Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-05-06

THE BARRY CHAPEL.-The following story
has reference to building which many citizens
VIII remember as formerly standing on the
right OF the road leading from Greenleaf Point
I" the Navy Us ard. Perhaps there are some
living who attended religious services in the
Barry Chapel, erected in 1906. We believe
the property fell to some distant heir, who
having no romance in his soul, allowed the
building to be sold for old brick. There is q
brick-ysrd there now, if we mistake not The
story was published originally in the New y ork
kniekerbocker:
ADELE BARRON.
A Narrative Of Remarkable Occurrences I'm
Real Life.
By "vIAroR"
The custom of depositing the dead in tombs.
however sanctioned by the precedent of Mac
pelah. has always appeared to me unnatural
and inSSpe,lient There il a seeming attempt
to make death comfortable, to enlarge the
hounds of our last house, and evade, for little
time at least. the inevitable law of dust to
dust In s0Gie countries, "a in Egypt, where
the sandy soil exposes the corpse ~ tho liabil-
ity of disinteTment by wild amin is the force
Of the winds. and where there seelns to be- in
the caverns and rocky hills. ,rt of natural
provision for the purpose; but where no such
difficulty exists, the grave in a l1ral cemetery
seems to present far more pleasln associations
than the wbitened sepulehre or the rault con-
cealed from yiew by grassy covering.
Either Of the last two presents to the mind
the idea of gloomy cellar, full Of dead men $
bones, or rows of dingy "oF. .ns bursting open
with pestiferOus OdOrs. rhG thought Of decay
Is in itself bad enough ut when that associa-
tiOn Is accompanied with the '' horrible conceit
Of death and night" which belongs to the char
nel-house, a. to whose foul mouth no wholesome
air breatheS in, we feel somewhat the same
horror and dread which possessed Juliet at the
thought Of awsking in such place. Who
would wish to look upon the dead How much
more satisfactory the thought that, a. the work
of ecOmpOsitiOn advances the earth will close
around and conceal forever from exposure, or
at least from recognition, the remains of those
We love. until at last, mingling with the dust
around. they may nOuriSh the turf and flowers
which VIC plant above.
Nor IL the tomb as secure from invasion as
We are apt To suppose, especially in this coun-
try, where families so frequently change their
residence to point far distant from the burial-
place of their ancestors. We have seen doors
ruSted off from their hinges; vaults which have
cayed in, in consequence Of the sinking of the
earth around, the crumbIing of one or two i'm
perfect stones, or the lOOsening of perhaps
n bad cement from the constant dampness occa-
stoned by n heavy Oyergrowth of moss and
-ereepers. Truthfully does the clown in Ham,
let say, that the houses made by the grave
maker last till dOOnIS1ay '.r
[ never shall forget the emotions with which
i listened some time since to the details given
by the sexton Of one of our New York churches.
lie had visited the tenements of the dead at
almost all hours and seasons, and seen eorpses
lin almost every state Of decomposition, and
spoke Of it all with as much professional cool
ness does the grsve-digger in Hamlet. Al
though To the philosopher il can matter but
hat of : aoI 10
be-GOrgOtten dust, thrill passes through every
sensitive mind at the thought that stranger
may lift the coffin lid and rudely toss about his
bones. and especially must this feeling prevail
in populous city. i remember to have read
somewhere dialogue supposed to have taken
place between the spirits of the departed whose
bones are piled up IN the catacombs of Paris.
The idea of utter oblivion and desolation is thus
conveyed by one OF the speakers:
@ Though our heads there is one constanttread
Little the living think they walk upon the dead -
cOUplet which always reeurs to my mind " hen
/ enter the post Office at New York, formerly
ths Ddteh church and glance at the time worn
tablets in the yards. There was recently dis
inferred from under the odd trace church, in
that city. silver coffin, containing the body
of n child preserved I'm spirits. Some persons
remember that the same coffin was disinterred
forty years ago, when thew were pulling down
IA Lutheran church which formerly stood ON
the site. and il is supposed that it il more
than eighty years since some fond parent re-
sorted to this method of testifying their love
for all that remained of their offspring The
comments which were made in the newspapers
On the occurrence have brought to my mind n
visit made some years since to the burial place
OF q family once well known, but now nearly
extinct, the story connected with which may be
worth relating:
Mr.. Barron was an Irish gentleman, Of u
4
1888 removed to the United States, and having
settled in the city of New York conducted al
extensive commercial business with England
and France. His hi gh character as q mer-
chant and his superior sttainments secured
him the esteem and confidence of the public.
No one entertained with more hospitality or
used wealth with more reference to the real
refnements of life. New York was at that
time the political a. well as commercial me-
trOp0lls Of the Union, and under the admins
tratiOn Of " ashingtOn, with the eminent men
in his Cabinet and in Congress, there was more
of the polish and gayety of a court than has
been exhibited ut any time since. In the circle
OF fashion Mr.. BarrUn's only daughter Adele,
just blooming into wolnanhOod, was the reign
ing belle, her exquisite beauty of person and
sound good sense attracting the admiration of
all the gentlemen. while her perfect simplicity
Of manners. unaffected nlodesty, and Obliging
disposition disarmed all envy on the part of
Two gentlemen had been universally re-
gardcl a. rivals for her hsnd-the one an Eng
lash gentleman, who had been acting as a di-
plOinatic agent Of his government, the other
young merchant in New York, and one OF her
fathers partners; the former Of whom we shall
designate as Mr.. Welden. the latter ss Mr..
Carleton. For long time their attentions were
unremittinS, and il was considered doubtful
which would secure the ladys preference.
Carleton, by reason Of kindred pursuits, as well
as the fact that he would reside in this eoUn-
try. WAS thought to be more favored by the IA
theE and mother; while the EnSiiShman. more
polished and intellectual. was regarded ms the
iady's choice. Meanwhile, the two were con-
slant visitors at the house, and while Mr.. Garlic
ton was receiy cd with all the politeness due to
: friend of her fathers, she stroye to avoid in
any way giving what might be construed into
encouragement. But Carleton was not one to
be rebuffed by tribes; and with that astonish-
ing blindness to all ideas Of dignity and self
respect which So often characterizes the passion
of love. still cherished hopes; although it soon
came 20 be known that the fair one had pledged
her hand TO his rival, aud that he was about To
return To England to attend TO some family
matters, and endeayOr to complete arrange
ments for thereafter making the United States
lis home