Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-02-28

| temple or JANUS unloa6neu were Cne
dogs of war, and for six long years car
mage and pain and horror reigned su
preme.
The news of war like wildfre spreads;
it reaches my hero near the close of day;
the evening sees his simple preparations.
On the morning of the morrow he starts
for the field. The morning comes; tits
the last of April and warm sunlight fills
the air. All is green and beautiful the
trees are beginning to blossom and the
flowers again raise their little heads and
ill tho ar with sweetness. The stir of
insects the soDg of birds and all con-
spire to peace and quiet and happiness.
They part almost in silence'twas not
a time for words. The tears the mother
sned were more of JOY than sorrow; in
fact, she cried she knew not why, she
tried not to detain him and like
Spartan olher wished him to return
with his shield, or on it," The boy
shoulders the family musket, takes up
his little bundle and disappears 'mongst
the trees of the forest. i he work of the
home goes on as usual The boy joins
the army, his regiment is ordered to the
front. Unslilled in arms, unused to
war, unknown to pain, they meet the
enemy: the air hisses with the flying
missile and the blood flows freely. A
stray ball. Il random shot, strikes him,
! he falls, and the army passes over him.
| Like a soldier he fought, like a soldier
| he fell. Ills name appears among the
| long list of tine dead. No speeding
cuuriers announce is death, no nation
NrepS, 30 lengthy funeral accompanies
| him in state To ma- Biyc tomb. no monu-
nent or brazcn statue marks his grave:
| but, when th" battle was over, by the
! loving hands of his comrades he was
laid in his shallow grave. Where kinder
or more sympathetic hands to lay him
to rest than those Of his comrades, what
| iittpr hrUud imam lAe earth ne luu4nt
for, what nobrr burial place than the
field where he fell: No acts of special
| bravery or fuoIhHrdinrs mark his career,
he shunned not danger, nor yet courted
it, but like a true soldier KEEP the or
ders, did without asking why, and
helped to form those solid, unwavering
0iurs winch arr llyiurlNUr luu hope Of
pelf, power and glory often fires men to
uucallru Tor acts OF reckl IS bravery:
but without hope of worldly glory or
reward. to risk ones fe to almost Ger
tain death, to suffer and to die un
known takes patriotism. The opp,es-
sion and tyranny of England found no
place ID his free American heart; twas
wrong, and he died to right it.
Who was he? just /. common soldier.
any of the thousands of the heroes of
'7G. Let some Worthier hand than mine
proclaim the ability and deXterity of our
generals and the wisdom and foresight
of statesmen, but for me, let me sing of
that noble soldier who fought and died
that we might live. He is my hero.
That was the spirit of rs.
Theirs was no such passion as that
DER which the Fourth of July orator
rends the air to tatters and calls patriot
ism, no such patriotism as is inspired by
martial music and the clank of arms;
out d sllupier, uoDlcr, huiier passion
which burns in the midst of battle, III
the hardships of winter march and
camp, in defeat or triumph, and in
peace amongst the scenes of every day
existence; a patriotism of action, of ac
ton. not of words; of the heart, not of
the mind.
But most wonderful of all, when the
eurviving soldiers, flushed with victory,
re urned from the war, at time when
conquest might allure them and mill
tary government otfer them lives of
luxury and ldeness, they proclaimed by
their constitution, peace on Earth, Good
Will Toward Men" They fought for
! liberty; which attained, they sank back
to the humble stations from which they
came. The valOr with which they fought
, was equaled only by the wisdom with
which they made their constitution, d
document unprecedented in history
which, with but q few amendments, has
served thus nation from infancy to the
proud position which we now hold
, Like no reform before, at one blow they
! abolished kings, titles, hereditary rulers
compulsory religion, and host OF mn"l
, evils, and secured TO US "l'fe, liberty anc
:. the pursuit Of happiness"
t AS we thus honor the men who gave
I their lives and fortunes for freedom
e cause, let US not forget TO streW the
& laureis over those noble women wht
a played their less conspicuous, thougf
/. most important, part III securing lh'
;, blessings which We now etj2y Ollef
would we see them when In. men ha(
' conc to war, besides the already heav.
n burdens Of the nome, shoulder Ihose o
r the farm. And when the day was owe
# we would ere them late at night spin
mig ur Kuilting some article for the re
! lief and comfort of husband or son OF
r the Liejd
y. Aud TO those on the battlefield whe'
r. weary buu cold aud hungry, The "intr
# winds piercing All but ther hearts, TO.
d welcome were EnOee packages from nome
d and ., hoW welcome were the letter
. which accompanied thvm. Ietteru q
ii cheer and c mfgrt, Of pat!ence AN
h resignation. How many a heart bra
!: faster, how many teTVe ere" steautei
o. how many ii pain grew hghter by re
ii membr4nces Ike iheso from home.
a Eut these were the least of her dute
,d In the long winter evenings when III
a children would crowd around her kne
az I'd beg for story she would tell the'
IA. Of Columbus, of the hardhhlps OF II
pt Pilgrims, and she made their hule hear
nd beat II tattoo In their breasts aa she to
ut 1hem Of Paul Reveres ride, Of the hh
n ties Of Lexington and Bunker Hill Al
"a, she explained to them III simple wor'
n the Declaration Of Iudependence, no
AS their futher was then lighting, ptFha
All dying for It And tnen she told the
4 4 q J.. q,