The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-05-23

4 tween inc trees, ana on the paDhS AhS az
| tie blue-eyed violets and starry snowdrops.
| No foot has traced them to thcir hiding
place. no human eye has seen them except
| those that are carried swiftly by in the cars
| They blossom there alone, and VIXEN dying
| give place for others TO do the same.
| As we rush along a hillside comes full in
view. covered with messy grass, dotted here
| and there with whole beds OF those purple How
ers
They are too far from the nearest farm
| house; no one will come to pluck them; yet
| they bloom on. not even knowing that weary
passengers have seen and been comiorted by
them.
Was il selfish to wish / might place every
| one of these blossoms which seemed TO be do
ing no good, upon my fathers grave? Then L
| was selfish, for that was my wish.
i wondered why they grew there all alone.
| My own life is lonely one, and i sought COM
| fort frcm these flowers.
/ asked, Is their short life worth living ont
here where no one will ever see them?" They
| may he perfect of their kind, yet no one VIII
| ever give them credit for having been so.
They will cheer no invalid, grace no altar;
they will not oven make nosegay for some
| schOolboy's coat.
The bczuty or their dainty purple blending
| with tho tender green will never DO painted or
| sung, and tbeir living seems in vain.
/ VIII they know when their work IS enoed,
| and have they learned what their mission Is?
Is there any solace for them in their Loneliness!
| My eyes looked away. up to the sky where
God is, fox the answer to my qucstlonlngs, ana
| there swept over my heart a peace passing de-
| scripton.
| ] thought of tho Ail.Seeing Eye which sees
and knows every part OF the tiniest blossom;
of the Father who rronounces it good"
Alone in tho world, afar from human homes
| and hearts, the wildwood flowers blossom for
God, and do their best; and lie loves them,
| every
If the little ones can grow no bigger, He loves
them because they are weak; and the large
ores He loves because they are strong.
And if Ho loves the flowers which live
and die SO quickly, will He not love the i'm
mortal souls of His children far more album
dainty?
Most surely, yes And SO my questions were
answered. Just as he plants the flower beds
i'm their season and keeps them watered from
| His own storo, has He also planted aud cared
| for many q human life.
And shall we not all DO our hest to grow into
| perfect blossoms. and send forth the fragrant
| incense of loving service and Thanksgiving,
| knowing whom We serve?
| Then will God have flower gardens in the
hidden places of His earth, and among tho
| children of men.
There wero flowers and flowers upon my
| fathers grave that day, but dearest of all 10
me were two of the smallest bluegrass flowers
! whose roots uero planted in tho sod. They
were Gods own Memorial Day decoration.
Emma S. Perkins, North Foster, Z. /.
WHAT THE FLAG COST.
| writer in the Boston Journal, recounts an
| incident related at the Reunion Of the 18th
| Mass. regiment, one of hundreds that might be
recited. wildly portraying the noble heroism OF
our soldiers AID how they loved the flag.
"The incident occurred during tho darkest
1arc nft In rsta at ma haiti of
the bloodiest single days conflict of the whole
war, at wh;ch tho 18th Mass. suffered the great
est loss of any regiment ia the Union If not
indeed on either side, about three-quarters of
its members present in action being lost
when the regiment was ordered to fall
back, after tho brigade to which it belonged
had accomplished its object of holding jack
sons rebel division in check, it was discovered
by the less than three dozen members of tho
10Th remaining in line that their two flags,
State and National, were not in sight so they
could be carried back out of reach of the now
rapidly advancing rebels.
az The heroic survivors of the frightfnl dcci-
nation the regiment had Suffered, during the
time it had been engaged with the enemy,
were all so busy firing at the rebels that they
had not noticed what had finally become OF the
c0lors which had 80 many times been shot
down during the battle, and now, when about
to be captured, if not Immediately saved, the
flags were nowhere to be seen.
Upon hsIty and vigorous search among
the heap of slain upon the spot where these
glorious ensisns of liberty had last waved their
defiance to armed treason against the Union,
the two flags were found literally buried under
the cerpses of those gallant heroes, who, in
their last dying agonies, had crawlcd upon the
fallen banners, apparently that they might
there breathe out their last gasp aud protect
with their dead bodies the emblems they could
no longer defend with their noble lives
Can a moro pathetic aud at the same time
beautiful instance of devoted loyalty to coun.
try be shown in all the annals of history2"
Aztec MEMORIAL DAY.
Comrade A. II. Boics. Hudson, Mich, brings
TO attention the following thoughts sug-
gested TO young girl OF that city following
visit to the cemetery after Memorial Day, 1894
How true il is that The choicest flowers aud
the iairest floral designs are keaped upon the
graves of tboEe vino indulge private grief.
There is but one day in all the year sacred to
the men who saved the Nation, while there are
364i days for remembering the graves of our
own households
Will not all the dear Loyal Home Workers
read what follows, and do their part in creating
a sentiment in the community that will give
the brightest and best of tho sweet May bloom
TO the graves Of our heroes?
On visiting the cemetery after the Memorial
Day services. | was much impressed with the
display OF Eo6ef5-ilO nuinDcT OF beautiful
floral pieces crosses, anchors, wreaths ETC.
On the soldicrs graves? q, no, my friend.
For them, the brave defenders OF our country,
] saw each grave one bouquet of our most
common flowers, tied 10 a stick aud stuck i'm
the sod that covers all that is left OF some bravo
heart.
No pillars, crosses. or wreaths of hot-house
flowers for them.
little flag the only sign that soldier is
sleeping there.
Ouly private soldier, perhaps, yet who Of
Us would be willing 10 endure the hardships he
may, perhaps, have suffered for the small honor
he now receives?
Is this what Memorial Day should be? Can
we not out of the 3s5 days in the year devote
one day in scattering choicest flowers in
honor of our soldier dead?
1t cannot be, evea after the lapse Of 30 years.
that the blood aud sacrifices of those terrible
years OF strife ere forgotten.
o, ye immortal dead sleeping so well, type
OF the glorious peace your valor conquered for
the Nation! May kindly nature deck your
long homes with her choicest offerings ami
Nations gratitude forever ascend to Heaven,
like the incense Of perpetual sacrifice.
On flames eternal camping ground
Their silent fonts spread,
Aud glory guards with solemn round
The bivuuac OF the doad."
Another thing which seems TO me disgrace
TO the inhabitants OF our city is the soldiers
monument at the cemetery, or what / suppose
is intended 10 represent one-a wooden post