The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-12-26
The Graves Of Theodore Parker and
Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Rev. Gilbert Haven contributes TO the .
Independent an accoun. Of his visit to the
graves ol Theodore Parker AID Mrs.
Browning in Florence. He says
The Porta Pin;a is one Of the eastern
gates OF Florence. Through it passes the
street that crosses the thick shaded valley
Of the Arno, and windt by high walled
gardens and pleasant villas 10 tie louy
summit Vi FIesole. Close TO the right
hand Of the gate wall some twenty ipet
high starts out OF the CITY wall, and, sud.
denly curving soulhward, goes Tor abou,
Two hundred yards parable! with it, and
thea as abruptly turns wesl ward and ioins
tie wall. In It's southern front are plain
iron gates, opening into small court
Opposite TO them is similar pair ol gates,
over which is written. in French, They
rest FROM their labors, and their works do
follow them
This is the Protestant cemetery
Within its high walls, aud close under
these ancient battlrments. lie=SRnt is NOR.
tai ol Eiz beth Barrett Browning and
Theodore Parker
Their names were enough 10 draw our
feet thilher. The Sabbath day finds US
at the gates. The concierge responds to
the bell, from q neighboring cottage, ard
we are ushered into the sacred resting
place. The ground slopes up fr, IN Tie
outer 10 the inner wall, both from the
south ard the east A broad path ascends
] from the gate 10 near the rear of the in.
! closure, where handsome marble column
is surmounted bv cross. At right
angles wi b this path another passes from
the wall OF the cemetery to that of the city.
On Tie first path, about half way up, no
more than six or eight rods from the en-
! trance, on the eG-han6 side, Just over an
outer border OF box and an inner one o.
roses. isT small square. sufficiently large
tor but two bodies. Ii IL incosed by a
low iron rail, resting on four low gray
sandstone pillars. In the center OF The 10,
is small block Of tie same stone, some
eight inches squAe and high, with cross
the myrtle is slowly and carelssslv grow.
ing and po', with the tall, howerIess
stHlk OF an unhaudso,ne plant. was neg.
ligen'ly placed near the head OF The grave.
This is the long home Of Mrs. Brown.
lug.
The sun lay too fercely upon it at thai
hour TO allow the place 10 convey all the
tender Impressions that one could properly
expect. Still, the roses glowing on every
side, the tail slim expresses that guarded
the outer wall. the gray old waits of the
city rising high over the head and GOV
cred thick with ivy, the intense quiet OF
the spot, and above all, the mounIoius
mingled brown and green tha, Iined them
srlves high above the walls and the valley
beyond, filing all the horiz N with
srengt and beauiy-these made the spot
worthy OF her whose body slept below.
Pass up the path to the central cross,
ard turn 10 the right. Go few feel
toward the wall. The path is lined with
young expresses. Close to it. on the lei,
or north side, uEder the expresses, In a
cool and perpetual shadow, is alarge, thick,
gray sandstone slab, with this simple in
sciption Theodore Parker. born a,
Lexington, Massachusetts. United States
of Americs. Angus; 81. 1910. Died nj
Florence, May 10, 1862
! The spot is better kept than that Of Mrs
Browning, and in a pleasanter spo,-Irss
slightly, less sunny. The thick gras;
about it WAS wet with tile dew r, that af
' ter midday hour. The grave was over
> run with ivy and myrtle. Two ros'
bushes were fourishing near tho head
{ stone, and small evergreen shrub wa
"A growing near his feet. The tall espresso
: covered it with heir dense shade. From
= under their boughs you could look ou
= eastward, and see the killS OF Fiesole acruS
= the valley, with their bright vi'laS-'h'
:all, gray tower Of its ancient cathedral
T.. and the lofty seat where Lorenzo D'
5 Medici and his friends held high coovers'
y on Plato. The spot was very inviting
i from lis coolness. shade and silence. Tn,
n chirp Of lew birds alone displaced lh,
e Sabbath stiffness with Sabbath melody.
" ! could have sat for hours in such
holy retreat, but, alas tho emotion
: which the grave excited were not OF tn
h calm, blessed character that the dav
u the scenery and the place suggested
d One could not look upon the spot with
- =, ou' feeling that, after all, the desire O
" o Jacob and Joseph was eminenlly hu
=. name /: Bury me with my fathers. B.
4 faith he gave commandment concerning
., his bones 4 foreign land may do Il
m look at, but our own is the land 10 lv
. and die in. Why Mr.. Parker was lei
.. here is to me a mystery. Pleasant au
1; retired as is the spot, soft and grand as
y. =, the scenery, the graveyard at Lexington
: % Ispre'erable, Perhaps, his friends ma
=. say, it WAS that, dreadlng the downfall q
W America before The Dragon ol Slavery, h
is gave commandment concerning his bones
If that they should not rest in such recrean
II soil. Thus the agitation which his lif
!: produced revives over his grave"
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,. the attention OF The public to the fact tina
N wrapping and writing paper has bee
o, cheap, and therefore it has been profusel
It and wAs,alully used. The time has com