Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-17


which suffereth long and is kind. when
vaunteth not itself. which doth not ne
have itself unsecmly. which IL not ehsiiy
provoked, which thiuketh no cviI, winch
endureth all things.
And n Is beautiful because most ap-
propriately this work has been dohe ~
the hand OF woman. Barred from me
strife which leads To triumph III 'ne
marts OF trade. not called to create hiSh-
ways OF travel. and erect factories ~
which to obliterate the cruel marks OF
var she comes with not less sacred
motive and mission. and beauties these
symbols Of period of storm and battie
and transforms them into tokens OF peace
and love. OF her. as was SAID by inc
Master once. II may be said to-day she
hath done what she could. There mas
never been a peril 40 great that she uc
clincd TO share 1t with her brother: there
was never a tragedy so dark and Gre
that she did not stand in her lot anu
soften its gloom by her ministry OF ioVs
and helpfulness. Last at the cross anu
first at the sepulchre.' Weeping tears VI
devotion on the feet OF the Lord she
loved. and yielding her tresses TOT ~.
NAL service-these have been the
notes clear and strong which have rung
ont above the din and clamor or the
worlds selnshness and the worlds woes
since history began.
VALUE OF SUCH WORK.
'The value of such a work as TINS nan
commentaries H. not apparent to the care
less observer. II has two phases eitilei
II which is worthy OF our most careiui
attention.
10 die. such value some relics have and
none more than these Yonder gray jack
Of bullet-pierced. covered manly chest
tina, knew no thrill Of fear and when the
brave boy who wore it fell in the fore
front OF the battle the light OF JOY went
out in a distant home. That sword felt
the grip Of q strong hand and flashed IN
the sunlight one morning before the ar
grew thick with the smoke OF battle. IN
the evening II lay stained and useless py
the dead warriors SIDE. .,
THAT old journal, printed on paper all
unaccustorned 10 such dignity. was read
TO eager crowds at the post-of'ice Few
DAYS after the battle, and one could almost
hear the heart-beats Of the strong man
who listened to the names of the dead
and wounded TO find out If his boy
name was there.
That homespun wedding dress was
beautiful IN its day. Perhaps the prlue-
to-be wove II with her own slender myers
and as test Of her skill ran the warp
through her engagement ring. NO orocau-
cd silk or satin ever lent more queenly
dignity TO womanly grace and beauty.
.Yonder letter never caught the regi-
ment I'm its rapid march until the day OF
battle and II was never read by eyes
il was meant 10 brighten.
THAT opera glass stopped bullet an
inch from a brave heart and Kept the
shadow for while from the hearts at
home.
Those flags look gaudy yet, though
faded and dim. Touch them carefully;
they were party dresses once and were the
offerings Of beautiful bellies TO the new
formed company, and fioated sayly in the
breeze as the boys marched of 10 the
tune Of The Girl ! Left Behind Me
And the money. the dear old Cohfcd-
crate money. so shabby locking beside the
brilliant greenback, that promised so
much and could do 50 little. Representing
nothing or Gods earth now. and naueht
IN the waters below it, telling Us tale
Of a liberty born of a patriots dream, Of
a storm-cradled nation that fell.'
WHAT MEMORIES.
"And that coffee that was no coffee,
and the old candle-mOulds and the pal
metto hats and the photographs-wha
memories they evoke o. hardships en-
dured and economies practiced and sacri-
fees made.
And there Is pair Of socks warm
and strong. They are old-flshioned and
knitted by hands. Some Of the stitches
are awry. We know how grandmothe.
was not paying much attention TO her
needles then. Her heart was at the front
and her eyes had closed for a brief mo-
ment AZ she uttered Johns name in
PRAYER and committed him 10 the God
Of battles
ooh. the infinite pathos OF il all
Little wonder that in that hall the
crowd moves with more measured step
than anywhere else in all this pageant.
Little wonder that insenslbiy 20 our
selves our voices sink TO lower cadences
and a scnse Of the sacredness Of the
place steals upon ne. and our thoughts
are very like n prayer II Is as II We
stood within temple which had neither
priest nor choir when sacrifices were no
longer offered. and whose altar fires had
gone out, and yet where all about US
were the tokens and symbols OF a wor-
ship which filled the heart with hope and
a devotion which was measured only by
the infinite. How strangely the bitter
ness which followed the close Of the
war has passed away. The moet that
Is left in the way Of sentiment and feel
Ing is a sense of sadness and n feeling
of submission, an acceptance Of the inovi-
table and submission to the inscrutable.
Such sentiments cannot but be help
full and ennobling. II is sometimes at
least better TO go to the house of mourn
ing than TO the house OF feasting.'
OUT OF PLACE.
criticism Of such sentiments is out OF
place and can be be INDUCED only by a
narrow and meagre soul. Brave mef
honor an unhealed sorrow as they honor
q true courage. and no alliance Is strong
or than that which springs from mutual
respect when brave foes shake hands
and accept once for all the arbtrament
Of battle
But another and n very different end
Is accomplished by this achievement Of
these women. II concerns what Ia Of
moet value. possibly, In literature and
government. These relics are an object
lesson in history. History is often at
hest but disnihed romance. insufficient
records. unreliable chronicles obscure
tradition. human passion. prejudice, and
unconscious partisanship too often mar
and warp what Is called history. Men
philosophizc on a meagre array Of facts
ana think tncN nave tNpldiHeu Tue sHllt-
ing scenes of human actions.
Opinions are worth little when held
by contemporaries whose prejudices are
strong and are worth little more when
time has weakened the force OF impress
sion and confused the train OF events.
Or. Schleiman's researches in Troy and
Mycine have given the world more vivid
ana satisfactory ideas OF the history OF
Greece than many Of the tones which
have come from the pens of learned his
torians. Every relic in this collection en-
folds "A fact and germ of history. The
history of the war between the States has
not vet been written. II cannot be writ
ten in this generation. When the time
shall come for such a history to be given
! TO the world the collection OF relics will
| BE- Of unspeakable value TO the impartial
| historian. And now, as we close these