The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-30
sHARP CONTRAST BETWEEN THE
DECORATION DAY THEN AND
NOW.
TEARS WATERED FLOWERS
WHICH WE'RE PLACED ON HEROES
GRAVES IN THE DAYS FOL-
LOWING THE Want.
PATHETIC INCIDENTS WE'RE MANY
Over These War Mounds Enmities
of Earlier Days Have Often
Been Wiped Out.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON. May 20. = It has
been more than 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
continue for ever. The passing Of
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
old veterans and by the people. But
the manner Of decorating the graves
Of the soldiers differ very materially
from the first Decoration day, and the
people have changed in their habits
more than they would be willing to
admit.
Many of us can remember the fact
that when Decoration day was first
observed the poignant grief Of the sur
vivors of the war was an emotion to
which all ether feeling was subordin-
ate. In those days the sight OF the
graves Of the soldiers caused the grief
of the people, the widows and orphans,
and their friends, to break out afresh;
and, by reason Of the fact that
ma ajority Of the women were clothed
were usually exceedingly solemn. In
those days young girls, dressed In
white distributed the flowers, this
ceremonial making the contrast sharp
er in bringing out In stronger light
the deep emotion of the mourning
crowds that came together on those
occasions.
Col. Urell, past commander Of the
department of the Potomac, says: Il
remember that in those days romantic
things were constantly happening.
Many persons who had been enemies
In the years before the war would be
suddenly revealed to each other by
some little act of common sympathy
or common impulse beside the grave
Of some friend, and their friendship
would be renewed. remember one
case in particular where there had been
long an attention between two families
caused by an elopement and ill-con-
sidered marriage. A young man, who
had married his neighbor's daughter
against the will of her father, volun-
teered when the war broke out went
into the army without word Of 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 inferred in the old
cemetery. His grave was beautif1ed
by the hands Of a loving woman, and
when the first formal Decoration day
observances came around, the soldiers
who came to that spot laden with
flowers, found it already so beautiful
and impressive in its decorations that
they did not add a single bud or
flower. After the grounds had almost
been deserted late in the afternoon OF
that May day, a little woman, clad In
black, and deeply yelled, came with
her little boy, to kneel at; the grave,
rearrange the flowers and <, moisten
them with the dew-drops Of grief.
Very shortly afterwards and while she
was still kneeling there. there came
to the other side Of the grave, a
trembling, feeble, shattered old man.
supported by an elderly lady, with
snow-white hair, vieing 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, extend-
ed his arms. saying nothing; the little
woman arose, went to him. kissed him,
and laid her head upon his shoulder,
and the reconciliation was complete.
He was the father of her dead hus-
band, and she was the widow Of his
dead boy. It was very affecting, In
deed
Such scenes, in these later days, are