The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-06-11

capital, beneath the shade of trees
panoplied by the invisible but taneible
perfume of millions OF flowers. hem
herded by the vigi of angels. in their
last earthly bivouac, 10000 soldiers OF
the republic sleep forever In Arlington
cemetery. Not only on the beautiful
May day do loving hearts and willing
hands cover their graves with garlands,
but upon every day of the year their
eternal camping ground is visited. and
skilled landscape gardeners make beauti-
full the mounds in which they lie. some
OF them in life hungered and thirsted
in Andersonville and Libbey; huncered
and thirsted not alone for the bread OF
life and the pure waters of the wells,
brooks and rivulets of their childhood,
but hungered and thirsted for the love
of the dear ones at home. Now that
they are beyond all human help and
sympathy, they have the love of a ma
ton and the gratitude of all who wor-
ship heroism.
Today they have high honor; the hillside
for their pail.
They lie in state, while angels wait,
with stars for tapers tall
The oaks and pines, like tossing plumes,
over their mounds do wave.
And the sunlight Of God, with love.
kisses the sod, which grows green over
each grave.
They were as noble soldiers as ever
buckled sword.
They had as brave commanders as ever
uttered word;
And never earth's philosopher traced
with golden pen,
Upon the deathless page, truths half so
sage as they fought out for men.
1t has been more than a quarter OF a
century since the Inauguration of the
custom of decorating the graves Of the
dead soldiers annually; and 1t is to be
hoped that the custom may be contin-
ued forever. The passing of the years.
however, makes a great change in the
way people look at things. Decoration
day is legal holiday which has been
uniformly observed by the veterans and
by the people. But the manner of deco
rating the graves of the soldiers diff
fers very materially from the first Dec
grafton day, and the people have
changed in their habits more than they
would be willing to admit.
First Observance of the Day.
Many Of us can remember the fact
that when Decoration day was first OBJ
served, the poignant grief of the sur
vivors OF the war was an emotion to
which all other feelings were subordi-
LII lHOSe udyS the SlSHJ OI the
graves of the dead soldiers caused the
grief of the people, the widows and or
phans, and their friends, to break out
afresh; and by reason of the fact that a
majority of the women were clothed in
black, the scenes on the grounds were
usually exceedingly solemn. In those
days young girls, dressed in white, disr
tributed the flowers, this ceremonial
making the contrast sharper, and bring
ing out in a stronger light the deep
emotion of the mourning crowds that
came together on those occasions.
Colonel Urell, past commander of the
department of the Potomac, says: ST
remember that in those days romantic
things were constantly happening.
Many persons who had been enemies in
the years before the war, would be ST l.
denly revealed to each other by some
little act of common sympathy or M
pulse beside the grave of some fri nd,
and their friendship would be renewed.
L remember one case In particular where
thera had long been an alienation be-
tween two famili.s caused by al elope-
ment and ill-considered marriage. A
young man who had married the daugh-
ter of a neighbor, against the will oe
his father, volunteered when the war
piOht Out, NSht lilo tiit etillly WltIOuh
word or good-by to his parents and
was shot dead at Resaca. Through the
efforts of the family of his widow his
remains were brought home and in
TERED in the old cemetery.
The Reconciliation.
His grave was beautified by the hands
Of loving woman, and when the first
formal Decoration day observances
came around, the soldiers who came to 4
that spot laden with flowers, found it
already so beautiful and impressive in
its decorations that they did not add a
single bud. After the ground had al
most been deserted, late in the after
noon of that fair May day, q little wo-
man, clad in black, and deeply yelled
came with her little boy to kneel at
the grave, rearrange the flowers, and
moisten them with the dewdrops of .
grief. Very shortly afterwards and
while she was kneeling there, there
came to the other side a trembling, fee
BILE, shattered old man, supported by an
elderly lady, with snow-white hair, vie
Ing with her own forehead in whiteness,
and strongly contrasting with her Grape
bonnet. AS the kneeling widow raised
her eyes, the old man dropped his cane
extended his arms, saying nothing; the
little widow arose, went to him, kissed
him, and laid her head upon his Shout
der and the reconciliation was complete
He was the father of her husband; and
she was the widow of his dead boy 1t
was very affecting, indeed"
Such scenes in these later days are
very rare, and Decoration day is rather
an occasion of rejoicing and congratu-
lations upon the work and good deeds
done by the dead than of grief for their
loss on the field of battle.
While we weep for the fallen and
mourn for the loved and lost; while
the nation scatters flowers over the ST.
lent soldiers of the republic whose
martial tread once shook the world we
should have share of sympathy and ,
goodly store of kindness for the living
remnants of the great volunteer arm
les. Tens of thousands of them are
marching grimly into the Jaws of death,
bravely and unflinchingly; but there is
no excitement, no huzza, no comrade-