The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-06-06

The rose said: "Come. piuck me"
And the lily spake and said:
LET nav white leaflets be
On the graves Of the heroes spread"
The dawn of this thirtieth day OF
the month was as pure, fresh and fair
as ever fell from the hand OF God.
During the previous night a con-
siderable rain had fallen, and when
the morning came the grass was a
glistening green, the foliage was
bright and beautiful. the flowers were
filled to the brim with natures nectar.
In the early morning garlands Of
flowers, woven into various and ap-
propriate designs had been placed
upon these graves. Wreathes and
crowns and crosses, chaplets of love
and bloomy tokens of affection were
laid profusely upon these green
mounds, in which repose the remains
of those who died in the deadly din of
battle or who came home from the
wars and passed to their last slumber
in the after-times of peace.
The deep sky, already blue and
balmy with the first touches of sum-
mer, seemed in holy sympathy with
this anniversary celebration of The
heroic dead, who died SO many years
ago to preserve the integrity of the
union.
Out wonder, a mile to the north
eastward, where tleir silent tents are
spread and whore glory guards with
solemn round the bivouac of these
sleeping soldiers, the Maytime was
prodigal of her exquisite and tender
beauty.
Rose and lily and rustling leaf; the
heavy green foliage of almost the first
days of summer; the gentle breeze,
kissing with dewy breath the velvet
lips of the violet and rose; and the
birds, back from their winter pilgrim
age to the southland, on whose red
fields of thirty years ago many of
these sleeping boys in blue sacrificed
their lives so far from home and kin
dred, added a sacred loveliness and
tenderness to the scene.
The city was beautifully decorated
in honor of the day. Flags foated in
the balmy breeze from public build
ings and business houses, and private
residences were attractive in thick
folds of bunting an streamers.
If the morning was lovely the after
noon weather was superb. The sun
shOne brightly upon the splendid pro-
cessiOn, composed of mounted police,
the Sedalia Military band. George X.
Smith Post, No. 53. Woman's Relief
Corps in carriages, Sors of Veterans,
Sedalia Rifles under command of
Capt. H. c. Demuth, city and coun-
ty officials, Fire Department and
other orders, guests and r:.:-"nS
The uniforms cleaned ia ,..e s;:;;.ne~
sunshine, the flags foa,e,i ~" ANA
free ~ the cooling bre.." nd
the mc.aiv OF tie band ieni ,.i>pira-
tion to the scene ana occasion.
When thecity cemetery was reached,
the musical and literary programme
was entered upon.
Miss Lida Battenger recited a thrill
ing ballad-''The Drummer Boy of
Wilson's Creek" written by Mr.. J.
A. Capen, of Sedalia.
A chorus of school children was d.
rected By Miss Helen Gallie. The
Grafton of the day-which appears al
most in full on the editorial page of
to-day's BAzoO, and exclusively in
this paper-was delivered by f. j.
Smith, Esq. and received with great
and enthusiasm.
The following passages are taken
from the Decoration Day address de-
livered by E. j. Smith, Esq. in Sc
dalia, this afternoon:
PosT COMMANDER, COMRADES, La
DIES AND GENTLENEN To-day is the
festival Of our dead-the nations
dead. In this mound on which We
stand and over which We have raised
! monument to their memory, lie bur
ried quite q number Of men, soldiers I
Of the union, some of whom were
killed in hattie and others died du-
ing the war, men who gave up their +,
ives that the nation might live. Else
where in this cemetery lie buried