The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-06-04


ing in the sacred hall OF fame the
names of the splendid galaxy OF
heroes of faith, and reaches the climax
in our text. He points to the cloud OF
witnesses as example and INSPIRATION
he exhorts to earnest faithful living
and holds up the Christ as the perfect
pattern and guide. Inspiration from the
past, obligation of the present, depend
ence upon the Divine, are the thoughts
with which the message Is weighted ana
freighted. The cloud of witnesses OF the
spiritual Kingdom speak certain and
important message, and the cloud OF wit
nesses of the nation speak for it just as
surely and authoritatively. There are
the men Of past generations whose per-
sonality has made its impress upon the
nation, whose genius has wrought splen-
didly in the weaving of the fabric OF the
national life, whose virtues have been
stamped into the character OF the ma
most enlightened and most progressive
upon the earth. There are the patri-
OTIS of peace and war, whose sterling
qualities. integrity. fidelity, fearless and
undaunted spirit in the face of every
changing fortune, have provided the
solid ballast which was needed to keep
the nation upon an even keel and stead
lily upon its course. And from the ranks
OF genius and from the great throngs
of the common people have come those
heroes who, in the hour of the nation
peril, have given their lives that the
honor and integrity and union of the ma
ton might be preserved.
I'm thousand shaded valleys,
On thousand sunny hills,
In thousand OF still alleys,
Beside the ripping rills.-"
the soldier dead sleep. Who can tell the
numbers? Their graves dot the land
scape, north and south, east and west
and they rise in memory as a cloud OF
witnesses for the nation.
A ND the nation honors these soldier
IA dead. this great cloud of witnesses to
the nations peril and need, to heroic
sacrifice and death, to the triumph OF
righteousness and truth. All, how
They merit all our hearts can give:
Our praises and our love they claim:
Long shall their precious names survive
He'd sacred by immortal fame.
Honor the memory OF the dead
Where'er the sun Of Freedom shines;
Wreathe with fair flowers each sleeper
bed,
Cherished and loved. as holy shrines."
But when the nation has honored its
defenders with words of tribute and
decked the grassy mounds with the fra
grant blossoms, is that all that is to be
realized from the annual Memorial day
Are we to give and receive nothing in
return? Are we to drop the passing tear
and the fading flower upon the graves
and then go away and forget? Or Is
there to be an answering message back
from the silent dead? Are they not t
rise as a mighty cloud of witnesses tc
bear their testimony to the living pres.
ent? Paul marshals his valiant host!
before the disciples of Christ in order
that he may stir them to more Intense
purposeful living. And as tie ma
tons splendid cloud Of witnesses ris,
before us at this Decoration day time
may we not exclaim: Let us as citi
zens Of this nation, which has been pur
chased and maintained at the cost o
the precious blood Of its brave sons, la.
aside every weight and the sin which
doth SO easily beset us. and let us rui
with patience the race that is set befor
us, not forgetting to look to God, VIII,
plants the nations and marks out thei
sacred mission"
LIVERY soldiers grave bears'silent bu