MEMORIAL DAY.

MEMORIAL DAY.

To sound of muffled drums to-day,With slow and solemn tread;The soldiers march with banners drapedWhere dwell heroic dead.The blue, the gray of this fair realmAssemble o’er this land,Recount the deeds of valiant menAs one vast mourning band.The rich, the poor, the high, the low,Observe this sacred day.For all alike in days gone byHave laid some friend away.For death the mighty reaper comesTo rich as well as poor.Unwelcome guest though he may be,He comes to every door.To deck the graves of dear loved onesBeneath luxuriant bow’rs,Countless willing loving handsPluck nature’s tender flow’rs.The tokens of a reverent loveFor friends of that blest vale,A love the ravages of timeCan never change nor pale.This day recalls much of the past—The nation’s bloody wars,The sacrifice of noble lives—To make dominant the stripes and stars.In philosophic narrative,In eulogy and praise,In honor of heroic deadThe speaker’s voice doth raise.And for the country’s honor foughtThe black man once a slave.Encouched within the history’s foldsThe statement, “he was brave!”Within the marching ranks to-dayAre remnants of the freedWho fought and bled upon the fieldWhen ’twas the country’s need.

To sound of muffled drums to-day,With slow and solemn tread;The soldiers march with banners drapedWhere dwell heroic dead.The blue, the gray of this fair realmAssemble o’er this land,Recount the deeds of valiant menAs one vast mourning band.The rich, the poor, the high, the low,Observe this sacred day.For all alike in days gone byHave laid some friend away.For death the mighty reaper comesTo rich as well as poor.Unwelcome guest though he may be,He comes to every door.To deck the graves of dear loved onesBeneath luxuriant bow’rs,Countless willing loving handsPluck nature’s tender flow’rs.The tokens of a reverent loveFor friends of that blest vale,A love the ravages of timeCan never change nor pale.This day recalls much of the past—The nation’s bloody wars,The sacrifice of noble lives—To make dominant the stripes and stars.In philosophic narrative,In eulogy and praise,In honor of heroic deadThe speaker’s voice doth raise.And for the country’s honor foughtThe black man once a slave.Encouched within the history’s foldsThe statement, “he was brave!”Within the marching ranks to-dayAre remnants of the freedWho fought and bled upon the fieldWhen ’twas the country’s need.

To sound of muffled drums to-day,With slow and solemn tread;The soldiers march with banners drapedWhere dwell heroic dead.

To sound of muffled drums to-day,

With slow and solemn tread;

The soldiers march with banners draped

Where dwell heroic dead.

The blue, the gray of this fair realmAssemble o’er this land,Recount the deeds of valiant menAs one vast mourning band.

The blue, the gray of this fair realm

Assemble o’er this land,

Recount the deeds of valiant men

As one vast mourning band.

The rich, the poor, the high, the low,Observe this sacred day.For all alike in days gone byHave laid some friend away.For death the mighty reaper comesTo rich as well as poor.Unwelcome guest though he may be,He comes to every door.

The rich, the poor, the high, the low,

Observe this sacred day.

For all alike in days gone by

Have laid some friend away.

For death the mighty reaper comes

To rich as well as poor.

Unwelcome guest though he may be,

He comes to every door.

To deck the graves of dear loved onesBeneath luxuriant bow’rs,Countless willing loving handsPluck nature’s tender flow’rs.The tokens of a reverent loveFor friends of that blest vale,A love the ravages of timeCan never change nor pale.

To deck the graves of dear loved ones

Beneath luxuriant bow’rs,

Countless willing loving hands

Pluck nature’s tender flow’rs.

The tokens of a reverent love

For friends of that blest vale,

A love the ravages of time

Can never change nor pale.

This day recalls much of the past—The nation’s bloody wars,The sacrifice of noble lives—To make dominant the stripes and stars.In philosophic narrative,In eulogy and praise,In honor of heroic deadThe speaker’s voice doth raise.

This day recalls much of the past—

The nation’s bloody wars,

The sacrifice of noble lives—

To make dominant the stripes and stars.

In philosophic narrative,

In eulogy and praise,

In honor of heroic dead

The speaker’s voice doth raise.

And for the country’s honor foughtThe black man once a slave.Encouched within the history’s foldsThe statement, “he was brave!”Within the marching ranks to-dayAre remnants of the freedWho fought and bled upon the fieldWhen ’twas the country’s need.

And for the country’s honor fought

The black man once a slave.

Encouched within the history’s folds

The statement, “he was brave!”

Within the marching ranks to-day

Are remnants of the freed

Who fought and bled upon the field

When ’twas the country’s need.

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