The Canton times., 1902-04-04

idren' miles-or years-dividing
pee with many the old, sweet say
sp't that absence makes tne near, ear
~ fonder" finds verlncaa,on, r,omau n
oS s,,t.nt M lands the men and women
ol'' ahil6hood was spent in slipping
n0,s ,sonsand sweets with which hnd
'a0 has lowered the dear ola
'uO children whose bright natures
~ aSronsly shared the warmth Oh
'u0y a0 skies, the sweetness OF singing
nn' y, nd the tender grace OF Southern
W. .vsrs-turn back in loving memory
WI, w. davs of Aud Lang Syne Whlch
~, ,nont "at home" From one Oh
les pohildren" we have just had a
", -. between the lines of which we
''si' tender love song for the ola
!. ~ q Mississippi; nor could we fall
y note m the minor chords that would
,.n in despite the bright story Oh
u. l;fa in the far North and her cor
III u nraise of her new home and
'r,ends The thing most near the heart
\ This Holly Springs girl today IS the
tane that her loyal hands may bear
,,om the Minnesota captors the nags'
i the Thirty-ffth and Thlrty-nlntn
mississippi Regiments, and at Dallas
..co them in the hands once more Oh
.ome Of the veterans who fought and
s,od and almost died to save them
tho days of our glorious struggle.
mi. ladv is working hard to have the
novernor Of Minnesota order their re-
turp and if he does we feel assured
hat one very happy woman will take
lonp Journey to meet the regiments
survivors at Dallas. Another thing OF
which we have assurance is that there
will then be tears of joy mingled
with the tears that fall for memory's
cake down the bearded cheeks OF the
gallant "boys" of the Thirty-fifth ana
of the Thirty-ninth. God bless them!
The Veterans, the Sons OF Veterans
and the Confederacy's Daughters are
all lust as busy as bees ever are, In
their pleasant preparations for the ap-
proaching reunion at Dallas. And
lust here there is little matter OF
which | feel constrained again to
speak. With all my heart wish that
all the old soldiers, their wives and
their children. who love the cause
and its precious memories, might go to
the reunion and enjoy every hour OF
the happy time and all Of Dallas gra-
cious hospitality. But it Is most
unusual thing fer all of these tu be
able to attend. Some one must stay
at home, and too often it is the vet
ern who learned, forty years ago, all
the bitter lessons of sacrifice, and
Who with the brave wife has had too
many chances to practice this hard
earned knowledge. This is not right.
Nor would it so often occur II our
young people would only give a mo-
ment to thought.
To their hope-lighted eyes life looks
smiling down a long, long road, all
covered with laurel and roses, and
their hearts are full of joy to be alive
and young. But the veterans-the
men who earned a deathless fame
have so short a road, and its flowers
are hard for their dim eyes to find,
and harder still for the trembling
hands to grasp.
So 1t behooves us to stand close be-
side them, strengthening their arms,
aiding their vision and gathering the
roses for them. This we may begin
to do by finding some old man who
isn't going to Dallas" and help to
send him on rejoicing! He will go.
They will all go If they possibly can,
and when one is found whose reasons
are purely financial, the Sons and
~"ontOlo WIN are WOIluy VI thOAA
proud Inheritance should proceed at
once to overcome these reasons.
There is nothing sweeter in life
10 these old men than a gathering Of
the boys" round CHEEKY camp
nre" and the interchange of experience
OF Incidents and stories such as no
other men can tell, since in all the his
tory of the world no other men have
seen or done such glorious deeds. But
II is sad truth that each year the
gap In the ranks grows wider, and the
list OF missing" lengthens all too fast.
AT each reunion now ''the boys" seek
IN vain for loved, familiar faces, and
nave learned long since how grievous
thing 1t is to wait for 'the touch Of
vanished hand, the sound of a voice
that Is still"