings, making even the barren,
blackened sides of the precipice
tre1nble with laughter and music.
Ambitions of men inspired them TO
unhoiv conflict. They flew at the
throat OF the mother country, wound
ing her sOrely before the strife was
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
sears covering the nations breast
What is more beautiful than the
gnarled and rugged hand of the vet
| eran, disfgured by wounds, shrunlSen
| with age, dropping from its trembling
| fingers the flowers of love upon the
grave of recent foe? Decoration DAY
| itself is of but short duration. yet it
symbolizes feeling that rounds the
wear 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
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
ful meditation; day in which we feel
that not only natures children but ma
ture herself has given up her music
| and her bloom TO drown the discord
and hide the scars of a passionate con-
fict: day III which we may invoke
the spirit Of our common country and
all her children sing:
Columbia' strip thy blossored Croves'
Make bankrupt ali thy bowers.
The sword that drank the nation blood
To-dayis shcathcd IL flowers.
Der verdant plains thy children run
Full handed with thy bloom,
Aud north and south clasp hands above
One common hero-t0mb.
Coumbiai Freedoms quecrly childi
Dear mother Of our race
Sweet hOce draws sll-sus tanning strength
From thy ocrsmiIing face,
And ia the blossoms ot Thy May
We drowned The calling Must
And meet once more, as kiHsmen true,
Beside k4nsI1an's dust
Colum6ai grardest goddess thou
That ever tempe blc>t
For twenty million kings have drunk
Sweet freedom from INV breast
And from tbs hands ouistrctchsd IN peace
Bright cari2uds !Jll today,
A fragrant shower 70 rest alike
Upon the blue and gray
CHARLES EUGESE BANKS