OCR Text |
Show e? I hear no nhoutu ns the soldi? roma iHy Irf ' "I"0 '',e me"W "lrol ' "l0 l"tant drum. Bui (. A Tlicy come A f moment of whnt they were; cftli Pip- ""e T'le ran'l, nro scattering yeur by year, 3 JCA V '''or ono UJP ono w"n his olden ulr " Knv ' '"a" answered the r.ummons of Death with "HerI' 11 fir' i f' "ee "'em waver nnd falter on, 5 V KcJ Their blue Krown slindowy urny with dust Ej P5j drown shadowy urny, ns In years nnone kf WsAi ' Their sabers fell Into shadowy runt. Tt W-"' O, tlds tho vision that comes to me; .! I watch them trudRlng adown tho street, 1 The ready soldiers that used to be, J wSS- With vibrant drumming to time their feet; A ' IV"" I see them swinging along tho way 3 V With brave Old Cllory nbovo them nil; II I ? And alt tho lines are complete to-dny II Made so by the mystical trumpet call. U Vt tU And quick nnd eager, erect nnd bold, III . They march triumphantly through my dream II 1 . Tho soldier men of the, day of old II 11 With flags ablow and with swords agleam. 11 1 The cannons rumble their warring note, I I The muskets blaze on the battle's marge, I'l And out of the bugle's braten throat II V Thero shrills the terrible cry of "Charge!" 1 But hold. The mist that was In my eyes bA Now drifts nway as a cloud Is blown, Jft And the shadows fado, as across tho skies The silent arm of the wind Is thrown. And gray, and grizzled, and halt, nnd lame, They falter on to the rounded graves V That glow to-day In the grace of fame V Beneath the Has; that honor waves. t They go A shadow of what they were; "". The ranks are vanishing year by year, For one by one with his gallant nlr " Has answered the summons of Death with "Herel And so they waver arid fnltcr on, , Their blue mado shadowy grny with dust The fading host that In years agone Doro forth tho grail of tho nation's trust.. """" An1 '"to the shadows march they all """N , To the sign of a far-off trumpet cnlU |