The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1909-05-29
MEMORIES OF A SOLDIER.

Many a night from weary thinking.
Tired ere Invent to rest,
Have thought of some old graveyard
Signing. Those who sleep are blest."
There among the trees I've sauntered
Dreaming many dream sublime,
Weaving many web of fancy.
Soon swept down by hoary time.
When the summer days behind me
Seemed path of flowers indeed,
And the worldsbefore garden
Full of grass for us to weed.
But gazed with eager longing
Fer toward joyful day,
Saw vision-now tits real,
And the subject of my lay.
In the spring we're serenaded
Nightly by the newing cat.
In the spring the fair young maiden
Gets herself an Easter hat.
In the spring our wisest officers
Seem allied with our worst fate,
In the spring. it may be- comrades,
We're found weak and oft too late.
Then our cheeks grow pale and thinner
Than should be for those SO young,
And we feel that in failure
'Twere better that our knen be rung.
And we say, My dear, brave comrades,
We will still hope for the best.
If we pass through all this conflict
All! we will be truly blesti"
On our pallid cheeks and foreheads
Comes color and hight
When we learn our labor's over
Victory has crowned our fight.
Joy plays on the old banjo,
We keep time with Iightsome feet,
Dancing merrily with each other
For cur lives seem quite complete.
Many morning have we conned
The situation Ger with care;
But we've laid aside such planning
Something more awaits us there.
There in the bright world of pleasure,
There in the sad world of pain.
We will gather up the flower,
OF the thorns we'll not complain.
o, my comrades, happy hearted.
o. my comrades. mine no more!
o, the hard and yet dear war-times,
All our War-times now are o'er.
Do you think we will be happy
AS into the world we go3
Do you think we'n overcome it?
Will it prove a friend or foe2
AS you treat it. so it treats you,
owen Meredith has said.
If.Eoss ssoors it. it it vii scorn zsous
1t Will only praise the dead.
Yet wen conquer! We shall struggle
Onward. upward day by day,
And as we have conquered battles
We viii surely find the way.
You will count fame when you win it
Nothing more than earthly dross,
Sometimes even less is pleasure,
Wealth is often but cross.
What is itq The prize worth having!
Think not that the world can give,
Eve will satisfy thy longing:
In thy youth learn how to live.
In old age the soul is weary,
Fame and pleasure laid aside,
But life of truth and virtue
Is man or woman's pride
We are going into conflict
OF very different kind,
Here we've each and all been soldiers.
Soldier life we leave behind.
In the new life we'll be citizens
Caring tenderly for all life.
Watching those who may have struggles
Helping them in their strife.
All! l see you old and formal
Fitted to your learned part,
With the same sweet set of maxims
Kindly feeding vacant heart.
These are happy times, your childhood s
Some repeat the old refrain,
Don't, don't tell them that old story.
They'll deem lifes full of pain.
Teach all that today is pleasant,
That life holds something more,
If you teach the other lesson
They'd think you've found life bore.
We go out in search of pleasure.
Pleasure of the better kind
That which always warns the heart
And tends to elevate the mind.
Some viii say the world is crowded;
Wherefore should we care?
We ourselves will mix with action.
There's a place for each somewhere
Not in vain our age advances,
Forward, upward we will go
Out into the world to labor
Shall we hngerP Answer: MOI
Mother Age, should we falter,
Help us as our lives begin,
Lift the aag of truth and virtue,
Lay aside the sword for pen.
Comes promise OF the future,
Lighting all the way wetread,
And an omen of good fortune
Casts a halo round each head.
Let it rest ON faithful soldier,
With his life of Joy and woe,
For the mighty world is calling,
Calling to us. and we go.
ANNA BULLION BAL
tThe above poem was read by Mrs. Bah
festival given in the governors nansie
Baton Rouge on the nth inst. at whicl
officers of the battleship Mississippi were g
of honor.l
LIST OF LETTERS
Remaining IN the postoffice ct Donaldson
La, Saturday. May q. 1868.
Baker, W Hawkins Alice
Biggs, Maria Kelly, Roxana
Butler. Ed {2f Mails. Victoria
Ciacio, Salvatore Milton, MI
| ciacio. Antonio Mujumeci. Rocco
Cook, Hy ST Reed, Owen
4 r. sfa!va gauls. II