[211] of whose memories we almost worship. Neither of these rolls are yet complete. As the years glide by other names will be added. Sooner or later you and I must appear before the one or the other. It may not be a pleasant thought, but it is a fact in the future, which should remind us so to live, that when we are enrolled our comrades will not be ashamed of our companionship.
And there may be a third roll of honor of which I love to think. When the ‘Mother of the Gracchi’ was asked for her jewels, she pointed to her sons; when the sons of the Confederacy were asked for their jewels, little of diamonds, pearls, sapphires, silver or gold, could they show from the wreck, but with proud confidence they could point to the mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and sweethearts of the Confederacy, more precious than all the crown-jewels of the combined kingdoms of the world. If the men fought the battles, who encouraged; nay, armed and uniformed them for the fray? Who toiled for them, suffered and wept for them? Who nursed them? Go to the bed-side of yonder soldier-boy, far from home and loved ones, fever-tossed, or with suffering wound, talk to him of diamonds, and he will turn his face to the wall. What interest has he in them? But let him but hear the gentle voice, or feel the soothing hand of the ministering angel standing by his hospital cot, he will turn his softened glance, and say of diamonds—
About her neck, they gleam in lustre bright,
Like stars that shimmer on the zone of night!
But more than Afric's flawless gems I prize,
Soft pity's jewels! in her loving eyes.
There is such a roll—not perhaps on parchment, but engraved with diamond pen, and hung upon the tablets of our hearts ‘like apples of gold, in pictures of silver.’ God bless, and may we cherish the memories ever, of the ‘Women of the Confederacy.’
One closing thought and I am done. The war is over—we gaze back down an avenue of nearly twenty-six years—‘Distance but lends enchantment to the view’—but so should all unpleasant memories recede—all bitterness of feeling should pass away-peace and fraternal feeling exist now with soldiers once opposed. As we were good Confederates then, so now we should be good and loyal citizens of a common government which affords us its protection, and to which we have given our allegiance. We were brethren before the war (it was an internecine war), we are brethren again. There were not desolated homes with them, because the scene of war was confined
