Evening star., 1897-05-31

these, I am invited tos.participate IA the
beautiful ceremonies Of nhis Memorial day.
To them 1t IL most sacred day. It II
taken from their Eager liabors for the fu-
ture. to testify theaR reverence for the past.
It is the day that Fing1 inte remembrance
the sacrifices made fer .Fss by our fathers.
and the great truths for which they were
made. Immortal ,AereeR they each per-
formed a part In the graateat drama In our
rHpub,ss tsa,a ts nissosya Tesy settled for all
states. and the ete4nal equality of all men.
They grappled. with the monster giant,
armed secession. and after conflict so ter
rible and bloody that the world as 1t look
ed on stood breathless in horror and
amusement, left It's Hfelsss body to moldar
on the field Of conflict. They perpetnated
the free Institution Of 4 free land in the
heart of this republic, and on it's hill tops
In its valleys, on its plains, and amid God 9
wondrous temples In its picturesque wood
lands. erected the affairs of liberty and in
vtted the genius of the earth to worship at
their shrines.
AFTER the war was over. realizing that
mercy Is the brightest flower In the victor's
their homes. lay aside their swords and
muskets for the tools and implements of
workshop snd farm and mingie with the
songs Of the birds their Joyous sorgs of
ccntentment. industry and peace Thus
spreading over al 1.-The past the mantle of
sweet charity and brotheriy love. they re-
rades and soldiers In war. were lost In the
busy throng of citizens Of peace.
Surely the Union soldiers are the as
sured idols Of undyirg 9 renown. for in every
emergency. in every danger in the shadows
Of every cloud however dark. they were
always found clingtng to the Constitution
and the Union. as the sheet anchor Of
hope for the welfare of their children.
Some Of them sleep today in the groves of
the sunny south; some lie in lonely ravines:
some in graves ard trenches in national
cemeteries. marked unknown" Yet they
are rot unknown .aad not forgotten: for
their names are engraved on Columbia's 3
temple of fame where time can never dim
| their splendid luster. They live in the Inn
they live in the records of their country's
| history; they live in the hearts of living
millions. on mountain, valley and plain.
| and their graves will be known as shrines
| shrihes where patriot knees will bend and
! patriot eyes will weep so long as freedom
has worshiper and patriotism devo-
| tee. While we honor and revere their
| memory we do not forget their comrades
| who stood by their sides when they FELL
| and who are yet with US; they must share
our gratitude and praise: for one do not
believe in the practice so common of walt
| ing until men are 6ead to honor them;
1 believe it is just right and proper that
! worthy deserving men should be permitted
to enjoy the rehearsal Of their glorious
| achievements while they live would just
| as leave honor a living hero as to inn
mortalize y dead saint; and when we speak
| of the virtues Of the men who loved lib
/
| hazard in their defense we speak equally
| Of those who have pitched their tents on
the plains of the spirit land and those who
| yet walk with us the walk of life.
| Standing here on the heights of Airing
| ton. followed with ten thousand heroic
dead. We feel proud Of them all. but we
| are also proud of their comrades who yet
survive: and we are glad that one of them
the gallant VIM. Mckinley, stands at the
| helm Of the old ship of state. and with
a firm hand has turned its PROV toward the
beckor ing seas of q still more prosperous
| future, while waving at her masthead with
| stars that appear to liberty-loving people
like the morning stars OF God. and stripes
like beams of morning light. We see the
| tiful inscription. no Esst. No West. No
North, No South. shut the United States OF
America, the homsief the heaven born gift
| ~ Bcnotffui Example.
| "a few years ago. Jem Hollingsworth. a
4 young miner IN &estefn camp. was turn
ing d w1ndass by witch bucket filled
with earth was Being lifted to the sur
face, while twioi st HfSs aeornrades were dig
! ging III the bottom OF the rhsne:' w hen
| within a shcrt dfstante of the top the
| handle broke and hS thacke ct started down
| with fearful force ;c thep remembering his
| friends. at ths,i i6ettpnuof the mine. Jem
threw his body INTO thu cogss Of the wheel
| and checked the, ,faal,Sof the bucket BY
| ISLANDERS seeing the accident hastened to
him. and after aecVring the windlass. took
| poor Jem's bleeding and mapgled body out
and laid it on 4 stretcher as they car
| ried MIN away one of the men said: Jem.
| this Is awful. but with a smile on his dying
| lips poor Jem replied: What's the diner
| ence since 1t saved the boys.
Thousands of splendid young men, over
a third Off q century ago. threw their
| strong manly forms into the iron jaws OF
mangled and bleeding and sent home on
fcrutches, with empty sleeves. bearing scars
and wounds the legacies of battlefields.
their loved ones said. Isn't it awful" Their
| answer was: What's the difference since
| 1t saved the Union Oh. patriotism superb!
Oh, heroism sublime! Let grateful ma
ton see to 1t that not one Of the least of
| these shall be permitted to die in a poor
house. or be buried in a potters field"
| Mr. Davis, after a tribute to women s
| work in the war, spoke yividly Of the op-
portunities afforded the poor boy in this
country.
| Eloquent Picture.
To-day we see the beautiful picture of
many an old veteran on the porch of his
quiet home, smoking his pipe and dream
Ing Of the long ago. His little grandson
climbs upon his knee. and putting his arms
about the old mans neck, says: Grandpa,
tell me about the war and the soldier boys.
The old veteranS eyes light up. a sad
smile plays DER his wrinkled face. as his
mind wanders back through the last third
of century. Then. in the simple speech
of childhood. he tells the little lad how. one
night many years ago. he returned from
the village to the old farm. and Us he sat
down to supper his mother. noticing upon
his face look of sadness inquired Its
cause Then he said: Mother. DEAR. all
the boys In the village and on the neigh
boring farms have enlisted In Colonel Jones
regiment and tomorrow will respond to
Lincoln's call for volunteers; feel that 1.
| too, must CO.
Then that heroic mother. with tears
streaming down her face. said: John. my
boy. you are the only staff on which to
lean in my old age. but II 1 had hun
dred sons. and old Abe should need them
to save the Union, l would freely give
them ALL And how the next morning.
placing on his arm the small bundle that
| contained a Bible. picture of father. who
| died years ago, and some small trinkets
such as only mother can think of, the
start for the village was made. AS he
neared the end Of the lane leading to the
highway he turned to take a last look at
! all that was near and dear to him. In the
distance he. saw the fields of waving grain
| the orchard, too, with its red apples: the
| meadow. Ger which at eventidc the cattle
| came winding DER the lea: the well by the