St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY.

"lucldentally," wrote tile young re-
porter who was born long after that
fateful day at Appomattox under the
old apple tree. incidentally the veter-
ans will decorate the graves of the SOL
diers" He had taken a column or more
to tell of the parades, the formation of
marching columns, the militia troops
who were to march, the marshals and
assistants who were to ride, the orators
who were to speak, and at the end he
mentioned the incident of the decora-
tion of the graves of those who had
served their country, offering their
lives an unaccepted sacrifice, and died
in their beds, citizens of the republic
they helped perpetuate, little sooner
maybe for the hardships they under
went in those days of trouble.
In the morning hours the street cars
running to where the city ends and the
country, with its new -Ieafed trees and
fresh grass, begins, were filled with the
plcniekers with their happy faces
and fat lunch baskets; men feeling the
luxury of a day Off, mothers mingling
their care for venturesomc children
with Joy in their fun, children wild and
hilarious, talking, chattering, happy for
the romp to come, all off for a good
time, for rest and recreation Oh this sad,
glad Memorial day.
The keys were turned in the doors of
the stores and the shops and the offices.
Industry dropped her implements for
day. The hands that piled them went
pleasuring to the lakes, the river. the
country. Fishing, yachting, hunting,
merely idly roaming; anywhere, any
thing that is not what daily life is. The
schools were dismissed. The children
hailed the day with joy. To them it
meant release frum irksome tasks, made
more irksome by the bright sun and the
warm winds. and the singing birds,
each saying to them, "Come and play
with US and be glad"
The bands played, and the young
mlitiamen, gay in their uniforms and
proud of them. marched to the music
with springy step and soIdierly car
riage, Iegretting. perhaps, that fate
cast their lines in days of peace and
denied them the chance to beard fate
and win glory on the battlefield. And
the marShals, officers Of the day on a
peace establishment, made brave
showing, belted and crossed with their
red sashes, on their caparisoned horses,
mettlesome under the excitement of the
marching throng and blare Of band or
roll of drum; marshals and men more
or less conscious of a sense proprietor
ship in the day.
And the young but gifted orators
spoke Of country and loyalty; of patriot
ism and sacrifice; of citizen ship apd
duty, and love of country; melting into
the pathos of the past, rising to the les
sons it teaches for today, mounting to
visions of the future. They will read
their speeches in this mornings papers
and cut them out and paste them in
their scrap-books and get extra copies
and mail to friends, and feel that
Memorial day has its uses and its value.
And, incidentally, the veterans dec
Grated the graves of tue dead soldiers
with flowers" They only, these gray
and grizzled veterans, with their
scanned faces, and these women with
gray hair who go with them and linger
at their graves, these only fully sense
the significance of Memorial day. To
the younger ones it means only day OF
release from work. day to be given up
to pleasure and recreation; but to these
men and women it brings back the days
of stress and danger and bloodshed and
death by shot and shell and miasma;
the days when men and youth left
home and shops and schools and
peace. and and gave to their country
their services, their sacrifices Of present
gain and future hopes, and, if needed,
their lives. that all these states might be
forever one country, undivided and in
divisible. The day brings to them sad
ness, for it stirs sad memories; but they
know all what it means. The day is
theirs, for they helped to make it.