Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1906-05-25

LAY Dy day their ranks are thinning, one
by one they disappear.
And at each succeeding roll call, fewer
voices answer: ''Heren
Still their regiments are marching-many
march with noiseless tread,
And no bugles sound Assembly In the
bivouac Of the dead.
Hats are reverently lifted to the heroes
lying here;
Lift them to the living heroes-hail them
all with cheer on cheer. -.
Not for long will they be with us; soon
i,s each regiment will be
Tented here beneath the blossoms Of the
land 1t helped to free.
But to-day the drums are muf1led and tho
p flag at half-rnast waves,
Keeping green dead heroes memories al
the grass above their graves.
Still another weary winter shrouded in the
snow they lay;
Now We bring them crowns and garlands
of the loveliest blooms of May. -
Lot them rest in honored slumber, while
their praise, from shore to shore,
Eighty millions throats are swelling-we
are free forevermore!
Elsie Florence Fay. in Success Maga-
zine.
On every national anniversary, ex-
eept Memorial day, we deal with things
Of life, rather than of death.
On Independence day we celebrate the
nations birth; on Washington and Lin
coin days the birth anniversaries of it's
immortal patriots; on Thanksgiving
day the fullness and blessings of ma
tional prosperity
On Memorial day alone we give pause
for tears; on this hallowed anniversary
we weave chaplets for the nations
glorious dead.
And how glorious they are-these
myriad sleeping soldiers-and how the
glory of their deeds magnifies with the
years!
We, the living, add not at all to their
Immortality in history with our flow
ers, our prayers and our tears. But
we do add something of priceless value
to our own lives by the customs Of
Memorial day. We turn these sacred
hours into symphony of patriotism.
The benediction of to-day's flower
strewn mounds is for the living; it is
an oasis in the storms of life; level
ing occasion when the finer sentiments
creep into the souls of American men
and women.
And the nations cemeteries are to-
day the greatest school Of patriotism for
old and young that we have. For true
patriotism counts not death, If through
death the nation shall find life and
health.
No nation is in peril that has such a
Memorial day as we have. The living
will carry on the work that these heroes
gave their lives for.
On Memorial day we come back
from forgetfulness to the realities.
We know why these soldiers died, and
we VOW that their sacrifice shall not
be in vain.
This nation has been carried
through all it's real perils by citizen
soldiery, as distinguished from the
mercenary militarism of other ma,
tions.
American patriotism is something
apart. The simple flag that is more
than ever world emblem of liberty
has no parallel as an inspirer of he
roic deeds.
There are those who place sordid
gain above sentiment, and care for our
prosperity only for individual profit
But the heart of real America beats
+rp,n IN or3c Nh
secret, can successfully measure
swords with the national conscience.
And this is the real lesson of Me.
mortal day. So long as we honor our
soldier dead we will honor our coun.
try.
Memorial day gives perspective.
The tottering Grand Army veteran,
and the lisping boy with cap and
drum and flag, are the visible ex.
tremes Of a common unity Of patri-
otism.
Passionless, the remnants Of former
contending armies unite in common
sorrow and common hope. The
blue and gray are not less hallowed
because time is blending them.
The season of natures renewal is
dttingly the season WREN this and
future generations will yearly deco
rate the graves of American soldiers.
And though none of these sleepers
hears the bugle call, each is taken
again to the national heart by the
fresh flowers In his "windowless pal.
ace Of rest.