The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-09-14
Fom Eioetpoods .nognzine.
FLOWER fOT GRAVE.

Til. custom, so general in Switzerland,
and So comm"n 10 our own pf'neipalhy Of
Wales, oil strcaing fluncrs over the graves
Of departed friends, either on the anniv.r
sary ofthsir deaths, or on either memorable
days is touching aud beautiful. Those irall
blossoms scattered over the gt,e sud, IN
their morning freshness, but Tor little
space retain lhcir balmy odouis, and their
glowing iin's, I'LL the sun cues down, aud
The brcezr nj evening sighs over them, and
the dcws of night iall an heir pale brauiy
an Il the wiihrred ard fading wreath be-
comes YET more appropriate tribute In
the silent dust beneath. But rose trees, IN
full bloom, and tall stating lilies, aud tlmint-
ing lilacs, and pert splisa'sh spirailniexts,
nre, meihioks, i'll Ia harmony with that ho-
Illness OF perfect repore which should per.
wade the last resting place of mor,aliiy.--
Even in our own sentimental England,
hive seen Two or three of these flower pot
graves. One in particular. ] remember,
had been planned and planted by n young
disconsolale widow To the memory al n
deceased partner. Tho tomb itsclf WINS n
common square erection of free st0nr, CO.
yered over with slab Of black marble, ON
which, under the name, age, &c. of The
dcfunct, Was engrasen an elaborate cpitnph,
COMMUNICATING his many virtues md pa.
th,ti,ally intimaiing that NJ no distant pa.
riod, the vacant space remaining on the
same marble would receive the name .f
" his inconsohblc Eugcn,a." Thr tomb
WAS hcdgrd about by basket work NJ
honey sucklcs. A Persian lilac dro"p.d
oyer lis foot, aud ut the head, Constituted
for the elegant cypress, coy denizen of our
| "A .t.r nAI lssI IA
its pyraniidcni form. Divers other shrubs
and lowering plants completed the ring
fence, beautifully intrrsp.rsed with +" the
fragrant weed, the Fr.nchman's darling"
whose perfume when visited the spot, was
waited over the whole church,a ard. II wns
then the full flush of summer. The garden
had been planted but a month, but the lady
had tended and propped and watcred
t,ose gay strangers with her own delicate
hands, ever mors in the dusk Of evening
returned 10 her tender task, 81 Tint they
had taken their removal kindly, aud grew
and nomslcd as car.lessly around that
cold marble, aud in that field of graves, Ms
they had done heretofore IN their own shel
tered nursery.
Ay,ar afterwards, n year almost to n
day. stood once more on that same spot
IN the same MONTH" the leafy mouth of
June" Butt was leaiess there. The
young poplar still stood sentinel in It's for.
mer station, hut dry, wthsred and sticky,
like mn old broom nj the mast head of n
vessel on sale. The parsons COW, and his
half score of fattng wet,er3, had violated
the sacred enclosure, aud iroddcn down lis
howcry basket work INTO thu very soil.
! The plants aud shrubs were nibhl,d down
to miserable stnmps, aud from the sole
survivor, the poor struggling lilac, lat nld
waddlitg eve had jIst cropped the last
sichly flower branch, aud stood staring ~
me wltha pathetic vacancy oi coun,enance,
the half munched conseera tcd blussom
dangling f,om her sacrilrgious jaws; sand
~ il even 81 ?' | half ariiculatcd with n
sudden thrill Of irreprcssiblc emoiion.--
"Poor widowed mourncr lowry Eugruia !
Art thou already reunited 10 the object of
thy faithful affection Aud 50 laicly Not
y,f on that awaiting space of the cold mar.
bic have they Inscribed thy gentle name.--
And those agile mcmorialisis were there
none 10 tend them for thy sake" Such
was my sentimental apostrophc, aud the
unwon,rd impulse 80 far melted me-, that
actually prllrd away the sheep from that
last resting place OF faithful love, aud rear
ed The trailing branches of the neglected
lilac. Well satisfied with myself for the
performance of this pinns act, turned
from the spot in 4 mood of calm pleasing
melancholy. that, by degrees, (while ] yet
! fingered round the churehyard,) resolved
/ itself into a train of poetic reyerir, and |
was already Ear advanced in a sort elegi
ac tribute IL the memory of that fair being
] whose tender name had sunk under the
stroke " that rrft her mutual heart" WHEN
! the horrid interruption Of loud shriIl
whistle started me from my poetic VISION,
ciu.lly disarIanging my beautiful conbina-
ton Of high wrought, tender, pathetic feel.
/ Jugs which were flow ing naturally into
verse, as from the very fonnt Of Hell
con. Lifting my eyes towards the vulgar
cause of this vulgar disturbance, the COW
boy, flor it WAS he "who wlisilcd as he
went for the want of thougm,") nodded 10
me his rustic apology for Il bow. and pass
ed on towards the very tomb had just
quilted, near whirh his milky charge, III"
old brindled COW, still munchrd on, a,ari-
cious of the last monthful. II the clowns
ubstreperous mirih had before broken in
on IN, mood o inspiration, its last delicate
glow was utterly disppilcd by ihr uncouih
yocfrra,ion, and rude sxplei,es, with
which he proeerdrd To dlslodge the persr-
vering animal from lrr rich posture gound.
lnsrns,hle alike to his remonsti anecs, his
threats or his tender persiiasons-io his
Whoy whoy old girl Whoy Bios
som whoy, my lady say come up, do
come up, ye plaguey bastr y Bl"sshn
continued To MUNICH and rumnaie with The
mosti,nperturbable demonstrating and
a.. Il H..
made NJ arcr advances and ever and anon
looking up at him with most provoking as
surance, as if TO calculate how many tufts
al Iniunf nj Irl a null hnInfl he got