The Atlanta constitution., 1900-04-30
PlUnkoft' SL0tt6r


The brave old confederates have once
again Joined In the procession of Memorial
Day. but
They are mighty old ond feeble and their
steps are growing slow,
They can hardly hear drum tap now or
hear the bugle's blow,
But the time has been when they were
strong and frisky as could be
IT was during of tho sixties when they
marched along with Lee.
When they marched along together.
No matter what the weather,
And were just as gay and happy as could
be;
They were often mighty tired
But every heart was fired
To carry out tho plans of General Lee.
Since age has como upon them and caught
them weak and poor
Some of them find 1t hard to keep the
wolf from out their door,,
But you never hear them grumble and
they'll never bend Il knee
For tho part they took In Dixie while
marching under Lee.
They marched upon short rations
And in rags-they kept the fashions
Ever fully sure that Dixie would be free.
And there the glory lay
That gave hope for every day
That was spent upon this march with
General Lee.
Now. no matter what the changes. pray
let us never say
That the southland has forgotten these
men who wore the gray.
For beneath the starry banner you will
find them just as true
With the old gray jacket folded their sons
will wear the blue.
Their sons will wear the blue"
And you'll find them just as true
To the flag that is the emblem Of the free,
As their fathers were to Dixie
In the trying times OF sixty
And all along this march with General
Lee.
Thirty-nine years have passed since the
guns numbered at Fort Sumter. yet it
seems but a short while to these old vet
Grams of Memorial Day-so short a time.
In fact that the incidents Of those troub-
lous days seem but yesterday with them
and as feeble as they may appear 10
younger folks their hearts beat quick and
they step with pride to follow in the line
OF such a glorious procession.
These memorial occasions lend a hallow-
ed sweetness to everything around them,
but especially to the old confederate vet
erans and it Is to be hoped that the inter-
est in the day will never be lessened by
time nor forgot IN the changes that may
come. 1t should be thus. and especially
does il occur to me that little children
cannot be too forcibly impressed with the
sacredness Of the occasion. They should
be encouraged to take the liveliest inter
est in these demonstrations. for 10 them
will be handed down the duty of perpetu-
ating the day and keeping the occasion as
II deserves to be kept. Then
Let the children. sweet and lovely.
Bring that day the sweetest flowers.
And with hands in loving kindness
Scatter them i'm softest showers,
4 ha those heroes glppD
And thus perpetuate ana Keep
A sacred day.
It will not be long-at least 1t will seem
mighty short when K has passed-till the
children of today will be the men and
women of tho land Last Thursday 1
watched a mother at her work preparing
her children to go TO the exercises who
was a babe In the cradle herself in 1851.
AS looked upon her and thought Of this
it did not seem long to me and yet this
mother of today, with her own children
around her, was tiny babe I'm 6l. and
never knew the father that took her so
tenderly in his arms and gave her tko
farewell kiss that meant so much in those
days that tried mems souls. Going to the
war meant much more than now and the
partngs were sorrowful, even worse than
death. and every woman of those trying
years had h"r part 20 bear and bore il,
too. with a herois.n that has seldom been
equaled and will never be surpassed in all
the world. Then
Let the mothers-while there's any
Ana the sisters and the wives
OF the noble southern heroes,
Who for country gave their lives
Magnifying Memorial Day,
Teach the children in this way
Make II sacred.