The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-24

Nobody in all that vast throng seemed to know her. Her face was wrinkled and her shoulders stopped. streaked locks of gray ran through her hair and when she advanced her step was faltering and unfrm.
 Once before she had seen spec facle so wonderfully near the same as this and yet so wonderfully differ ent. It did not require keen power of observation to tell that she was the wife of a Confederate veteran. That other scene so long ago had been Of the same ''boys" dressed in those same dear, old suits now faded and solled from use And they had carried the same flag that day and had played the same tune, Dixie
 Her blood thrilled through her body as the notes of the old tune started up. She feebly crowded her way through the throng lining the side walk ant stood on the curb out in front.
 There they came! The same boys who had marched past her on that other day so long ago. But oh, where were they all? Where were Tom and George and Charles and all the others who so proudly had one time helped to fill these ranks?
 Then she remembered. Tom and George had been killed at Lookout Mountain. Yes, she had first taken the sad news to Toms wife and baby. They were neighbors then and Toms wife did not live long afterward. Died of a broken heart And Charles had been taken prisoner at Seven Pines and never heard from again. How yiy- idly her mind recalled all those old and almost forgotten memories.
 But here they were, right in front of her. The once so buoyant and viz orous youth who produly carried the flag was that her How old and tired they all looked. They could not keep vtep anymore. Their hair was gray and the short march had already tired them. The band and the flags fired their blood and aroused their spirits, but their limbs would not respond They were the same boys, but oh, so different and so many gone.
 Then strange emotions arose in her breast and she seemed to be looking through those young and hopeful eyes with which she had first seen this sight It seemed to be the day that Henry was leaving for the war. She and Henry had been married only a year and how proud she was of him as he marched past her that day. Her heart was almost breaking but when Henry had kissed her good-by and said I, Ia tears and said she would be brave for his sake And then he had never come back.
 The tears trickled down her cheeks It seemed something was coming ur into her throat She could feel hen heart beating and a flush overspread her face. She forgot she was old and feeble, forgot that the year was 1910 and not 1860, forgot that the wa, was over and a great quiet peace had settled over her country, forgot thai the soldiers were old and feeble, theii ranks almost gone and that in few short years they would be gone alto gether.
 She only saw the gray uniforms the Confederate flag, the boys in line who1r she knew, heard the band playing Dixie the crowd cheering. the low rumble of tn. march in her ears Her emotions over. come her. She left the sidewalk ant walked across the distance to where tn, ssboys in gray" were passing.
 It seemed everyone of them knew her | How gailantly they lifted their hats ant took her hand in theirs as she offered it Tears were streaming down her cheeks she could not speak. She just stood ther' and shook the hand of every one of then as they passed.
 Some others, wives and relatives O veterans like herself, encouraged by he attempt, joined her in the middle of .h, street and shook the hand of the sol diers as they passed.
 The handshaking impeded the marcf and the column of soldiers commenced tc crowd up, and finally came to a stand still. The line of march was clogged and big gap was opening up in the parade ahead. Many an eye in the great crowds