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10 THE GRAY AND THE BLUE IN PRAYER AND SONG By General Clement A. Evans The Poetty and Song of War. Dr. H. M. Wharton, who was a private in Lee’s Army, has compiled recently, and published a most valuable book called “War Songs and Poems of the Confederacy.” It is finely illustrated, and con tains ample selections from the poetry and songs of the Confederate war. In the introduction, he writes the following paragraph: “A popular and characteristic feature of every war is its literature—in poetry and song. The ‘Marseillaise Hymn’ stirred the heart of France as never before; Cromwell, with his Puritans, went forth to battle singing their hallelujah of praise. Who, that lived amid the days of ’6l, does not re member the little Irishman, Harry McCarty, who went forth throughout the Southern States sing ing to the assembled multitudes, ‘The Bonnie Blue Flag,’ until they went wild with excitement? What soldier in the Southern States has not had every nerve thrilled as the band would strike up ‘Dixie?’ Such poems are sparks of flame from the fires of war. If you wish to find the hearts of the people you will have it in their songs. It has been a de lightful task to me to collect from all quarters of the South these songs and poems, and so to rescue from oblivion the productions which are dear to ev ery Southern head and home. Nor is it confined alone to the South, for in the North, and even in other lands, people listen with glad interest to the war songs of those days. Under the Shade of the Trees. (This poem is founded upon the following inci dent, taken from an account of Stonewall Jackson’s last hours: “A few moments before his death, he called out in his delirium, ‘Order A. P. Hill to pre pare for action; .... pass the infantry to the front; .... tell Major Hawks . . . ’ Here the sentence was left unfinished. But soon after, a sweet smile overspread his face, and he murmured quietly, with an air of relief, ‘Let us cross the river and rest under the shade of the trees.’ These were his last words.”) What are the thoughts that are stirring his breast? What is the mystical vision he sees? —“Let us pass over the river, and rest Under the shade of the trees.” Has he grown sick of his toils and his tasks? Sighs the worn spirit for respite or ease? Is it a moment’s cool halt that he asks Under the shade of the trees? Is it the gurgle of waters whose flow Ofttime has come to him, borne on the breeze, Memory listens to, lapsing so low, Under the shade of the trees? Nay—though the rasp of the flesh was so sore, Faith, that had yearnings far keener than these, Saw the soft sheen of the Thitherward Shore, Under the shade of the trees:— Caught the high psalms of ecstatic delight— Heard the harps harping, like soundings of seas— Watched earth’s assoiled ones walking in white Under shade of the trees? Oh, was it strange he should pine for release, Touched to the soul with such transports as these, He who so needed the balsam of peace, Under the shade of the trees? Yea. it was noblest for him—it was best (Questioning naught of our Father’s decrees), There to pass over the river and rest Under the shade of the trees! —Margaret J. Preston. The Golden Age for May 10, 1906. The Famous Flag of the Palmetto Reg iment, South Carolina. This historical flag was presented to the South Carolina regiment by Gen. Scott at the city of Mexico, to be carried in lieu of the tattered ban ner which had been presented to the regiment by the ladies of Charleston in 1846. It was carried through the entire war from Vera Cruz and all through the valley. It was the third, if not the sec ond, flag planted on the walls of Chapultepec. The flag was placed above Garita de Belen by Gen. Quitman in person on September 13, 1847. It was the first flag planted on the walls of the City of Mexico, having been hauled up by the South Caro linians three hours before any other division en tered the city. The historic flag was loaned to the Second South Carolina regiment of the late war, and carried to Cuba. It was hoisted over Morro Castle. The flag is probably the only one in the United States that was carried in the two foreign wars that the United States has engaged in, and it is the only flag that has been hoisted over the capitols of two countries with which the United States went to war. It was brought back from Havana in a powder sack, and returned to the Palmetto regiment survivors. The original flag of the regiment was stolen by Sherman’s regiment when it passed through Ches ter, S. C. This original flag was pierced with twen ty-seven balls, the staff was shot down twice, one officer was killed under it, one officer mortally wounded, and three were wounded. Ashes of Glory. By A. J. REQU IE R. Fold up the gorgeous silken sun By bleeding martyrs blest, And heap the laurels it has won Above its place of rest. No trumpet’s note need harshly blare ' No drum funeral roll— Nor trailing sables drape the bier To mourn a dauntless soul. Sleep, shrouded Flag! Proud emblem, still Thy crimson glory shines Beyond the lengthened shades that fill Their proudest kingly lines. Sleep! in thine own historic night— And by thy blazoned scroll, A warrior’s Banner takes its flight To g - reet the warrior’s soul. Dr. Dixon’s Articles. The announced series of articles by Dr. A. C. Dixon, on “The Origin of Things as Revealed in Genesis,” begins in this issue. There will be at least eight numbers in the series appearing some what as follows: 1. “The Origin of Matter;” 2. “The Origin of Light and Life;” 3. “The Origin of the Sabbath;” 4. “The Origin of Sin;” 5. “The Origin of Redemption;” 6. “The Origin of the Fam ily,” 7. “The Origin of the Home;” 8. “The Origin of Government.” The articles, unique in conception and treatment, will appeal especially to men and women who think. We congratulate our readers on the intellectual and spiritual treat in store for them. We are sure that Dr. Dixon’s articles will be eagerly awaited each week. Health is a thing to be attended to continually as the very highest of all temporal things. There is no kind of achievement equal to health. What to it are nuggets or millions?—Thomas Carlyle. The Southern Baptist Convention The annual session of the Southern Baptist Con vention is an occasion of universal interest to Bap tists in every section of the country and its work is of the utmost importance to the different organ izations represented at the Convention. The place of meeting chosen this year is Chatta nooga, Tenn., and on Friday morning, May 11, the organization of the Convention will be had, with Mr. E. W. Stephens of Columbia, Mo., presiding. Mr. Stephens was elected president of the Conven tion at its last session and acording to a plan sug gested at that time the President will address the Convention the year after his election. Much in terest is felt in the anticipated address of Mr. Stephens as he is an able speaker and a scholarly gentleman. Dr. Lansing Burrows, of Nashville, Tenn, and Dr. O. F. Gregory of Staunton, Va., who have served the Convention as secretaries for the past twenty five years, will each be presented with handsome medals of honor as a sort of testimonial of apprecia tion for the able services they have rendered. There are four Vice-Presidents elected each year for the Convention, while the Treasurers are Mr. Geo. W. Norton of Louisville, Ky., and Rev. W. P. Harvey of Louisville, Ky. The departments of Baptist work may be divided into Home Missions, Foreign Missions and Seminary work. Under the head of Home Missions comes work among the poor mountaineers, among the ig norant negroes, the foreign population in America, and among the Cubans and Indians of Indian Ter ritory. Under the head of Foreign Missions come the missions to pagan and Papal countries. A notable event of the Convention will be a Mountain Top meeting on Monday, the last day of the Convention when the delegates will assemble on the top of Lookout Mountain for the closing ses sions. It is estimated that there will be from 1,500 to 2,000 delegates present and the effect of this num ber of individuals all feeling the same general in terests and enthusiasms, coming together in annual session, must inevitably bring great results to the religious body which they represnt. There seems to be, however, one vital point of re form as to the mechanical conduct of this Conven tion, and Dr. Junius Millard has pertinently com mented on this point in a recent number of the “Christian Index.” His points seem to us to be so well taken and so practical that we quote them in part for the consideration of all Baptists who desire the Convention to result in “the greatest good to the greatest number.” Dr. Millard says: “I am never more impressed with the importance of time than during the sessions of the Southern Baptist Convention. * * * There is hardly ever sufficient time given to the consideration of any item on the program. * * * Take the little time that we have and it seems that we utilize it very poorly. Tn view of these facts, I would like to suggest for the consideration of the brethren some Kindly Queries: 1. Is it really necessary that the long list of del egates should be read Friday morning of each year before the election of officers? 2. Is it really necessary that each secretary should read practically THE ENTIRE report of his board ? 3. Why could not the convention meet Thurs day night just as well as Friday morning? 4. In that event why not have the organization Thursday night leaving everything ready to proceed to business Friday morning? 5. Why not set apart Friday night for the annual sermon alone? Tn this way fully twice the amount of work could be done in the same time with more attention to details and more time for the work of the committees and better results to the kingdom of God.” It is never too late to be what you might have been.—George Eliot.