Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-12-19
WRITTEN FOR IHE DEIAWAEE GAZETTE
A VISIT TO ELM WOOD CEMETERY.
City of Hemphis. November, 1852.

I a L.
City Of Memphis. November, 1852
1t was pleasant day at she close of No
vember when, accompanied by friend, frs
visited EImwood. as the Memphians hav,
named their beautiful 'ciiy of the dead" ThS
birds sang gaily TO us as we went, aud in thl
house whence we started the flies were flying
buying about in the not over warmed rooms
and but for the 'sear and yellow leaves oI
The forest trees-not yet faIen-one could vel
have said 1T we're an April day in our OWL
cline. Flowers too were still blooming OIL
the graves where the hahds of loving friend,
had planted them, and the Cypress. Pines and
Arbor Vitel were green On every hand
1t would be impossible to tell when AMI
where the taste for visiting places of this kind
came to one, tut certain it is that the oppor
tunities for such visits are seldom left unim.
proved. Some eight months ago, with nnOth-
or friend, l wis noting the beauties Of your
beautiful Oak-groye, and the. recollections ol
it came strongly to my mind as we entered
/ the gates, as we'll as of those at Newport and
Lexington, KY, in the later days, all Of them
places which. in our widest dreamiEes, neith-
er of us tkoaght either would see, at least this
soor 4 visit to the homes of the deas is ev-
or study of the ways of the living aud their
/ fashions wbims and Tastes Gre often better re-
corded than thei: feelings on the monuments.
A pleasant locution has Elmwood, a good
natural arrangement Of the grounds. but l
think Oak Grove has the advantage 10 the ar
tifcial work of laying off lots and drives =
/ Here is however the most wealth lavished ;
stones from the best cutters Of Philadelphia
St. Louis and Memphis - vaults everywhere,
both public and private, some with marble
doors and gothic roofs, others palmer but rich
| ly and beautiful in their plainuess, aud costing
vast sums; monuments in profusion of styles,
and able to please any who love to see the
wealth of the living expressed in their care
for the dead. Then, too. the Inscriptions va
! rying in their language and telling Of the
heartfelt sorrow, or often with :heir excessive
praise reminding that here lie The dead ana
here tie living he
After entering and looking over the card,
whose iron letters tell the duties Of visitors,
we passed around to see the curiosities. One
of the first was marble slab which marked
the resting place of "our faithful servant Har-
rict and two children" aud the mind ran back
to the day when in one of cur Ohio cities its
nob.cst eolored man, wealthy aud universally
respected, was oct permitted to bury his boy
in The Cemetery, though he only craved i cor
ner there.
In contrast we found not far away tIe n on
ument Of II. S. Porter, d. D., learned man
devoted minister Of the Gospel and faithful
pastor Of abe Cumberland Presbyterian
Church" Pleasantly we turned ftein this to
two nice monuments, joined By an hreh, on
which was chiseled two sisters, and the'sfoGCs
shor.et them TO have been married and gone
from home. a vault in oUr ro-ud with my
wife" and the name, telling tco That. this was
The cause Of the establishment Of the CeIge-
terry, is not to be forgotten, and the taste which
led to the telling may safely be left TO tie
readers Judgment, as also the custom o. telling
the birth place, which gave the Information
that natives Of Scotland, North Carolina,
Massachusetts, Georgia, Virginia, etc, were
now closely lying together.
! a very fine shaft points cut the resting
place Of james g. Jones, Governor of Tenn ,
| iron l64l to 1915" man Tot forgotten by
| he lobbyists in Congress who were tired OF
| his Il object" TO the consideration of their
schemes in the last hours Of the secession. Not
fur away is one with the top apparently bro
ken-a lavorite way we noted Of finishing
them-inseribed "A sinner saved by grace
And 80 here as elsewhere the mingliDg is ev
erywhere apparent
Every one who visits these places notices
the large proportion OF little graves. and lit
tie stones which mark the places Of the "early
dead" Elmwoed's incest stones are reared tc
thvir praise. 1t is well so, for the heart is ev
er the fullest at the loss of loved ones of the
household, the pets of the family. Our dar
ling Gussie" was one of these mementoes q
buried hopes, and ."our Katie's grave" with {
dead birdliug on the top of the stone another
neither unworthy place near the one whicl
will receive more notice because Of it strange
ness. safEtls to the one where a case o
childs trinkets are placed by the heaGstOne
and the little baby.shee, the doll, (now show
ing the melting effects of a southern SUM tht
rattle-box and shells, the christening wreath
the China cup and saucer, and other s1emen
toes, all Of which a fall heart history Of
mothers woe. Less expressive it may be, bu
yet full OF beauty in sorrow" was the head
. stone of little German boy, who appear
? chiseled 10 hat and clothes with boyhood
l toys, so much like every day life that one read
G lily guesses it was intended for u likeness. Bd
. prettiest Of all are three little columns to tn
D memory of children Of Mr.. McGehee. On
t stands by itself with the words on the up
, right, my boy" and the tale on the base be
Z low, while beside those of the two sisters, Id
0 and Ada, rise from common base on whic
: is the following in addition to the dates:
g Under Adas,
- g because thy smile fair,
Thy lips and eyes bright,
4 Because thy cradle
n Was such a fond delight,
Shall love with weak embrace