Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-30

This whole place partakes of the na- ture or American love of display. Those who have relatives up here send hundreds of dollars worth of hot house flowers to decorate their graves on this one day, just so they will look as If the dead weren't forgotten, when there's crowd to wonder. There. over wonder. is the grave of a man who was disgrace to society, and 1t IS literally buried under costly flowers. Here's Archie Robinson lying here, one or the heroes-heroes, girl-of the war with only the flowers that the dear little school children secured the : woods for last night God love them, Annie, it's the children who keep the old patriotism up: It isn't the citi- 1 zens-those who are reaping the re- ward of the blood we split" Might I. grandfather I ventured
 to ask. put my yellow roses on this
 grave?''
 His face was a study Wrath
 darkened 1t. then indecision way
 cred over 1t, then came a look of peace, like a light He knelt down by the grave. and uncovered his head. 1 mumbling broken words into the
 grass. Then he reached for the roses.
 and laid them tenderly down. '1es the last of 1t, boy" he said, the tears on his withered checks. Then he arose, took my arm again, and we walked on; I could feel him trem- | ble. | cried in alarm.
 Its a long story he replied. I've l fought desperate battle for over 1 fifty years that has embittered my heart. It is over at last. Perhaps some day I'll tell you about it, An nie, girl, but can't now"
 Someone touched his arm and told
 him that the auto was waiting. AL Rready the crowd was drifting down the hill, and the band was playing
 that patheticly gay tune The Girl Left Behind Me"
 l I led the old soldier back to his comrades. slapped in among the ranks | of my school children. and the pro cession began its return march.
 I never heard the story I so much
 bud on the yellow rose-bush had bios-
 somed. my beloved Grandfather had
 obeyed his final command
 Winter had come and gone, and May
 was among us again. was sti1 teaching in the Grammar grade, and as usual at this time of the year was Il getting a Memorial day programme
 ready. It was hard. too, for half of
 my children were of foreign parents. fl and could not feel the same interest. | I. the daughter of a line of soldiers. | did. The thought of what my Grand father had said about the desplay of flowers on the other graves, and the poor W1tnerc0 WHO nOWeTS on those
 of the soldiers had, somehow, haunt
 ed me all the year. Finally I thought
 of a plan. I went to the G. A. R.
 commander of our Post and found out how many of the dead soldiers had relatives or friends who would be
 responsible for fitting decorations for their graves. Then I took down the
 names of those soldiers whose graves seemed to have been forgotten A A.
 Robinson was among them
 Let me see" said my informant,
 running his hand through his hair.
 he's got a grandson some'ers. Now, jes' what did I hear the young feller was doin'? Building bridges?-yes miss. I believe that's it. I know someone that will know fer sure miss Told man Ross-and I'll get that ad- dress to you by night, besides the
 others you want, and maybe they'll
 send money donations if they can't
 come in pusson. Thank you, miss.
 fer your interest; Yes; just about . you. Good bye miss He bowed me
 out
 ; Next day, put my plan in such a way before my children. that they were completely won oyer. They Money contributions were generous
 and four florists in neighboring city
 to whom we wrote, promised flowers.
 I sat down and cried Memorial day morning. for our kitchen was one mass of bloom. People had been
 soldiers graves were to be neglected
 no longer.
 The mayors auto came up early, full
 of children who were to go with me tf, the cemetery and put the flowers where they belonged. Our machine. as
 we went along, might have been de-
 signed for the goddess Flora in some l pageant. I carried in basket, besides , other flowers, all the. yellow roses on
 our bush, and while the little girls. un- der the direction of the caretaker. dec 1 orated the fifteen graves, I arranged , my flowers on those two graves which were almost side by side. Yellow roses , white sweet peas, purple vfolets adorn- . back, too happy for utterance. All the i aid somehow seemed charged with g , i feeling as if something sweet was , about to happen that day.
 We marched again as usual. only dear Grandfather and two other com
 rades were waiting for us up there or
 the breeze-swept hill, instead of going , with us. When we strewed the wilC l flowers as usual noticed that a great bunch of white tulips had been put or ! Grandfather's grave and was startled when I glanced at Colonel Robinson's : grave to see them there also. I won dered a lot about it.
 I had arranged with another teacher D to take my grade back for me, for wanted to be alone with Grandfathel } when the notes of the band would b. ! growing faint and only the long sol l emn roll of the drum could be heard
 | There were only a few people strayins . idly about, reading the names on tn, l stones, but I was hardly aware O ! them, as l sat near Grandfather. g grave looking out over the hill. l. don't know how long I sat, bu l. after a while I became conscious O. f another's presence. I looked up ant v saw young man near me. In tn, seconds glance I gave him I saw tha s he was tall and straight and broad shouldered, with a clean outdoor lool . about him. He took off his hat, as e arose embarrassed to find him lookin, = at me.
 r T am John Robinson" he said "
 had to find some means of thankin, g yoil for decorating my Grandfather grave I saw you when you We're do r,' ing it this morning, and I am bol, Q enough to nope that, since the tw' . | graves are exactly alike, the old quarre ' is forgotten. I know that you are An . nie Copeman, for I asked the care | taker."
 ], Something about his straightforwar, = way of saying what he wanted to say and his quiet dignity, won me, and n said:
 U Yes, am Annie Copeman." ! It was not long before it seemed a = if we had always known each other for we had the same old traditions t talk about. He told me he was a civi ?. engineer in Wyoming and my lette !. had reached him there. He had com