The Newtown bee., 1906-06-15
Ten Psxss.
HOME NEWS.
MEMORIAL DAY IN NEWTOWN

WAS IT WORTH WHILE?
Through the forethought, untiring
energy and prodjgious work of Prof
Ross Jewell, Newtown's High school
principal, Memorial day Of 1906 in our
village was made most beautiful and
Impressive tribute to our Nations
dead. May bestowed upon US one OF
her rarest days. The air was itself
exhilarating; refreshing showers had
made all nature glisten. One of the
scenes which will always remain with
the writer was the view of the pro-
cession as it entered the lovely hillside
cemetery. Up the grassy slopes came
the marshals on horse back to the brow
of the hill, then faced in two long
lines, while the veterans with their
beloved old flag of Custer Post, the
High school boys and girls following,
marched between the lines and on to
the graves of the boys who wore the
blue. The spectacle was indeed beau
tiful. As we watched the boys and
girls, led by the veterans of the war
for the Union, the white dresses, the
flags fluttering In and out among the
green trees, Towering shrubs and
cleaning monuments, then pausing at
the graves, placing the wreaths, strew-
ing the flowers, and saw with the flag
salute of the Old Post, the smaller
ones of the children waving in unison,
the past, the present, the future, all
represented in the group, we realized
what this did and should mean to us
all. To the veterans, never-to-be-for-
gotten scenes returned in vivid pic
lures to their inner vision. To the
spectators came the thought of what a
severed Union might have been If
those soldier boys of the Civil War had
not met the peril with their lives
Did the boys and girls think how they
would meet such crisis, with the
free, glorious life tide flowing from
heart to brain and the g]adness anc
sweetness of life all around them:
viii they live up to the responsible
ties placed upon them as Americans
Their daily lives as unit, and as {
whole, leading our country upward o.
downward. Another scene which vii
ALSO remain with us all was that at tn
High school grounds. A large repre-
sentative audience under the shade O
the trees. The veterans were seatet
in front, Mr. Graham holding the Pos
flag on it's staff, it's folds floating owe
the heads of the children and tn
audience near him. The very breeze
seemed to softly caress 1t. AS the oil
war songs and the national airs sun
by the children and the High schoc
surged in melodious waves around II
it seemed as If it must speak in thrill
ing words of all it symbolized. Agai
the past, present and the future faced
The little ones on the platform of tn
High school building, the older boy
and girls around the steps, the speak
ers near and before them the veterans
listening, their work accomplished
but the work of the youth still to b
finished. Time, trouble, work to max
. possible these suggestive, significan
scenes. All! yes, but the inspiration
the impetus to loyalty to our country
its heroes dead, its heroes living. Doe
1t not count? A pause in the struggl
and stress of life to see what we ar
> living for, what our struggle shout
stand for in this country Of freedom
unity and justice. Shall the heroe
die within the pages of history? Shal
not every boy and girl in our Ian
maintain in home, school and church
the principles which must make GU
country imperishable in it's peace
honor and glory. Is any labor, an
thought too great, to have given New
town and it's youth, its men and it
aged heroes, these inspiring scenes an
memories of glorious past, whic
should also be the threshold to a glori
GUS future of the United States Q
America.-[C. A. H. 81.
Newtown, Conn.,. June II, 1906.