The Republican journal., 1902-08-07
Passing of the Veterans.

One by one they are passing, passing,
The veterans bent and scared and gray
Passing from time to eternity, falling.
AS an aged oak tree falls by the way.
Rugged and strong through manhood's
Bearing the burdens of life with a song;
Bending so LONG meath loads that were
heavy,
Going, goiilg-soon they'll be gone
Gone to their long rest, past SORROWS repin-
Gone from all earthly pleasures as we'll;
Each his labors on earth will have finished,
Each by his post be found-Where he fell
Each the cares of life hath borne brayely,
Soldiers still and >tanch to the end:
All marching on, tho the ranks may be
broken,
All going home going round the Great
Bend
None will return TO us-none will e'er know
How we all love them for deeds done while
How our hearts thrill at the stories related
OF how proudly they carried tn gun and tn
spear
None will e'er know? All, yes, we will
show them
BY deeds and by words, by loves tender
In time OF their weak when lifeS ebb-
ing tide
Flows lower and lower, leaving earthly
sands bare,
But what OF reward for their trials and pr-
vatiUns,
Borne without h.nching through wars
cruel days?
All, can We ask Wien We see the devotion
OF all who know tie past and its ways?
Have not the people kept ever in mind
The deeds ot the heroes who fell ON the
field"
Have they not honored their memry each
l!y decking with earth's fairest blossoms
their graves
To those of the comrades" who see all
these tokens
To them surely comes d feeling sublime
They can see in it all true appreciation
by those who are happy i'll these peaceful
times.
Aye, happy, and surely their happiness
proves
That the veterans fought not wholly in
VAIN
Their bravery and courage-their lives Of
tered they freely
For freedom and union, their rights to
maintain,
Echoes OF their fame adown all time will
ring,
People viii rehearSe their deeds in story
Tell Of the swords they welded for freedom
and for truth,
10 save d nation honor when half was CO.
ing wrong.
We Will streW their graves with flowers
then
Each year-as the years go rolling by
And place the dear flag of the Union they
loved
h I.o; l. L.,
We Will also build monuments great and
enduring,
Not only OF granite, and marble, and stone,
(Irue, they are emblemS OF honor and
glory,
But by history true and just in its tone:
1t Will prove as etfectual as 1t passeth the
In preserving the fame of our heroes-God's
sons
Through all time to come, till earth endeth
its cycles,
And they gain greater reward N Gods YER
dlct-"well done.
Ay, well done were their deeds on fields of
the battle
Well done has their mission on earth been
performed,
And now let us care for those who remain
eth,
And cheer their last days, as in duty bound:
Their heads bending low, let them rest on
your shoulder,
le sons they have reared meath the flag
that they saved.
support and protect them, their days are
fast passing.
And soon they Il be numbered with those in
the grave.
Tenderly care for the aged father and
brother,
Let the ''od soldier feel that he's not in
the way;
Let him share in your joys, your hopes and
ambitions,
Twas he who made possible your Joys of
to-day.
Let the warmth of affection surround and
enfold him,
Let the cheer OF your treside be welcome
and true,
Give honor to him who carried the KNAPP
sack
And marched with 'the boys who wore
the loved blue.
f. f. Miller in St Louis Globe-Democrat.
IL