The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-05-31
Rev. A. B. Bell Pays Tribute
To Veterans of War
SERVICES ON YESTERDAY
These Men Have Paved the
Way For World Unity and
Democracy
From Mondays Daily.

ed this nation to make possible the
greater mission of today, for America
to unity the world and make 1t safe for
democracy. Rev. A. B. Bell preached a
stirring and fitting memorial sermon
for the members of the Grand Army
of the Republic, at the Presbyterian
church yesterday afternoon. At the
opening of the service the veterans of
1861, carrying the banners of the Man
kato G. A. r. marched down one of
the central aisles in the church, while
the members of the Woman's Relief
corps marched in at the opposite aisle
and took their places.
Rev. F. III. Groin of the Christian
church had .;trge of the services and
read the scripture. The mems quar-
tet, composed of MessrS. A. b. Bell,
Glenn Shoemaker, /. N. Griffith and
Evan Hughes, sang several selections,
followed by the prayer service, led by
Rev. G.. A. Cahoon of the Methodist
church
The church was beautifully decorat-
ed for the service with flags, the Stars
and Stripes and the flags of the allies.
At the close of the sermon Rev. Groom
pronounced the Divine benediction.
Sermon BY Rev. Bell.
Rev. A. b. Bell, pastor of the Con-
sregational church, preached the
memorial sermon for the veterans of
the Civil war and the Woman's Relief
corps at the Presbyterian church,
yesterday afternoon. His subject was
1.-THE Unifcation of the Nations"
His texts were lone law shall be him
that is home born, and unto the
stranger that sojourneth among you.
John 1921. Eek. 20, 1920. Nobuch-
adnezzer, king of Babylon caused his
army to serve great service. EXod.
II, 90. What mean We by this sew
ice? 12-14. This day shall be unto
you for a memorial.
although / shall mention all of
these texts or give thoughts suggested
to all of them it is more particularly
to the first that / shall call your
attention. Because in these times we
are thinking of the unification of the
world, when one law shall be the
guide OF the people just as one law
abdes today in our national unity.
when Anaxagorls camc to. die he
was asked what honor hould be
shown him when he was Gone, Give
the boys a holiday was the reply,
and ever after the Athenian youth
were given holiday upon the an
niversary of his death. 1t mattercd
not to him whether buried in gilded
Sarcophagus or in IN unknown grave
by the rolling Heil.pont, the homo OF
his exile. He lived and fought and
wrought for those who should some
after him. This was the spirit OF
your fallen comrades, veterans of the
c. A. r. and SPAN Il wa veterans
Should we ask them today what
honor VIC could show them and could
see voiceless lips speak, they would
say give the boys a holiday. Yes, they
fought for generations that were to
follow them and very appropriately
in nearly all the states of this grand
union Memorial day is set aside as
holiday when men and women
boys and girls can gather and the
fallen heroes with the blossoms OF
spring and with tender eulogies take
each of your names upon their lips
and recount deeds of valour and brav-
cry.
Story Never Grows Old
1.-THE story of this struggle and
hardships through which you have
passed will never grow old or tire
some of the suffCrings and sacrifices
which befell your lot.
Gas we gather today and honor in
presence the living and in memory
the dead, two words appear writer
In, nrfo1 nI1tIy
Decoration day will never cease
to be a tender memory and it is the
stepping stone to higher duties fol
liberty's sake. There are no greater
days to be remembered in the annals
of American history than these days
which we call Memorial Sunday an(
Memorial day.
"We can recall the great issues a
stake it is not the facts but the idea!
for which the facts stand. Ideas ar,
the kennels, facts, the husks. While
it is true that slavery was the pre-
disposing cause of this rebellion, bu
for it possibly this awful war would
not have been fought, yet the i'm
mediate cause was whether tn,
United States as a result of thu
ttODt1Ol VI IHC lCuCl
consisted merely of league or col
lection of States from which eacl
state might withdraw at it's will o.
pleasure as the war determined tIia
it was an indistructable union of in
destructable states.
'The Blue and the Gray came to
gether one day and this is how i
came true The boys in blue were
gray with dust and the boys in gra.
were "blue."
'sThe Blue and the Gray are togethel
again.
But not in the self same way
The boys in gray are now true blue
And the boys in Blue are gray"
One Nation Now
'Yes, we are one nation now
Thank God, and the honor for serv
ice and sacrifice goes out to thes'
old veterans of the civil war.
"'The blue and the gray have passes
away
And the khaki has come to stay.
Let those brave boys sleep in honoret
graves
They fought like heroes for
cherished cause.
Let the United starry flag keep vigi