The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-13


 Building, at which the vomen's Confed. crate organizations of Montgomery enter tained the veterans of the Alabama Di- vision last night, was one of the most brilliant and complete in all its features that has ever brought the old soldiers together.
 Certainly from the point of enjoymen, 1t could not be surpassed.
 The orders which entertained were the Ladies Memorial Association. the First White House Association. the< Sophie Bibo Chapter, the Cradle oi the Confederacy Chapter, the Dixie Chap ter, and the Secession Capital Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy.
 The entertainment was opened by a pro- gram which had been arranged by the committee in charge. The Auditorium resplendent in the brilliant decorations oi white and red of the Confederacy, with Confederate flags draped above the stage and profusion of flowers banked or the rostrum, was filled to it's full seatins oajacity.
 On the stage were the officers of the women's organizations, the officers of the Alabama Division. United Confederate Veterans, and a number of visitors, botl ladies anf gentlemen. The sponsors ant their maids of honor, Miss Annie Hobsor
 
 crate Veterans Miss Lucy Randle ant Miss Mary Burton of the Sons of Con federate Veterans, were also on the stage
 The program was opened with music by the orchestra, followed by prayer by Rev. A. J. Lamar, D. D.
 Welcomed by Mrs. Cory.
 Mrs. Chapel Cory. in behalf of the wo- men of Montgomery. made the address of welcome. Mrs. Cory had been invited to make the address by the Alabama Di- vision. United Confederate Veterans. and she did so in a style that was beautiful and sympathetic. Many times she was interrupted by enthusiastic applause and yells of the veterans
 Mrs. Cory spoke as follows
 When Confederate veteran from any where in all the broad land comes to Montgomery. he Is coming home. That is why a woman has been invited to open the door. And yet the door needed no opening. for its stands perpetually flung wide. If an untoward and unima gined wind should hlow 1t shut some unhappy day. the women of Montgomery would not wait for a reunion, or stand upon the ceremony of an invitation, but in throng- ing multitudes they would crowd to the disaster and tearing the door from its hinges. would throw 1t on the ground that 1t might not close again forever and forever.
 'The veterans of Alabama need no as- surance of their welcome to Montgomery, for here, many of them began and ended their careers as soldiers of a cause which grows more dear and sacred to us all as your ranks grow thin and thiner with the passing years. In that far away time. how gallantly you marched away, how happy in the assurance of coming how gay in the thoughtless care- lessness of youth. The women were left behind to hope and believe and to sor- row too, for even the smiles that cheered you on the opening day of war, shone through tears that would not stay. Their pride went with you. their ambition. wo- mans innate belief in the one She loves and every gallant deed you did and every act of sacrifice that wrote your names in flame upon the imperishable canvass of history, was joy in her heart and food to her faith.
 There came another day when the sol diers of Alabama were marching back to Montgomery, marching in different or- der in twos and threes and sometime one came home alone as best he might. There was woe in the hearts of the wo- men but the smile was still shining through their tears. and love and pride were all the more, for honor, bright as the gemmed stars or orient jewels, or the gaudy sun itself. you had brought back as your homecoming gift to them.
 The women of Montgomery, the women of Alabama cherish that gift you brought them, and the thought of 1t does not grow dim with the tarnish of fleeing time. Nay, it bright and brighter grows for we can now see many things our mQthers fn pnndor T~haU Hnauv that their sons and husbands had come home or gone to sleep with fame for shroud We look back on the years that have passed since then and realize that the noble courage which shone so bright ly amid the warm emulation of actual strife was but half the virtue of the South ern soldier. For in the days that follow. ed when fortitude and patience and he roic self-abnegation were demanded by the times, it was the old soldiers who stood together, and with transcendent will and wisdom saved the State and re- lit the fires on the altars of the people.
 When Oliver Cromwell died and the King had come into his own again, tha{ splendid army which had borne down the Cavaliers, and had trampled on the brav- est hosts of Europe, whose backs no foe had ever seen. and whose banner had not even a dust stain apid its shining folds, was dissolved among the people, and the best soldiers England ever knew became plain citizens and honest working men again. We are told that for half a hun dred years these old soldiers could be dis tinguished from out the mass by the of their work, by their by something of excellence in all they did and in their daily lives.
 So our old soldiers have not forgotten the grandeur of the struggle they once made the loftiness of the motives which moved them to front with death and the pride and high purpose and pure ideals of the youth at war, are still the price less possession of the veteran in peace.
 "If these old veterans had changed in any way. if they had fallen from the high estate of integrity and honor which they builded for themselves and us. even if any spot or blemish were on the bright armor they laid away so long ago, we would love them still.
 Montgomery and her people would keep their hearts and doorways ever open as rust away with tears and dry it with their tresses. But there is no rust on the pure gold of the Confederate soldiers heart, no attainder on his name. no speck upon his shield We bless God that he is among US yet and point to our boys to him for guidance. thankful for his eX- ample hopeful that when their tender years have grown to age and their silken locks are gray and the grim reaper shall make his last dread visit, so white stone shall mark their resting place as will be the due of our old soldiers drop