Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-06-02

convinced ! was not there at all" So
with the inipostors of the civil war.
We sometimes turn our backs upon the
rue heroes because of the impostors
who wear tine old uniform. Let us be-
ware of ncglecti:g the honest soldiers
or refusing just reward and care for
the faithful and noble veterans merely
because there are some deceivers In
the Grand Army of the Republic. Bet
ter, far better. give Il pension to ten
false petitioners rather than neglect TO
10 patriotic justice TO one true hero
who is now among US and deserving OF
Our governmental aid.
But the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie teaches us still another lesson, and
II is Il terrible one. a man may be a
hero In his youth aye. n hero upon the
field of battle. yet anything but hero
in his private life. He may be brave
as Il Chinese Gordon" before hui
man foe and yet coward before the
temptations of the flesh, and. though
sin Is rcpcllant when IL Is witnessed In
any man. il is most pathetic aud TO DE
'NlfiiFflNfN Nit'Ai ~ - N'th III OAA
soldier who is drunk and immoral or
who Is vile Of tongue. a soldier does
not necessarily have TO be II physical
coward To lie a moral castaway. A
man may he moral coward and yet
be- physically ms brave as lion. So
many old soldiers have lost the battle
Of life not because they We're coward
Is upon the field of carnage. but be-
cause they were not brave enough to
defy temptation when ii came To them
In time Of peace.
Hero Conquered.
TO illustrate my thought let me draw
for Won the picture of one of my dear
est friends He was one of the leading
members of the first church of which
! was pastor can see him now,
straight rs an Indian war chief. lie
carried himself as only that man does
who has kept step To the beating of the
drums. No music was to him so sweet
as the booming of the cannon on ma
tional holiday | can hear him now
say: "Do you hear it? We old fellows
have often had for a rcveille the sound
Of those guns" He was In that awful
charge of the Sunken road nj Fred
crckSburg He led his company there
In defiance of I.ongstreet's cannon
sweeping over TINT field He followed
Grant on through the Wilderness. He
never feared the face Of man. Yet
how rclentlessly the temptations OF sin
l,ft \ mi Inn
sank. The stout hand which always
had such Il cordial grasp Of mine be
gan to weaken and trcmble rs II more
and more frequently reached out for
the poisonous cup. After ! left that
church and went To II western field let
tiers from my old home came saying,
Captain So-and-So is not doing we'll"
No. he WAS net doing we'll lie drank
up his business. He drank up the for
tune his father left him. He drank
big mortgage on his home. He sent
his girls forth to work for their daily
bread And the last time | saw him
sin had almost completed its work.
did not M first recognize the physical
and mental and spiritual wreck. When
! saw him sitting In my old church
said. What mighty power sin must
be- 10 have conquered So valiant hero"'
frame. that indomitablc spirit, over
come and laid low by n degrading hab-
il. II one SO strong, so fearless. so
brave has fallen. God keep us weaker
m0rtals close IA himself. lest we. too.
succumb 10 temptation.
But there is another great lesson that
learn from the old soldiers. II IL the
preserving power of industry. No man
is so happy as when he Is Il working
man In the struggle for his daily bread.
once read n dramatic story Of the
Sioux war of 1872 The Third United
States cavalry was encampcd for the
night on the southern borders of South
Dakota. by the violence of mighty
storm the cavalry horses stampeded.
All seemed lost. for without those
horses the soldiers were helpless before
the enemy. suddenly the colonel or
dercd the buglcr to blow the stable
call" At once the horses. flying In
every direction. lifted their ears and
halted Then they turned and every
horse came back to the camp and the
regiment was saved Beautiful call.
that Oh. yes. IL was a beautiful call.
But want to tell you that the call OF
work has the same magic effect upon
the human race rs that hugle call had
upon the cavalry horses of 1872. The
call of work seems To be harsh call.
but II Is the call of contcntmcnt. the
rail- of happiness and the call of peace.
am never 50 impressed with this
thought as when visiting some Of the
| old soldiers homes of America. With
out any exceptions believe the vet
Grams retreat Of Washington or Mil
waukce or Danville or Snwtelle can he
counted among the garden spots ~ the
world The one of southern California
Is especially beautiful. Go there any
time of the year. aud You can pick
flowers In the gardens. There yOn are
within few minutes ride of the great
Pacific ocean. There the libraries are
filled with books and the Memorial hall
has its regular entertainments and the
aviary Is filed with birds and the set