Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-01
Dobbin's Last Run

tary display, eloquence. floral festivities and
the 'feu-de-ioie"
It was glorious morning. The sun rose
resplendent and shone through thin veil OF
mist The leaves were dripping with dew.
A thousand birds sang in the woods, and the
air was fragrant with the new-mown hay in
the meadows. 1t was cool The heavy dew
had laid the dust. / have never since seen
a morning that brought to me such glowing
expectations and so much joy.
There were six of us-aunt. the two Glib
sons, two little children and myself
Aunt was pious soul. ] greatly believed
in her piety, for it was of the kind that is
always bringing forth flowers and fruit The
minister used to say that he was sure she
would 60 to heaven, because "she had such
good things in her soul to carry there" and
that vessels always went to the parts for
which they were freighted."
She began to sing one of her favorite
hymns:
"When for eternal worlds we steer,
And seas are calm and skies are clear
Dear Aunt Lucy! The lilacs have bloomed
over her grave these many Mays, and she is
gathering in another life the flowers and fruits
OF all the seeds OF goodness and kindness that
she planted in this
|, The people were astir in all the old farm
houses along the way. We took the back
road" to the town, because it was "shadier,"
as aunt said and there was less passing
there and ,,'old Dobbin would not be 50
much exposed"
We. emerged from the woods after two
hours journey, and scene OF glory burst
upon us!
Four flags were waving over Mortonville.s
There were soldiers in gorgeous uniforms hur-
rying to and fro; children dressed in white,
and an officer on horseback, looking more
grand than l had ever imagined Washington
or Napoleon to be. And there were cannon
on the green-two cannon,
have since seen the fete of the French
Republic; the review of the French army, at
Longchamps, by Frances President, the illumi-
nation OF the Place de la Concord, and the
Champs Eysee, and the Trocadero Palace
blazing over all like celestial temple of fire;
but the spectacle tome was nothing to the
martial pomGp and glory that / Witnessed
that particular morning
We drove Old Dobbin as near to the parade
ground as possible, and also as close as we
could to the two cannon, which interesting
and awe-lnspiring objects my young colored
friends very much wished to see
will they fire them?" i asked of Aunt
Lucy.
81 think not, said Aunt Lucy. "They only
fire cannon to kill people when there is gong
to be battle
AT nine o'clock the soldiers appeared, with
drum and fife. Their red plumes bobbed,
Their bayonets glittered, and the music was
such as might thrill the heart of any one
who had never heard music of any kind be-
fore.
/ have listened to the music of the Boston
Jubilees, and attended the Crystal Palace
concerts and the concerts of military bands at
Hyde Park, but anything so inspiring as that
particular drum and fife have never heard!
The troops were reviewed by a live general!
He had been an officer in the War Of 1912.
Such sight that 1 had never expected to
see when studying my Peter Parley.". But
one does not know what great events may
happen to ones life!
The crowd became so great that we found
it convenient to stand up on the seats of the
wagon
After the review we turned Old Dobbin
around and backed the wagon almost up TO
one of the two cannon, where there was a