Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-05-28

He shook the fragment of his blade.
And shouted, Victory!
The enemy hesitated for a moment,
then wavered, broke and fed. The
battle was won, The general wished
to compliment the young man upon
the field, but heard he fell in the hour
of victory. He rode up to where the
young hero lay supported by two COM
rades, ebbing out his life's blood. The
general dismounted, knelt beside his
young friend, took him by the hand,
and said, with choking sobs, my boy,
you did noblyi" A light spread over
the pale face of the youth and won
drous ray kindled his glazing eye, as
he said, General, didn't 1 lead them
straight?' my boy,' said the gener-
al, with gentle pressure of his hand,
you acted valiantly, you did all it
was possible to do, you did your duty"
A bright smile played around the dy-
ing youths lips, his glazed eyeballs
turned back from the threshold OF
death, and flashed Thanks" his heart
but once throbbed and forever grew
still! Shall we not keep Memorial
Day for such as he?
But besides the men who wore the
blue and marched under the flag there
were other patriots. They were those
whose fingers piled the needle, and
whose hands moulded the dough, and
whose pens indicted loving words to
boys who were nobody's sons, for
they were orphans-the women of our
country. These whole-souled women
did not know anything of country or
cline or language. They only knew
grand humanity, and that all were of
one kin, for they were all children of
one great and loving Father. And SO
they sent letters to young men who
had no mothers, and exhorted them to
be good and true and brave, and ever
to do their duty. 4
And so we commemorate the men
who did their duty and the women
who taught them.
Alasi that the ranks of the veterans
are being thinned by an enemy none
can conquer in this life-death. And
of those who remain the once elastic
step, and 1.-THE limbs, and blue coat
have changed. The elasticity is gone,
the lftheness has vanished, the blue
has faded, but the courage is still
there, and the patriots heart thrObS
proudly as of yore.
Patriotism may not be the highest
virtue of the human soul, but it has
Inc mOSl lullHdl6 T6ldIlOu u Inc cause
we commemorate. And, then, patriot
ism in America is different in kind,
not in degree only, from that of other
countries. Patriotism, as it has pre-
vailed in the old world, has been the
curse of mankind. There patriotism
meant to hate your neighbor on the
| other side of the river-to oppose, rob,
| and slaughter the men, women and
| children on the opposite side of the
| boundary line, for the aggrandize-
ment of the ruling classes-to present
| the bodies of the common people" as
a target for the arrow, the sword, the
| spear, and the bullet-to bring mourn
ing and sorrow and poverty into the
cabin of the oppressed peasant and
| the room of the toiling citizen for the
honor, power and pelf of one man-to
call the wholesale murder of men,
| made in the image of God, glory and
| the legalized murderers, who reveled
in carnage, slaughter, rapine, and lust,
patriots! But America has taught the
world a patriotism of another kind
| broad as humanity and eo-extensive
with the globe. 1t has let tyrants and
oppressors know that the poor have
rights and the rich duties, and that
downtrodden peoples who have shown
shall not be exterminated, through re-
lentless hate and cruel wrong, by fire,
| and sword, and famine, and the pesti-
lence that follows in their train, in
witness whereof let Cuba testify, that
a strong nation, whose patriotism is
humanity, can and will right the
wrongs of the weak, though they may
have differently tinted skin.
This is the patriotism we celebrate
to-day, that is symbolized in the flag
that floats above us, is emblematized
in the solemn functions of commem-
grafton. when we strew garlands of
flowers on the graves and encircle
with halo of fame our patriotic dead.
This is patriotism, indeed, when at the
call of duty two millions of the coun-
try's pride leap forward to preserve
the Union or to die-this is the patri-
otism we wish to preserve and trans
rnit-this is the patriotism we desire
our sons to emulate-this is the God
given patriotism of humanity which
can never diei To preserve intact
whole, and undivided the constitution,
nation, and country bequeathed by the
Fathers of the Republic as a home OF
the free and refuge for the oppressed
l-be this our single aim, our highest
hope, our grandest ambition.
/ Ravenswood, Chicago, Ill.
/ Copyright 1904 bv Dr. F. p. Duffy.