Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-11-06
THERE'S A GREAT DAY COMING

AS IOSu H<lo s'foi lStca W siGICiioeo
weeks the racking months Of our fore
Loding, faith has been quickened into
hope. The fruits We thought to gather
= some yaguely- aistant harvest ire
rlrening fast. The peace we dared moi
lcention, 50 remote did it seem, IS
Its coming in thousand,
instant sounds. The vengeance of
God Of Justice is at hand. The war Of
Righteousness is won.
When we shall see in signed treaty
the evidence of victory and the pro-
Mise of lasting peace, we shall reckon
iris war worth all it has cost, and
when we hall welcome our boys home,
y,e shall forget the doubts, the num-
;rr darkness and the dread suspense
rf that GIN season Of the Huns adj
vance. What day will it be when
y;reinia's veterans return to her! this
cid commonwealth of our will rejoice
as never it has since that painting
der dashed into Richmond with news
rG.t CORVALLIS h.G surrendered The
,ay of. the great review in Richmond
viii be as menporable as March %.
1875. when Henry sounded the toe
IN of revolution, or April II, 1861,
chen th. old State put on her armoi
Of self defence.
But TO- some tie day of our boys
return ard every day thereafter Will
bring the misery of remorse. Some
vino think that peace will bring re.
union will find it brings division and
some VINO would rejoice that seas no
longer 5 irnrate Us from our lads vii!
ind a wider gulf fXed. For our Nir-
e..nia soldiers are TO return to Us III
i; new Knowledge of men and Of ser
wee and in thar knowledge they wi:
i.,f;ma us. With unerring eye vii!
+hav measure our manhood. They viii
lr0w wh.rh of US lave stayed at home
l,c.al,sr We were towards and which
- rs bcc,Isc we had larger work
% do. They will discern which of US
have served and which have idlcd. And
tncv will love or Gespise, honor or de-
test as they shall Grd US false or true.
lreir verdict will lie our fate. Denied
. fellowship with them, we shall! have
10 part IN the pow age.
The moral equivalent of war IS to
l.. found only III constancy OF ser
wee. No eft froal mans abundance
ever eya!ts; no snrewG investment. IL
: lie guisc OF patriotism ever dece!Ves.
No singi.. act Of display and no pass
no share in broad COED works will
raise a nan to the place of those WIN
have M. the etern;tie: oil thc field OF
;.ttle. Those returning boys of ours
will mock at us if we claim conrad
ship with them because we subscribed
,G loan. or served on Il committee,
or made " speech or increased Il crop
tcl when we rec .ived the highest
prices of record. The boys will say,
we sDea; winter months in the miro
of frosty trenches; We faced the week
long bonuarliment of the Hun; We
: Knew privation md cold and hunger
daily, h2urly. in"e&:altly-what did
YOU do" And we must hold our ton
muc and lose all claims upon them.
even tkcr%h they 3e our sons AM;
rothnrs, unless il our hearts We
know tl.:.. our service was not less
cons !aat, il less rallan:, than was
; theirs. The daily discipline of self for
country is what distinguishes them;
We cannot Dc distinguished by less.
This daily discipline Of self, this
caGStaac" Of service, are virtues not
beyond attainment by the true patriot.
They nv be deliberately sought, ycs
not ostcn.@tiously expressed. 1heH
must ne ascetic ana yet not Pharis-
Soical. They Must, IN short, represent
Il constant effort IL our part to fore
go our pleasure lcr our nation and 20
stint our bodies ior our souls. TO this
CEd nothing is Erore selvlccably use
iGl and few things are more vital