The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-05-31
@FAFFIE1D-
A Decoration Day Story, Written for This
Paper by Will Carleton.

singularly out OF place, and then oc-
CURED hush-almost as painful as
that at a funeral when the conductor
| Of the same rises to say that the con-
gregation will now view for the last
time the departed one. AS if in SYM
patty with the feelings of the Ieopie
a mist. something like that OF the
evening before, which had been slowly
gathering al the morning. became
now deeper and deeper, ard filed the
place. 1t was as if pale, dropping
cloud had died and been brought to
the cemetery for burial.
The marshal Of the day arose, drew
his sword from the scabbard with n
peaceable-if-you can, forcible-if-must
flourish. and said:
| "Fellow citizens, we have now come
| to the saddest and yet most important
! part Of the duties Of this day. 1t is to
strew flowers upon the graves Of the
soldiers who lie within this cemetery.
In order to do this gracefully and in
| order we have arranged the following
| plan:
We have here three committees of
young ladies. who took charge OF the
! flowers that were contributed to the
| occasion. | haze the names of all the
brave soldiers who sleep in our little
cemetery. | will read the names in
| the order in which they are written
| down in the list. AS each name is pro-
nounced some ono who knew the owner
| will rise and pronounce a short jeu.Ogv
upon him." The marshal had hcarl
the word "culOgy" pronounced in great
| shape once, by a distinguished public
reader, and had never been able since
to utter it without "j."l Then the
young ladies will find his grave ana
put the flowers upon it. which flowers
will be from all of us--from the whole
town and country around. After this
is over, we can each wander through
our little Gem terry and make such adj
ditions t, the floral tributes as each
| may desire"
Tho marshal. Miles Standish in
words at least, had spent all the night
before G. mmitting to memory this lit
,, tie speech, which had been composed
Jointly by his wife and sister-in-iaw,
and felt much relieved when he ar
rived at the friendly final words. "a7
entirely different tone:
The first grave upon my list is that
of Henry Wotdcn. His uncle. Nathaniel
Worden. will now pronounce his jeu-
lOgy, after which his grave will be
decorated by Floral Committee No. l."
Nathaniel WOrdcn aro.e ald gave
his late nephew a series Of reconmcn-
dations which would have surprised
the poor boy, brave as he was, c uld he
have heard them. He tit an he tit,
an he fit fer his country an not lin
it, as some that in here did shouted
the old man. Il amt anytnin. to say
ag'in them that fit az il it. only. if they
hadn't tit az in it We shouldn't hcv had
t. BE- here to-day. weepin' fur them
that tit fur it. An now the poor sainted
boy lies there with only a third part of
his life lived out: an though I'm his
uncle, As hadn't ought to be. | want II
say right here that II : my opinion that
if We had al the flowers that crows on
thu sides of every mountain in sight o
ibis this-camp O the dead there
wouldn't be any more than enough TO
tell lis praises Yes. friends and teller
citizens. he tit fer his country, an not
ag'in it,
Half a dozen pretty girls. composing
committee No. 1. now eagerly graoped,
huge lou luets and disappeared in the
| mist> to decorate the grave of Henry
WOrden.
The second grave upon my list"
continued the marshal. is that Of
Samuel Taylor. His cousin. Peter Tay-
Tor, who was i'll the army with him,
will pronounce his jeulogy."
Peter Taylor rose his eyes full of
tears. He tried hard to speak. but
could not Tor u time. At last he blurt-
ed out:
There wasn't no Johnny ever seen a
stitch o his coat tails, now | tell We
He was lookln' right forge en- all
the time. The nj CHIT he died.
The speech here broke down. but it.
fragments fell upon the people with
more effect than symm ,trica. oratory
could have done. Many of the hest
townspeoplc shed tears: the dead mans
mother wept audibly: lew of the other
speeches which followed produced SO