The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-05-27

store bar, was apt to be cynical
gloomy and sarcastic about the whole
proceeding
People grew To know and TO love the
queer, square-built. aggressive little Ole
woman, who was like knobby winter
apple. sweet clear through.
She was the central figure of it all
| and worked with a will
| She did not even realize she was
/ tired till Decoration Day itself dawred
/ "a clear balmy Decoration Day. such
| as California alone could have fur
nished.
| But she didn't care for her work was
well done, and she was happy. There
would be plenty of time to rest in
afterward
She was a little sad when she went
over and cut the flowers from her Gala
lily She had saved them till the last,
for it seemed like parting from friend
But nothing was too sacred to be given
tn this day, and she laid the two sweet
scented cups in the heart of her hand
soonest cross.
1t was a strange sight--the procession
which swept through that raw little
western town that morning.
The band, composed of four brass
pieces and a drum, all playing out of
tame and time. came first. Then white
robed little girls and preternaturany
clean little boys, some happy, some
shame-faced. and all laden with flow
ers; then the village notables.
Mrs. Parkinson marched with them.
her head held high, her conscience
soothed with thoughts of duty done.
but her heart aching for the eastern
Decoration Day: for the tattered flags,
every rag of which she loved and
honored for the uneven lines of halt
ing blue; for the actual presence of her
heroes.
The cemetery was bare little place.
The graves were few. In lieu of SOL
Giers, all were to be honored, and as
the line went round, flowers were flung
by prodigal little hands, till every
mound was covered deep from sight.
Then back they went, to the rude
stand outside the office of the mayor. |
where speeches We're to be made
Mrs. Parkinson listened to the
speeches and the songs and somehow
the spirit seemed to go from her, and
She grew so tired.
She felt that it was nothing but fun
to them-a novel entertainment. To her
it was reverence, patriotism, religion. :
Then suddenly she heard her own [
name called. They We're asking for
it laughingly, though
kindly. for not one of them meant to
hurt her.
Yet somehow it did. And then her
fighting spirit came back to her. Up
went the loyal head, the brave little
figure in its black silk step
ped to the platform. and somehow the
laughter died as they looked at her.
She was very white, with two bril-
liant spots on her withered cheeks. and
40 one saw anything funny, even when
she put her arms akimbo hands out
spread on both hips, as she began her
speech.
II Jest want t thank YOU she sai3
dearly. you've done well, and I'm
LEASED. I guess I've done my duty, fer
: don't seem right fer any American
own, no matter how new or how many
urriners it's got, forgettin' Decoration
Day. But somehow I didn't hit it right.
is just been fun fer you, an l won't {
isk it next year, though I'll be tickled
T You want to. I understand bettern
did. 1t does make a difference, not {
lavin' grave. nor a G.. A. r. post, nor !
,Othin'. l didnI realize. L cure away !
rom it all You can't see. You haven't {
ived it all your life, nor like folks back
asst. heard it from those who hev.
you men haven't felt the minnit when :
on knew you'd got to go, an your q
Bible teachin' got weak when you
rendered just how the Lord was a
DIN ter provide fer the ones You was G
aavine home. You haven't had TO give
p things fer your country, an march
or her. an starve fer her. The fightin'
n the dyin' is generally easier than :
he times between. :
You women haven't had to dread the g
linute when your men would hev to {.
o. You haven't tried to smile all day,
hen you'd laid awake to cry an pray ::
IL night. You haven't watched fer q
,tters till your eyes ached, an bin : !:
cared 70 look at a paper. You haven't ::
led to cheer up other women, when 6
leir letters never came, or do fer them :
hen the papers had their names in :
le Ions black lists. You never had 2
fight the thought that some day it'd :
2 your turn an bear the suspense !:
lat was harder than the bad news {.
her it come at last. a
"You-you just don't know, An
mt tell you They's some things
SO