The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-05-29
Make the Memorial Day Joyful.

Make the Memorial Day joyful.
Any celebration Of this day which
should tend TO revive and keep IN
memory those buried causes of con
flict, jealousy and suspicion would be
destructive OF its true significance and
balefu only Let the people run up
their flag TO the top of the mast. Let
the flowers with which the graves OF
the dead are decorated be symbols Of
the beauty and symmetry OF unlon
strengthened and a people harmonized
by their common devotion 10 it.
On which side did he fight? 1t mat
ters not. We are all together now, The
same flag waves over all. and woe to
its enemies. - New York Sun.
While Memory Lives.
As the veterans pass away the
beautiful custom we have instituted
and maintained will not be neglected.
Nelson g flagship Victory is wreathed
with flowers every year on the ami
yersary of the battle Of Trafalgar, al
though the men that fought with Mel
son are gone. And so. when the last sol
dier Of our civil war has joined his old
commanders, Grant and Sherman and
| Sheridan, on the other side, Memorial
day will still be sacredly observed. As
the nation grows greater and stronger
and more united the services of the
men who saved it will become more
conspicuous and better appreciated. -
San Francisco Examiner.
Went Forth In the Morning.
Years ago those whom we honor to
day were the pride and the hope of
tn is land Al the paths of fortune and
JOY that man may tread were open to
their feet. Early in the morning of
their lives they gave themselves to the
horrors of battle and the chains of
war, and today we honor their mem
DRY. To-day we reap the benefits that
came from tina. great struggle, but the |
men who fell in the conflict have moth |
ing but the duet that covereth their |
bones and the love that allage that the |
generations to come shall bear them. --
Selected.
Thoughts for Memorial Day.
Memorial day engenders beautiful |
thoughts in other ways than through |
the remembrance Of the unselfish devo
ton to a great sentiment which led the
men of 1851 to lay down their lives.
Flowers. the maximum OF the years
beauty in the sky and on the earth,
the honor accorded to the aged, the
solemn words of prayer and song, all
tend TO the uplifting of hearts and
the turning OF the minds of the young
TO high and noble things, even ire
spective of the more direct memories
evoked by the Gay. Youths Compan
ion.
Not Dead i'm Vain.
The lesson of Memorial day is to
keep fresh the memories of our illus
trious dead, to preserve in tact what
they fought for and saved, to keep
alive the patiotic spirit and resolve in
the immortal words of Abraham Lin
coin, that from these honored dead
we take increased devotion to that
cause for which they gave the last full
measure of devotion, that we here
highly resolve that these dead shall
not have died in vain that this nation
under God shall have a new birth of
freedom, and that government of the
people, 10y the people, for the people
shall not perish from the earth -
Chicago Tribune.
Origin Of Memorial Day
In 1862 our ladies decorated the
Heights. In 1864 Congress took no.
tice Of ceremonial so significant and
made this day a legal holiday. Now
the great national cemeteries are dec
grated, and the lonely grave of the I'M
known is sought out And this beau
tiful custom has come in such favor
it'll all the people that the graves of
all our dead are covered with flowers.
IfNu ,t,ta al, ~ l. II
he flowers spell the two words, love
and resurrection. Omaha World Her
ild.
The Immortal Names
We are not nation of hero worship
rs. We are nation of generous free
men. We bow in atfectionate reverence
md the most grateful hearts TO those
names, Washington, Lincoln
md Grant and all who were asso-
lated with them, and will guard with
leepless vigilance ther mighty works
md cherish their memories eyermore.
Governor Mckinley.
Passing of the Grand Army
Thirty thousand veterans-an entire
rmy corps-have laid down their arms
lnce the surviving soldiers of the war
asst paused To lay their wreaths on the
onDs OF their fallen comrades. Thirty
thousand more will win their honor
bile discharge before this day comes
round again. The army of the dead
rows ever larger and that of the liv-
ng ever smaller. Selected
Cover the Graves With Flowers
Today we cover the graves of the
oldiers with flowers. that we NAV
eep green the memory of our heroic .
cad. The private soldiers were as
rave and as true as their leaders. We I
lso scatter flowers on the graves of
he dead that we may learn again the
asson of patriotism. This nation has
worn before high heaven that she will
rotect the institutions for which these
rave ones died. Every flower put up
n grave is an oath of protection.
.et us love our country and live
'orthy of so splendid an inheritance,
sNa..s. l.