The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-06-28
"UnknOWn"
Bruce Barton in Good House
keeping.

From the grave of the unknown
soldier the crowds melted away. The
great men Of the nations, who had
stood there bareheaded, stepped into
their cars and were whirled back to
town. The music of the bands grew
faint and ceased.
All afternoon little parties of Curl
Gus, reverent folk came and stopped,
and went on again, until finally only
the guard remained. The day ended.
Night came silently and threw over
the grave the healing mantle of dark
ness.
* =
Then strange thing happened.
Three dim figures from nowhere
gathered and stood uncovered beside
the tomb. No word of greeting pass
ed between them; they seemed to
know each other well. Slowly, one
after another, they stopped and read
the freshly-carved inscription. Then
the oldest spokeS -
Things are improving a bit for us
unknowns," he said. 81 fought with
Leonidas at Thermopvlae. We fell
side by side, we and the other 299.
Our bones are mingled with the dust
and rocks. No one marked our rest
ing place. Our names have persisted,
but we held the pass.
"My mother wept when | failed to
return" he continued. might after
night she waited at the window, until
it was foolish to hope any longer.
Then she, too, wanted to die. But
the neighbors came in and cheered
her. You have given a son to save
your country they cried. The Per-
slams are driven back, and Greece is
freed. He died, but he left us bet
ter world!'
$50 my mother took courage and
held her head high. 1t was fine to
have given a son to make the world.
4 ~
The unknown paused for moment,
his voice grew dull and hard.
"The Romans swept over the Greece
that l died for" he said. "The bar
barians swept over Rome. l some
times wonder whether it was worth
while to die at 2S-to sleep at Their
mopylae, unknown"
i Il
'1 fought with Charles Martel at
| Tours" the second soldier said. "We
turned back the Arab hosts; we saved
| Europe from Mohammedanism; we
| kept it a Christian continent.
1T is Splendid they said to my
mother, splendid to sacrifice SON on
the altar of peace and good will
'That was 1000 years ago." the
| second soldier said "And where is
the peace that we died for? Where
is the faith? The good will?"
| So
The third unknown had stood with
Wellington at Waterloo. 1t was
high enthusiasm that had carried him
there-the vision of world free from
| tyranny and wrong. He fell and was
buried in a trench, under rude cross
marked unknown"
"We thought it was to be the
! worlds last great battle" he said
"There would be no more wars, nc
more youthful lives snuffed out, nc
more mothers waiting and weeping al
| home.
"But century went by, and there
came war beside which ours seemed
little thing. Our friend over whom
the bands played today was one o.
millions who gave their lives. Me1
have heaped honors on him such al
we never had. Do the honors NEAR
that the hearts of men have changed
I wonder? They broke faith with US
| will they keep faith with him z"
Il
/ The three dim figures disappeared
The moon stood guard above the silen
grave. In the East the first rays O
| the morning crept into the sky. The!
reached out vaguely, hesitatingly
| touching the city of Washington
| where men were to gather that da.
I to speak of peace-touchlng an N
/ scription which nation had cut !
the stone above the body OF its un