The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-05-30

sighed. They were brave and noble;
they fell at the front, and, whatever
the results of the struggle, were he
roes fighting for the land they loved,
for the home they held sacred, for
the living treasures of their hearts.
But there were others who faced
them, that went down with them to
death, stirred by the same noble
thought, moved by the same holy
emotions. There were two flags on
every field, but the purpose of those
who followed and cheered and died
for them was in substance the same:
patriotism, honor, home.'"
"Why should they have killed each
other if both were honest, fair and
brave?" cried the rose.
81 know not, o, sweet, my sister,"
answered the magnolia, "but thus my
mistress said: we learn so slowly.
There has been so much of fighting
in the world and to so little purpose.
See, now the country has not been
enlarged, but it is quite large enough
for all of us. The northern women
mourning their brave fathers and
brothers and lovers as 1 mourn mine
will send to the battlefelds in the
southland their tokens of remem-
brance and love; they will think of
my sorrow as l think of theirs and
will mourn as 1 mourn, not alone for
their own. but that any should have
gone down to death by the hand of
brother. So send these blossoms as
messengers of peace and hope and
trust to those who are sending their
blossoms as angels of mercy and
trust and peace to me-"
"You have come far" sighed the
rose. "You have brought sweet and
gentle message on your perfumed
lips. l rejoice that l have heard it,
albeit that hearing has cost me my
life. But you, too, must die. And
there must be many thousands more
like you and I that lie whitening to-
night upon the graves both north
and south, that yester eve were ra-
diant with life and dreamed not of
decay. 1t seems almost as if the bat
ties of those other days between
strong men were being reproduced in
this all peaceful world of ours. Why
should your life be shortened that
these powerful ones should show for
giveness to each other? Are not they
great and strong, and have they not
words, that you and l and all our
helpless tribe should tell the story
with our lives?"
81 know not how it is, sweet rose,
but were it otherwise we should not
now be lying side by side, knowing
each others beauty, drinking each
others breath. l have found such
new joy in your companionship, seen
such new glories in your perfumed
leaves, that death, however soon it
come, has added to my life thou
sandfold."
81 thrill with ecstasy like unto
thine, oh, queen of blossoms!" cried
the rose. Sand in these, our confess
sions, may there not be found the an
swer to the problem of these wars?
1t may be all the fighting was for
this, that l might lie close under
meath your creamy wings, and, drink
ing all the gladness of your beauty,
die content"
"It may be So" softly whispered
the magnolia. at is worth the world
to find love so sweet. am con-
tent"
Faint and afar off bugle sounded
"taps." The moon unveiled above the
eastern hill and cast gentle radi-
ance on the land. And from the
mound above some sacred clay the
rose and the magnolia sent up to
heaven their last sweet breath. And
who shall say that throughout all
eternity these two shall not be one?
CHARLES EUGENE BANKS.