The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-06-03

today and utter words that
should be as eloquent as the di-
vine silence that wraps our
hearts and souls In the spirit of
prayer, as we fling ourselves be-
fore the altar of Almighty God
and whisper brokenly: 20 God
of Our Fathers, make US worthy
OF the sacrifices which have built
the holy fabric of Americas SOUP
Had the tongue or an angel and
all the eloquence of the world
could l speak with the noblest
word and thought that ever shook.
the silence OF the EARTH still
on this morning ! could not make
a speech that would not seem
= futile and feeble, measured
against the transcendant mean
ings of this hour. when the hearts
OF men are being sifted before
the judgement throne of God.
There is only one voice to
which we may listen this day
and that is the Voice of our
Country's Flag as it unfolds it
self in the sunlight of Heaven,
and trumpets to the waiting
hope, and calls to us to follow
IL III I'D th6h anu DOly
above the passions of men and
the weary clamors of stricken
world. s.. " .....
o we want no speeches today.
We just want to get down on our
knees and with our Love dedicated
Jointly to our country and our
God, take this dear old flag and
press it rapturously, reverently,
passionately, against our hearts
and let its music and it's beauty
beat in upon us until we learn
to say out of the very innermost
truth of our souls my Flag,
Mine, Mine, Mine. Given to me
by the Love Of God and the Holy
Blood of Martyrs"
Nations Pride and Glory
Here in the glory of this Spring
Day, with Gods love beating up
on us in sunshine and blossom
and song. we are comes together
to remember those who died in
Freedoms sacrifice. AS Nature is
renewed from storm and rain, so
the Nation springs redeemed and
glorified into a newer richer life
out of her tremendous sorrows
and immortal sacrifices. This
Memorial Day is not a day for
gloom or tears or doubt. It is
a day to be kept alike with
mighty joy and reverence. 1t
rises in its significance far be-
yond the confines of a nations
grief, to become merged with
nations pride and glory,-a pride
and glory that are but heighten-
from which they came, as they
are also subdued by the sense of
worship and dedication which
that sacrifice inspires.
Memorial Day should be the
Nations greatest day; for Mem
DRY is the hottest attribute of
man,-it is the altar upon which
true and worthy people offer
up their commingled praise and
devotion, and from which they
take new vows OF faith and new
voices of hope.
How can we pay tribute to the
men who died in freedoms sac
rifice? By living with no less
devotion than they did. Before
the altar of those who died for
man it is for us to take new
vows to live for men. The man
who will not live for an ideal
has no right to worship at the
graves of men who died for an
ideal. The great achievements
Of the past are worth nothing un-
less the present is worthy of
them and better for them. The
lives of all the gooS and great,
the heroisms and sacrifices of all
the years have been made in vain
unless we have builded a little
higher and dedicated our gem
Grafton to nobler and more en-
during aim because of them.
The Small Remnant
And you for whom this day
was made, to whom it means the
most-you veterans of that great
struggle,-how small a remnant
you are of that mighty host of
the nation that went forth in the
majesty of youth and the glory
of truth to write a new chapter
in the history of human Justice.
But your broken ranks falter not.
Something of the grandeur of
that far off day still abides with
you,-the fragrance of sacrifices,
the melody Of service, these
surround you as you approach
the finel roll call-and we of the
younger generation behold you
with reverence and gratitude,
conscious that the heritage of to-
day comes to us from your heroic
faith in these dark days of strife.
The final roll call, now not far
away, find you unawed and un-
afraid, because in your souls you
feel the glory of the truth that
the foundations of the nation
rest upon the graves of it's her
oes. -....
You leaped to ruins red en-
brace, thinking not of scars or
CORY battle. but seeing above you
the spirit of liberty and the un-
stained flag of the republic which
mankind. You came through the
tempests of fire and blood, left
by a Gracious God to behold the
work of your hands grow to the
greatness that is the America of
Today.
And here in the sunset of life
you must feel conscious of the
honor we would gladly do you,
save that human honors are fu-
tile to reward SO supreme an ac-
Movement as you wrought for
US. E.H.-.-.e
But surely you feel our love
about you this day. This is your
day. We gather around you in
circle, of affection, but when we
seek to speak our praise, the
words we fain would say falter
into silence on our lips, and we
can only cry out of the fullness
of our hearts, God Bless You.
God Bless You'll" "a
Unified Passion for Liberty
A unified passion for liberty and
brotherhood this was the achieve
ment of the great war, and let
lls not forget IL That war gave