The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-07-08


First Wen head this vast procession
With the words and deeds of those
Who were heroes In the struggle
From the dawn of life till close;
And though now their bodies moulder,
Yet their spirits battle in light
And their lives still live to bless us,
And will lead us in the fight.
Next we see the many faces
OF our war-scarred veterans,
Who have done us yeoman service,
Nor will fail in days to come.
Often with the war-cry ringing
Have they stormed hel's gates anew,
And we've written on their banners
" These the faithful, tried and true"
Next we see strong battalion
OF the women of the land,
Who have donned the temperance armor
And gone forth conquering band
Satan sees her, and he faters
For a moment at the sight,
For he knows the heart.beats throbbing
Meath those knots of ribbon white.
All too well he knows that often
He has entered homes of Joy,
And with willy arts beguiling
Ruined there her darling boy.
Like the worm that, crushed and bleeding,
Turns at last upon its foe,
She has faced the dreaded evil
And is dealing blow on blow
In defence of home she's risen,
Save the millions is her cry;
And when woman dons her armor
She will conquer or will die
Thus a mighty power she's welding,
With her shafts at evil hurled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle"
Is I" the hand that rules the world"
Next within this vast procession
Comes host four million strong,
And their badges, &C. E." +. L."
Glisten as they march along.
Raw recruits yet scarcely mustered,
With no knowledge of the fight,
But their brave young hearts beat proudly
As they dare to do the right.
Even now the clarions sounded
From the leaders of the band
Forward. comrades, to the rescue
Let us save our fatherland."
And, methinks. see a tremor,
Like grand electric thrill,
Pass from heart to heart till millions
Answer back glad We will"
And see the massive column
Moving grandly into line,
And, with banners to the breezes,
Beating back the hosts of crime
Taking fortress after fortress
OF the demon alcohol
TIL we see his mighty kingdom
Shake and tremble, totter, fall.
Next we note in this procession
A fine corps of our reserve,
Now in training for this army,
AS Its future brain and nerve.
Many millions of them marching,
From the Sunday school they come;
And their little hearts beat quickly
To the tune of love and home.
When their brothers fall in battle,
With their faces TO the foe
These will seize the royal banner
And to victory will go.
They will echo still our war cry,
AS they charge the rebel band,
otis for liberty we wrestle,
God and home and every land"
And among our worthy allies
Are the white wings of the press,
Circling round and 'mong this army,
To encourage, strengthen, bless.
On their snowy pinions white,
Telling us how goes the battle
In the thickest of the fight
Ever on the field of carnage,
Cheering the discouraged ones,
Squirting on the temperance laggard,
Pouring balm on troubled wounds;
Or. when complications gather,
And arrangement seems before,
They with probes of scathing logic
Bravely cleanse the fetid sore.
Allied with this temperance army
Are our Pulpits, which resound
With the bugle blasts of warning
To lost souls the world around
By their side the Temperance Lodges,
Throwing protecting arm
Round the tempted and the fallen,
Saving them from errors harm.
believe this earth of beauty
Is among our strong allies,
From the grassy turf beneath us
To the dome of sunny skies;
From the cross beside the river
To the trees with fruitage lade,
All bespeak the mighty Maker,
In whose image we are made.
believe the noble oak tree,
Or the violet so mute,
Speak to every one this message;
" Be a man and not brute"
And the lofty mountain towering
Where the foot of man ne'er trod,
May, as index finger pointing,
Lead the sinner back to God.
But host above, around us,
Never seen by mortal man,
Save the servant of Elisha,
In the distant Holy Land
This great host, by Christ commanded,
Marches with us to the fight,
Earth and heavenly forces Joining
For the triumph of the right.
OH that now our eyes were opened
To behold this bright array,
We would say, as did the prophet,
On that great eventful day,
These are more than are against u.s."
We would buckle on the sword,
And with these most powerful allies
Take this nation for the Lord
And the God who reigns above us,
He who knows the drunkard's doom,
And has seen the stricken widow
Sob heart broken in her room
He who lends his ear In pity
TO the lonely orphans wall
uoa, who KNOWS our honest purpose