The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-22
5Unhev0lded Heroes
On Life s Battlefield

The gratitude OF hero's country
men and countrywomen and tho adj
,1iiration Of those who come after and
emulate glorious example arc the
rewards which are the rfghtful due
OF valoi and patriotism. rewards On.
Enthusiastically accorded to names that
arc written high in tho list of those
mortality.
But what OF the heroes on the bat.
tleheld OF life, in the daily common
round, who play their part TO its
finish without an accompa niment Of
trumpets. and then vanish quietly from
the ranks without recognition or
Cross Of Honor?
Hands crossed in peaceful rest.
sigftless eyes closed In slurnber--sucit
81 hero lay not long ago. unheraldel
and uncrowned after more than four
score and ten years OF faithful SER
vice in behalf of humanity. Fame was
not busted in writing this heros
epitaph. but 1t has been craven deep
In the memories OF many hearts bound
BY ties Of comradeship to the heros
own.
Her career was not marked by n
series OF successor She was not
spurred 10 endeavor by pIaudits, nor
Sustained In 1T BY the impaired knowl-
edge that she was the centre of an
inspiration. an exemplar worthy OF
imitation in thought and action Her
part was so quietly performed, her
post so unobtrusiye. though so i'm
portant that what she did and said
passed for years almost unnoticed and
unheard.
Gnllnnt Standards Denrer.
Now that her long fight has ended.
however. the fact that she was al
ways so gallant standard bearer
comes back into mind. The weariness
OF the march, the falling out of ranks
of dearly loved comrades whose hands
had clasped her own. the treachery
OF enemies and the stress of varying
attack and repulse--these many hard
ships failed altogether TO quench the
light OF her brave spirit or TO turn
1t aside from It's expressed purpose
Her step was as firm. her head held as
high, her eye as bright at the end as
the beginning.
In the beginning, indeed. the ardor
Of youth rendered the conflict Joy.
youth passed into maturity. maturity
into old age, and ardor was trans
formed into Saithfulness that protected
by Its watchful tenderness the In
trinity of the weak, that gave OF Its
courage to the respondent. that hid
lis own pain, while ministering TO the
hungry needs of many.
Her place In Gods Acre.
The image of the soldier hero who
has led the armies of the world sur
wives In monumental and stored
bronze or marble. beside which this
world fingers to read little and learn
q story. Not so with the gallant
standard bearer. A mound OF green.
starred with flowers In springtime and
covered With the drifting down OF
autumn's crimson and russell leaves, in
the Gods acre around the church
where she worshiped. rises above
where she Hes forgotten by the ranks,
but remembered by the great Captain
INTO whose hands her banner has been
given back.
The battlefield OF life has many such
standard bearers. has always had
Thorn. Its soldiers have not always
readily followed where these bearers
led. have swiftly passed onward over
the gap where they have fallen. with.
out pausing to do them homage. the
world sometimes knows not It's own
loss. but though
"Such lives may wither here.
They are upgathered from the sod;
And we shall see them reappear
In the long summertime of God"
VIRGINIA MISSIONER.