Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-25

Sunday at the Central Baptist church in observance Of Memorial Sunday.
 For attendance at the church ser vice the Grand Army men met at the Buckingham Memorial, marching from there to the church, where they were seated in section reserved for them in the center The Woman's Relief corps members met at the church in a room adjoining the auditorium and marched in in a body just before the service began Members of the Sons of Veterans were also present. the special guests numbering in all about fifty.
 Our uniinished Task.
 Dr. Slocum took two texts. one from John f, 38. Other men labored and the other from Lincoln's Gettysburg address, ~It is for us the living rather to be dedicated hero to the unfinished work they who fought here thus far so be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us." The theme of the sermon was Our Unfinished Task"
 Dr. Slocum spoke as follows:
 Lincoin's address at Gettysburg IS the masterpiece of literature. Edward Everett was the orator Of the day, and in a maSterly, polished effort, two hours long, he rehearsed the causes o1 the war and the conditions then exist ing north and south. When Everett had finished there was tremendous ap- piause. Then Lincoln came to the front and with a voice throbbing vim emotion he said a few words. A litter ran through the crowd as he began in a shrill voice. but the litter soon gave place to intense attention, The ifsten- CTS felt that here was a man with breaking heart saying something that hs must speak, something they must near. When he had finished, and he was through in a very short time, ne handciap broke the air-only sgh as men and women with fearful eyes looked at one another. And the great Lincoln honestly thought he had failed utterly. Walking up to Everett, he ex- tended his congratulations. Everett replied: "Ah, MT. President, how glad ly would I exchange all my hundred pages for your twenty lines"
 Heal the Remaining Wounds.
 Ona item Of our unfinished work consists in healing the few remaining wounds. That ugly scar across our country that we used to call MaSOTS and Dixon's line is now pretty well filled up, Alas. that that fearful trench had to be filled with the best blood of the nation north and south. But just as the blood of the martyrs be- came the seed of the church, so the blood of the soldiers became the seed of the republic. The trench is filled up and flowers are growing where thorns used to rankie.
 Livy tells us that an earthquake in Rome resulted in piece of ground in the middle of the Forum sinking to an immense depth, creating a fearful chasm. The oracles were consulted and it was declared that the common wealth could not be continued unless the most valuable thing in the state should be cast into the opening. . and bravery are the most valuable things, dressed in full military uni form and mounting spirited horse dashed into the abyss Valerius Maxi mus is authority for the statement that the chasm immediately closed The were fact A mighty convulsion tore our nation apart The oracles were consulted Back from the altars of liberty came this reply This nation cannot be perpetuated unless the richest treasure of the nation Is cast thrown in. And then came the result: Liberty and union-one and insepara- ble-
 Give Strength and Vitality.
 But the shock was terrible, and for some time after the conflict the nation was weak from loss of blood-sick almost unto death. The words of the
 
 point just here. It is for us the liv- ing rather to be dedicated to the great task remaining before us That task requires the giving of our strength and vitality in order that the nation may continue to live.
 The transfer of blood from one per- sons artery to another is now success fully performed So the veins of young and vigorous life are being tapped in order that they may pour into the veins of our nations life the vital forces that are necessary for its con tinued prosperity. It is not enough that great sacrifice, six and half billions in money and a million lives north and south and other sacrifices which no man can name All this did its work, but we are stin face to face with our unfinished business
 I have tried to emphasize the first item of that business. to heal sectional animosities- The next thing is to give ourselves to the glorious work of cit- zenship- In no other way could we honor our dead so successfully as in this. It is good once a year, yes, of- tener than that, to go apart from the thronging cares of our present day concerns and mediate on our legacy and give thanks for them who bore the battle in the heat of the day.
 In Sweden there used to be a Hall of Heroes where young man who purposed giving his life to military service for his country might go and remain in vigil and drink in the in- spiration that must come from the wariike deeds of his ancestors. So Decoration day is our Hall o1 Heroes, where it is good for our young men to enter and mediate and then come our for loyal service.
 Our young men will thus be made ready for the demands that are made upon them through the exigencies of war.
 Service for Citizenship. If we are ready to spring forth in ] answer to our country's call for ser vice on the battlefield, we should be no less willing to give our service in l times of peace-our service to every thing that fconServeS good citizenship New YoIs< was stirred the other day when the bodies of our brave boys came back from Mexico. Good citizen ship will unite us more than anything else. Patrick Henry once said: T am not a Virginfan. I'm an American!' The blue and the gray. the buff anc the red are brothers, We are one people with one language and one flag The sons of the north and south fought together in tine war with Spain in 1898,
 It is for us now ts prove our feiiow= ship by our good citizenship. There is much to be done. There is 8 tendency in this country te greatly ignore law It should be our purpose to strengthen the arm of the law. The man who in- cites violence should be taken care of Those who resort to violence are an- archists. God is not always on the | l. l. .s--&