Middletown transcript., 1898-05-28

DeyOnQ Ln0 monument on the dill
slopep We noticed last year that it had
been overlooked, and found out the
reason. No one knew that it was a
soldiers grave, because it was 50 apart
from the rest. l looked the matter up.
The man was soldier of the same
company to which my father belonged
my father, who fell fighting for his
country when was in my cradle! So I
have his grave to decorate tomorrow. /"
"All right, little wife, you shall
have the best box of flowers to be had
for love or money"
| "Give them for love, Arthur, love of
our dear country, and of those who
fought her battles and left us legacy
of peace"
"What a good commanding general
you would have made, Margie, with
your patriotic spiritl'
"Oh, its easy enough to be patriotic
in piping times of peace" answered
his wife, "but you and l are old enough
to Lave heard the echoes of shot and
shell. We imbibed patriotism with
our mothers milk, but with these chill
dren it is different. They know only
the splendor and glory of war. They
are old enough now to be taught it's
reality, SO that they may not only learn
to live like soldiers, but to die like
them."
The two children, girl of 12 and
a boy Of IA, listened with interest and
curiosity, for to them war was indeed
splendid pageant. in which music,
flags and glittering uniforms made up
grand tableau, and they looked for
ward with great anticipation to Deco
rat on day, when they could witness
the ceremony of strewing flowers on
the graves Of the honored dead.
Arthur Lyman felt rather small
when he left home after having heard
his wife's oration. It seemed to
him almost as if he were to blame for
being only Ave years old at the time of
the war, and not shouldering arms and
going into the battle. But he had no
need to be ashamed of his vocation, for
he was soldier in the bravest sense
Of the word-a soldier OF peace.
1t is common saying that q man is |
often his own worst enemy.
Arthur knew what this meant. His
hasty. impetuous disposition was con-
tinually getting him into trouble, and
sometimes it took all his wits to get |
out again. He had at last found help
by helping Others. A white-haired
man had come to his Office one day and
asked for desk room. He had no
money and was blind. The presump-
tion of the man in thus demanding as.
sistance surprised Arthnr SO much as
to render him for the moment speech
less, and be looked at the intruder in
blank amazement. II blind man can
hypEotize, then Arthur was hypno-
tized into giving the old man the space
he wanted. There the. blind stranger
set up little stock OF pencils and sta
tioDery, and at the end OF month ten
dered small rental for his stand.
On this morning, when Arthur en-
tered his Office, he saw that little stand
was gone; and that his blind protege,
upon whom he had come to rely as
friend, was not present. 1t worried
him so much that he sent clerk off to
the old mans lodging, but be was not
there.
Something has happened to him
be has met with an accident,' Arthur
said, anxiously, and he determined to
look up bis whereabouts as soon as pos
sible.
He had never mentioned the blind
man to bis wife. for it struck him as a
Quixotic sort of venture at which she
might laugh. Besides, it was a busi-
ness deal in one way, and belonged to (
the store. where Author left all business t
details under lock and key. But this
evening he was so disturbed by the loss
Of the old man that he related the in
cident to Margie, and she suggested |;
that the hospitals be searched as soon :
as Memorial day was over. q
The little family went to Woodlawn /
.he next day. and formed in themselves I
IN interesting part of the grand fedora I
ion of peace which was being cele-
'rated with flowers and flags, and beat
ng drums, in memory of the silent :,
heroes who long Lave slumbered be-
leath. To the lonely grave on the :
hillside, which Margie had adopted, . q
s she quantity expressed IT, they took G
heir way, laden with the flowers Ar d
hur had provided. While the chill Il
rem distributed the floral tributes on Il
be narrow mound, Margie seated her. :
slf and read aloud poem she had cut
rom the morning paper as the break
lst table, 1t was so appropriate that
-rthur accused her of writing 1t. The
st stanza ran thus: /
There's grave on the hillside, Father. :
Thy searching voice shall yet !
Rouse up the sleeping soldier
For Thou dost not forget. &
There's q lonely grave on the hillside. Z
But. oh. before Thy throne :
The humble shall be honored, s
The unknown shah be knownI s
Suddenly Arthur gave = lnnd axsJ..