The Forrest City times., 1904-07-15
An Unnamed
 Grave
tcoFyrishi, iss., ty p.lly ssory ra5. co-I
By MRS. GEORGE E. PICKETT

THE lonely grave down in the south
 west corner was heaped over with red roses and white lilies that rose in glowing. fragrant. rapturous mass of concentrated fire and snow
 The girl who bent over 1t 10 place one last white blossom on the glorious pile seemed afar from the world by her rapt devotion 10 the lone grave. Her fingers lowered in tender curves over The flower through which she con- veyed her last farewell to the unknown Gead as if unwilling to part from so fair a blossom even in response to the call of a sad ard sacred duty.
 Though rift in the parted branches of the evergreens that surrounded the grave she could see the throng Of peo- pie bending over the mounds that dot ted the hillside The hedge Of green cry seemed 10 set her apart from them Hers was a little world wherein she and the dead man dwelt alone She had never seen the soldier who had gone to rest from the battle under the green-sodded mound encircled by the
 
 Der time when she had not put flow CTS each year over the unknown dead
 Through her childhood she had come with her mother, who had saved the most beautiful roses and lilies in the garden to deck that grave when flower day should come Now she came alone. more as a memorial 10 her lost and rav.a har E. membrance of the dead soldier. Ev- cry Both of May they had thus decked his grave. though when Elsie could just remember there had been DO pub lie celebration of the day
 Tt is the day he died" said her mother once when she had gloried in the beauty of the May that was dying in supernatural light.
 He was killed in battle?" she had asked looking back at the grave where a slint of sunlight drifting through the trees fell across the rose and snow piled above 1t. There was an instant s pause and then the reply softly spoken:
 Yes. the hardest battle man ever fought
 That was years ago and now he [ whole nation had chosen the day of this mans death as the time for re- membering with outward observance the heroic dead
 "ln sacred memory of A soldier of the south, was the inscription on the marble slab at the head Nothing to show to what southern hearts he had been dearin the olden days of fire anc storm, nor what had been his rank in that devoted army that had sealed it's faith with the blood red seal "A sol roier Of the south" was all that she had sever known of him, and the fact that he had been dear to her mother. as shown by her memory of him when the day of flowers came
 There were other soldiers of the south sleeping on that hillside al peace with the soldiers of the north who shared their spacious grounds. Rose mont had been near the line in war days and they who wore the gray and they who wore the blue had come back to their home to the beat of mufffed drums and gone to rest side by side. with never yestige of battle rage burning in their still hearts.
 Those other graves were abloom with many flowers, but none were snowy with the gleam of lilies and abiaze with the crimson fire of roses as was that secluded place where the namefess headstone marked the grave of one unknown to the world
 Why is not his name there?" she had asked her mother on the first day she could remember in her childhood when she had stood beside the mound and put glowing red rose at its head with little hand that was hidden by the great crimson blossom
 Il think he would have wished il so, was the reply in a low tone that left no room for further questioning She had never heard that name. bu; she knew II had been eraven in a ten der and sacred place in her mother heart and the inscription on the stone was as a beautiful and wonderful name to her.
 As she went out by the pathway through the circle of green young man meeting her, took of his hat and bowed, the sun striking gold sparkles from his hair as he bent his uncover ed head before her A soft color swept over her face as she returned his greeting. They walked together be- tween long lines Of mounds with little stones al their heads each with a name that belonged to the village records and had distinctive place in the yil- lage heart. Thus they went silently until they came to monument that far overtopped all the other stones in those eonsecrated grounds man to whose memory Il had been erected did not lie under it's shining white shaft He was buried in d far-famed field Of the dead where the nation E most honored sons lay ar rest
 They looked af The marble shaft Sith its head lifted high against the golden light The name lt bore was of one who belonged to the world and to History. He seemed far away in some