SELDOM does any community have the good fortune to have two great
events fall upon a single day, but on May 30, 188-, Claybanks and
vicinity palpitated from centre to circumference over the celebration
of Decoration Day and the opening of the Claybanks Bath-house. The
public buildings did not close; neither did the stores, for the entire
community flocked to the town, and the stores were the only possible
lounging-places. Grace had learned, to her great regret, which was
shared by Caleb, that the local Grand Army post never paraded in
uniform, for the reason that the members found it too hard to supply
themselves with sufficient clothing, for every day and Sunday use, to
afford a suit to be worn only a single day of the year, and she had
told Caleb that it was a shame that the government did not supply its
old soldiers with uniforms in which to celebrate their one great day,
and Caleb had replied that perhaps if it did, the Southerner Ojam, who
had charged with Pickett at Gettysburg, and who always marched with the
"boys" to decorate the graves, might feel ruled out, and then Grace had
unburdened her heart to Philip, and given him so little peace about it
that finally he became so interested in the Grand Army of the Republic
that he studied all the local members as intently as if he were looking
for a long-lost brother.
But when the sun of Decoration Day arose, the centre of interest was
the bath-house. The veterans who had been selected for the opening
ceremonies approached the place as tremblingly as a lot of penitents
for public baptism; some of them were so appalled at the prospect that
they approached the house by devious ways, even by sneaking through
various back yards and climbing fences. Caleb himself was somewhat
mystified by a request from Black Sam that he would remain out of
sight until the ordeal had ended; and as the store filled early with
customers, and Philip was obliged to be absent for an hour or two,
Caleb was compelled to comply with the request, after sending word
to the non-drinking members to keep the others from the vicinity of
Bustpodder's store and all other places where liquor was sold. The
caution did not seem to be necessary, however; for not a man emerged
from the bath-house to answer the questions of the multitude that was
consuming with curiosity, and from which arose from time to time sundry
cheers and jeers that must have been exasperating in the extreme.