Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-31
THE cRAVESOF HEROES
CONTINUED FROM FIRST pAGE)

ana purpose OF his fellow-man. with ey,
undimmed by prejudice or pride. ther
VIII be seen a sight OF spienaor ant
glory incomprehensible, for then shall
shine forth az stars from the deep pal
OF night the hearts OF these counties,
heroes, who moved. marched, hungered
suffered, fought, and died In want and
rags. for others. To me the memor,
OF this glorious unselfshness covers. al
with holy light these armies OF brave
hearted. immortal dead. -Four long
years. amid deprivations that weakened
and killed. they bore steadily on, doine
and dying In unselfsh spirit, proclaim.
Ing to time: There are nobler things for
life than ease or greed. or gold or gain
From these yerdant mounds that undu-
late our earth as waves the sea, there
| swells the deep undertone with harmony
OF unanimous chord. and rolls its ceaseless
| surge adown the ages, proclaimng: 1T
~ better TO die bare and brave than 10
live for greed and die selfs slave. O.
We countless hordes. living. amid the
glare OF temptations vast and sins prom
| ises FAIR. hear We this voice and live. for
| amid these woongs OF ssh, death-per-
sonal. national. racai--lurke. every
where.
HOME.
Listen: Once more a voice I hear-"Be
! stlll. and WOO its accents near q spirits
| OF the sleeping brave. armies immortal,
| speak 10 us from the grave. and tell us.
| Tor the young, what they so much need
| TO Know, secret. that in life's crowded
| rush they may not let go, and loosng,
never be what you in your immortal
! deeds everywhere they see. How grew
| your courage and character so superb
| ana falrY What Graded and led IL on
untii. like the evening star. it lights
h0r1Znn do Inn IA
| we Uhey cry were home nurtured. and
! at home were taught for home to die"
Homed in hamlet or In houses crude.
butt by our fathers hands meath Gods
blue SKY. curtalned with heavens culver
Ing clouds and carpeted with earth's pure
green, we lived and learned to love and
cherish every scene and face and heart
that of that home did make a part. Ours
was no deformed, diseased ambition,
abortiye and Wild, to crush fair natures
panorama with barren, hooking pile Of
high-rising stone or artificial heap, where
weary slaves OF fashion toss their fretful
iives In feyerlsh. restless sleep, with
little 10 really love and less power 10 love
what lives and loves again. Within these
homes. where hearts moved ever deeper
into hearts and lives entwined, grew de-
votion for that sacred shrine. until life
seemed but small sacrifice to lay down
TO defend It's holy shrine, its hallowed
ground. And so. when the call came and
rang the dread alarm, that "home" i'm
perilled had need for us. what could we
do or say but earth to earth. ashes to
ashes. dust to dust" let all return ere
will be recreant to our trust. 10 yield 10
Zoe the horrid right to tread with ruth
less feet amid its hallowed light: and so
we died-yes died for home-ttat the
very word might through coming ages
have meaning deeper. sweeter and
flrmer hold to loftier ideals Of right the
hearts that should be homed In our
Southland. and might drawer, truer love
a M a
ranks of steel, giving the laundering
charge momentum in the shock. or bid
ding our ragged lines stand like our
shores. Of rock; lived and reigned this
needed on your ears my friends? Poetry
seem they, with no substantial aim? Can
we demolish home and greater grow?
Pause amid the destroyer's work and
think, and thinking. pray that God, who
Himself has a house "a home, eter-
nal beyond the stars may grant us home
life still. With all the sacred avenues
from heart TO heart open, pure ana sweet.
that we may meet. and keep on meeting
souls to love. and, loving. grow truer.
gladder to take up the cross and live the
life for others that makes living great.
and moulds the ages into wreaths or
glory meet and fit to twine the thorn,
crowned head" of Him who lived and
died for all. But If we recreant prove,
and sell for gold. or fame. or show. or
thing of any other name the sacred urea
sures God enshrines within the home
alone. and in the sad delusions OF the
sparkling light dash TO earth with reck-
less hand the casket that has from crea-
TONS morn held the priceless jewels that
have crowned humanity and made II
royal with a reigning love, then let these
silent lines dividing prove between the |
living and the dead TO show that they /
who died for home do live. and that they |
who live to count home nanght do |
die. and their very living is but |
Thus sounds from yon Plutonian shore |
the voices OF heroes. love glorified ana /
life embalmed, as with eyes undimmed
they watch the strugglings OF their loved
ones on this imperilled strand.
HIS PEROVATION.
One other thought and / am done. 1t
is the thought of blood. They who wear
the scarlet badge are but timing OF
our sleeping dead; millions on millions
billow the very earth we tread; put tney, !
bleeding died. and because they bled hold
and have ever held a strange, uplifting
power over the souls Of men. AbePs life
blood. leapng from his heart speaks on |
through every realm and age OF time
though death 5000 years ago sealed mis-
lips no more to part. That blood that
paused upon the dOor-post in that dread
Egyptian night of death. did speak com
manding to the destroying angel strong,
and bade him hear, and, hearing, pass
on untouched the lives where blood stood
sentinel at the door. And all adown the
ages martyr blood has stood and COM
manded silence amid the storms or time,
and ordered realms. empires. ages on
their course and lifted the struggling
armies of the living to higher, nobler post,
and babe them stand. and. bidding. were
Obeyed. because upon the blood stained
hand they bore the martyrs slgnet or
unto death. royal To com
mand. So these who died for conscience:
baptized in their blood, stand to-day ana
speak TO YOU and me, to LIT HE atoVe
policy's treacherous and endangered pam;
to principles eternal and sure-fouhded
peak. high heavenwards. II Is a voice
devoid of passion or Of strife. the martyr
calling to eternal life. hlgn
40 within that glorihed realm where
reigns One whose hands created an
things and yet who, knowing humanity
strongest fort. Himself appealed In blood,
md ever calls from the dripping cross
Kings and priests upward, and, callins'
makes men hear and rise to oher sell
sacrifice for truth and fellow-meh' men
mount their thrones with Him to reign
through times long fight. wherein even
nigel armies battling at Gods command, |
Overcome by the blood or the Lamp.
rhus it is drawn by this deepest mystery
II the God-given soul. we come ana stand
o-day. uncovered. awed, before the blood
" millions sleeping. and pray that. cam
d and steadied In the storms or ne we
" all that is best and truest, wooed ana
,aptized with blood may be uplitted into
,urer thought and heroic mood TO DO
nd doing. die in great. unselish. sacri-
ic'al service for God and man.
At the conclusion of Bishop Penick's
ddress the chorus of young girls sang /.
When the Mists Have Rolled Away,
nd from behind the trees on the hill
anne the boom of the Howitzers gun,
ring a salute TO the memory Of the dead
eroes. Thirteen guns were fired at inter-
ais of a minute. The assemblage dis
ersed while the guns were booming.