Evening star., 1923-05-27
BY JAMES A. BUsHANAN.

y
sands Of men and women are
marching. some young, some
= old and bent, others riding.
Some walk with halting gait. others
have sleeves pinned close to their
blouses, but all are offering homage
to those who paid the great price in
order that the cause for which they
fought might be preserved. Bands
are playing slow and solemn marches;
drums give forth muffied sound;
now and then a military order Is
given. but uttered In lowered voice;
tramp, tramp, tramp. the great col
umns swing onward. Line after line
passes. Hats are raised In tribute to
those who fought.
Along the sides of the street are
men and women who cannot keep
back the tears, for the sight OF these
men and women defenders of the
country brings back thoughts. OF loved
ones who have passed to their
eternal rest. Aged women think of
the men who left in 81. mother
remembers the CHEEKY lad that died
in the camps while waiting to go to
Cuba. There are others whose sor-
ones in the late war. Gold-star
mothers smile bravely through their
tears, as If they knew that the boy
who rests beneath the slab that
marks his resting place would not
want them to show that thing we
call emotion. 1t is as IL he were
sending a message for the ones left
behind not to worry. that he had
passed to the place where all good
deeds are rewarded.
Here you see a father who mourns
a lost lad, the young fellow that was
his chum, the boy that he watched
grow to manhood's estate. only to
have him die at the hands OF q for
eign foe. There Is a young woman
with a little tot Of six or seven in
her arms. On her breast you see the
thing they call q medal. The young
husband never knew that II was given
to him. She fondles 1t tendsrly. for
to her II is a sacred emblem. There
are many others down along the
great lane of humanity through
which the soldiers. sailors and ma
rines, nurses and others pass.
- xx y
iT'HE long line of war-ciad men and
i women passes from view, and in
the distance you can hear the soft
echoes Of the drums, the dim sounds
Of the bands, for the line has passed
on It's way to the place where the
haiiowed dead are at rest.
The burial place of the nations
heroes is reached, the troops are
massed. the nurses stand in their
snowy uniforms. relatives and friends
of the fallen ones are grouped to ors
side, the bugler takes his place, the
chaplain moves forward. the invoca-
tfon is uttered and the soldier in
charge Of the arrangements steps
forward and announces who is to
utter the tribute.
The speaker takes his place and
tells Of the deeds Of heroism of those
whose memories they honor. A choir
Of soldier voices sings hymn. An
other chaplain pronounces the bene-
diction, the bugler sounds taps" the
soldiers goodnight. and slowly those
who have paid their tribute leave.
They 20 to homes that will never
again see the face Of q loved one.
slab on which are the words. HE
died for his country"
It 10 Decoration day or, as It is
more commonly called. Memorial day.
for really II 10 4 time when all Of us
nay our respects to those who have
given their ali in order that our
country. our institutions. our very
lives might be saved; a day that has
been set apart, by law. for the hon.
oring of our heroes.
It 10 q day that 10 coming to be
observed all over the United States,
for the old-tirne feeling that existed
after the war between the brothers
IL rapidly becoming thing Of the
pasta feeling that has long since
been gone IN the breasts OF those
who fought, no matter whether they
wore the blue or the gray. In many.
many parts Of the ountry you win ind
what few are left of the old veterans
walking, IL they arc able, side by
side to place flower on the grave
of a comrade or of soldier OF the
Spanish American war. or placing a