The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-05-17
A Worthy
Veteran HOnOred
How Uncle Luther Came to
Lead the Memorial
Day Parade
By RAY STANNARD BAKER

Luther Dowell were twins only in age
and patriotism. In everything else
they were as different as black and
white or hot and cold. Uncle Tommy
was short and puffy and bald of head,
with n reminiscent twinkle in his blue
eyes and certain sprightliness in his
step that quite belied his age Also,
he had two good, stout, stubby legs, al
though they were a bit bowed and
stiff, so that he thumped smartly with
his heels when he walked.
What Uncle Tommy lacked of reach
ing natures standard of a man Uncle
Luther made up. He was gaunt and
stopping and SO spare that one almost
expected to hear him rattle in his old
blue clothes like withered peas in 4
pod. When he walked he lurched at
every step and bore heavily on his
cane, for he had left his good right leg
on the bloody slopes at Chickamauga
and for nearly thirty years he had
stumped painfully about on a wooden
leg.
Uncle Tommy was bluff and prosper
GUS He lived in a comfortable house
in West Alden.
Uncle Luther had a little one story
shop across the county line in the ad-
joining town of Amery, where he sol
dered leaky milk pans and tinkered
clocks. 1t was next the lane in the
further corner of his son Jonathan's
land, and he made up his own bed and
cooked his meals in the little room in
the rear. He seemed at least twenty
years older than Uncle Tommy, and he
had become Querulous and quavery, so
that Jonathan and his thrifty wife
groaned under the responsibility Of
looking after him.
And that shows how two brothers
who have been boys together, men to-
gether and soldiers together may drift
apart. For years Uncle Tommy and
Uncle Luther had not met except at
gatherings of old soldiers, and these
were not pleasant meetings. For the
two little towns, albeit they lay out on
the wide Minnesota prairie, with only
an imaginary line between them could
not agree. 1t was the kind of dissen-
sion that grows rank and strong in
little communities where there are few
outside interests to occupy the inter
walls of attention. And the old soldiers
took it up and fought it out as valiant
" as they had marched on Nicksburg.
They might have had a Grand Army
post with reminiscent camptires, and
they might have had Fourth of July
celebrations and Memorial day pa
rades, but as certainly as Uncle Tom
my led the hosts of West Alden in one
direction Amery and Captain Enoch
Bradley could be depended upon to
march in exactly the opposite direc-
ton.
As for Uncle Luther, he always fol
lowed Uncle Tommy's procession wher-
ever it might lead. Again and again
the old soldiers of the two towns met
in the interests of harmony. Uncle
Tommy would come to preside, and
Uncle Luther would second the mo-
tions, and then they all would slump
off into the quagmire of dissension.
At such times the fires of a stirring
past would blaze up in Uncle Luther's
faded eyes, his stopped shoulders would
stiffen back, a faint flush would steal
into his cheeks, and he would nod his
old gray head as II in time to martial
music that none but he could hear.
Sometimes the tears came up to his
eyes, and the boy who was fortunate
enough to hear him talk thrilled with
the quick pride of strife and longed to
shoulder a carbine and march away to
the music Of fife and drum.
For two years the towns had held
Memorial day services, but they had
been mournfully dispirited. Uncle Tom.
my by sheer force of character had
been marshal of the day, and Uncle
Luther and a few stragglers from
Amery had marched with the parade
But Captain EnOch and his supporters
stood by with gloomy forbearance and
offered no word Of encouragement
There was really little need of Me.
mortal day services except in the alb,
stract. The cemetery, where the dis
cord Of the two towns was buried, lay
on bare prairie knoll set around with
precise rows of spindling cottonwood,
that langulshed half the summer with
thirst and whipping winds and dust
and it contained no soldiers graves
But Uncle Tommy's parades marched
up the road to the cemetery gate and
back again, and Uncle Luther felt that
the c0untry's dead, wherever they
might lie, had been honored.
On the third year the old soldiers
met again, thoroughly determined t
be harmonious. In ten minutes timt
Uncle Tommy was humping on tn,
pine table with his cane, and severa
of the other old soldiers were clinginl
to Captain Enoch's coattails, Will,
the two men glared and threatened
And then Captain Enoch executed |
well planned flank movement, routed
Uncle Tommy and ran up the Amerl
colors. A few minutes later his fac
ton, acting with the right of might
had decided upon all the importan
features Of the parade. And TO furthe
rout Uncle Tommy and his retainer
~,