Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-19
SERMON TO THE VETS
,xxrAL DISCOURSE BEFORE LEE
CAN'T ny REV. DIR. FAIR.
PAYS A BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE TO LEE.
vivid Review Of the War and Ten
der References 60 the Dead-youuw
Peoples Anniversary--Anni
nj Clay street.

ncr by special religious services at the
Grace-strcet Presbyterian church on
sunday night.
II was an interesting aud touching
sirht 10 see these veterans and heroes
o. many battles. clad in the familiar
coats and hats OF gray. file into the sane
tuary and assume the attitude Of wor-
eh,p-a sight which. as IL grows more
familiar to the people OF Richmond,
grows ever more affecting. for each year
adds 20 their devotion to the Lost Cause.
and seems to increase their debt OF graft
tnle and affection to the veterans who
uoheld the honor OF the Commonwealth
through the weary years OF war, and in
no wearior trial OF peace through de-
feat.
The members OF Lee Camp had invited
pickett Camp and the Sons of Veterans
flo unite with them in the service. ana
frerc was consequently. a large and rep
r0soutativc body of veterans present. fill
i-r the front part of the church. There
were also present. besides. the usual at
t,ndants large number of friends OF
fhe members Of these organizations. The
large auditorium was filed, in spite of
The threatening weather.
Tho services were conducted by Rev.
L. n. Fair ID. d., pastor of the church.
assisted by Rev. J. Z. Smith, ID. D., the
chaplain Of Lee Camp.
There was a special service OF song. for
tbo occasion. in which the well-known
choir of this church acquitted itself
with more than its usual excellence, and
10 which Captain Frank Cunningham con-
4ributel the charm of his pathetic voice
by the rendition of a battle hymn.
Tho impressive grandeur of the 90th
psaln beginning with the words; Lord.
Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all
generations" rendered even more solemn
bv the oarnestness showing itself in every
tone and expression of the reader, hush
sd the large congregation into
,alm of serious thoughtfulness, and the
announcement by DR.. Fair of his text
I'VE spend our years as a tale that is
,old"-seemed to send a thrill of feeling
nver the ersire audience, each individual
ippearing to forget the presence of every
,re except himself. the preacher, and
God.
TOLD AROUND THE CAMPFIRE.
Among other things, the preacher
said that this 9Oth Psalm was
Thought 10 have been In the wilderness
chile the children Of Israel were on
their long and weary journey from
Eevpt TO the promised land; ana that
the reference in this verse was 10 the
tale that was told around the camp
Gre TO beguile the weary hours, which,
while II might be thrilling In its IN
terest and touching in its pathos, was
soon told: the time was quickly passed,
the campfire was eXtingushed' ana
humber soon reigned over the camp.
So with our lives; they are thrllllng
and fun of excitement, but soon inisheu'
ufe's banner furled, and then the long
sleep. AS I'm Westminster Abbey all
The phases Of a soldiers ne are pei
retuated I'm enduring marble; so IN
Eod's Word we find pictured the expert
snces of Hfe's soldiers, and we may
earn many OF nfe's lessons there.
DIR Fair then compared the scene IN
r-hich Israel gathered around the camp
ire I'm the wilderness, under the cloud
less sky. gemmed with innumerapie
stars. the plains Of Moab stretching
away into the distance, and beyond as
set invisible, the promised laIu am
Jordan rolling darkly on this side' WIN
Inc annual campfire of these veterans,
mo coming close to the borderlahd'
oather more closely together, ana re-
ZEN the stories of their campaigns.
RETROSPECTIVE AND PROSPEC-
TIVE.
LET us listen" said he, ito The tale
that was told at that wonderful camp
ire on the Moabitish plains, the Esht
80 which still fingers on the hilltops OF
history and illumines the SKY. Inc
psalm is both retrospective ana Pios-
rectiye Its first note Is one OF SAD
ness and announcement; OF niysterS,
Gloom. and defeat. 1T has sound as OF
the requiem Of a lost cause. Ihey
,rere I'm the wilderness still. They were
face 10 face with grim, gaunt Despair.
Had they not been right? was not
the exodus undertaken at the voice od
COD We're they not led by Providence!
1rss not God moving before and lead
irg thcm? Why were they stu wanuelo
ior9 TIE Land Of Promise stu Invisible
Was the exodus mistakeF An eIIol
failure? Were all their hardships en-
dured and battles fought in vain!
"sadder still was the costliness or the
r,criHce. the loss of the many brave
men who came forth only to perish All
that was left 10 tell the tale OF
their valor and their sufferings was
little mound of sand, and the wind would
soon scatter that. How many WIDOWS
and orphans were shedding their bitter
tears throughout the camp! NO wohuer
they had sadnessl They were in the Will
derness stiI. No wonder they broke
the bitter wall. How wasted. and useless
it all seems.
OUR GREAT LEADER
"Nv brethren. does not that tale seem
strangely familiar TO our ears?" DR.. FAIR
continued: and then ne spoke Of our
great leader, likening him to Moses, to
Aeamemnon, and TO Mars the god Of
war himself and referred in beautitul
words 10 the pathOs and sadness OF the
close OF his great life.
lie told of the cause so dear 10 all
southern hearts; Of the unfurling Of its
banner In the beautiful spring at sum
ter. and OF the pathetic furling or the
same I'm the Arctic region, beneath the
glory OF the northern lights and the
Aurora Borealis: Of the grand. sad tale
of nation making its exodus. bound
for the regions OF justice and liberty.
"Was she not convinced of the justice
az her cause2" ne asked. WAS she not
following the pillar Of cloud by day and
o. fire by night? Why was she led on
20 defeat? Why. at first, did she gave
the approving smile OF Cod why ulu
victory perch on her banners? Ana, them
why did the clouds gather Ana why
cid she at Gettysburg. receive that
Ceath-wound from which she never re
covered until. at last, her tattered tut
unefained banner dropped from her
hands at AppOmattox? No wonder she
asked those bitter questions whhe she
stood facing despair! And then ne cost
illness of the struggle. the innumeraDle
graves filled with the flower. the chivai-
ry the hope Of the land. moved ao"n
lke grass; and the thousands OF homes
llel with the sobs and anguish OF the
widows and the fatherlessl After ali
was IL "a mistake; an errorY Was there
Detective craftsmanship? All Is mystery
and gloom.
ANOTHER LESSON.
"Buf there Is another lesson. This view