The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1898-06-17
DIED FOR THE FLAG.

: born into the world, in pity for
humanity that errs. and sorrows
and repents, God made twins
with forgetfulness and forgive.
ness. Many times it happens
that those OF the same house,
hold cannot see the right alike,
and bitter duarrels ensue. Hard
words are said, cruel blows are
given. We think that nothing
can bridge the blood-red chasm
that yawns between them. but
by and,by love throws out its
silken tilaments across it, and
makes a pathway over which the
white shod angels Of our better
selves pass to and fro. All is
forgiven. 1t is such miracle
as this we are witnessing when
the men who wore the blue and
the men who wore the gray are
marching shoulder to shoulder,
to fight for q reunited country,
all the old bitterness forgotten.
nothing remembered save the old
ties Of a common blood and
common heritage, and the old
flag over US once more. Every
war has its heroes. When it
comes to the test we never lack
men who have the courage TO die
for their country, and many a
tale will be told in days to come
of heroism done on Cuban fields;
but as the soldiers marched away
the other day, with the stars and
stripes huttering over them. it
brought to the memory of one
looker.on q little story of the
civil war. Ii was about q boy
and a flag, and it happened at the
very commencement Of the war.
The boys father was one of the
many in the south who honestly
and conscientiously opposed Sc
cession until the tide of popular
opinion swept everything away
before it, and made all opposi-
ton worse than useless. The
boy was an nnreeasoning little
patrief who hid been taught
that the flag was sacred. He had
thrilled at the tales of Licking
ton and Bunker Hill. and Valley
Forge, and grieved because he
had not lived in time to defend
his country against the British,
and wrest freedom from tyrants.
With all the narrow faith of
childhood, he believed that no
where else was such virtue, and
greatness, and freedom, as were
to be found under the folds of
his own flag. Such IN idea as a
division OF sentiment had never
crossed his mind, and so, when
he was told that the south was
going out of the union, that the
old flag was to be the flag of
those arrayed against him, he
turned faint and giddy with hor-
ror. Then he ran crying to his
father that it could not bet
could not be HIS father sor-
rowfully explained the situation
to him as we'll as he could, and,
that night the boy sobbed himself
to sleep. with his head pillowed
on "Old Glory" He couldn't
reason about it. He did not grasp
the argument of statesmen. All
he knew was that something he
held dear, and sacred. was being
taken from him by force, and
that all his childish ideals of
country and patriotism were 60
ing to wreck. Children are but
distorted mirrors grotesquely re-
fecting the opinions of their eld'
ers, and at play times, at the
school. at the bathing pool, the
boys of the neighborhood renew
ed the arguments of their elders,
with violence that often came
to blows. Then they begun
talking about putting up flags.
What are you going to put up?"
they asked the boy. He knew
he was on the unpopular side,
and his face whitened under the
tan, and he dug his hand deep
down in his pockets as he said he
was going to put up his country's