Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-01-22

outstretched hand an open volume, and with
the other pointing silently to heaven. The
only inscription upon it is" To My Mother y
-" BY Charlie-lS54" How beautiful =
how touching 1t appeals more powerfully
to the heart than all the encomiums that have
ever been written in laudation Of the great of
earth. This is one of the most beautiful trib,
utes to the dead in the Cemetery, although
there are hundreds around it which may have
cost more money, one in particular, said to
have cost S3O, 1000, yet none equal it, both in
elegance and beauty of design
Tired at last of all this display of sculpture
and of marble, We turned our steps toward the
Poor Mans Lot" Tread lightly, carefully
now around US lie the unmarked graves of
thousands. Few, very few of them have aught
to tell US who are the sleepers at our feet
Some have rude head-boards, with cross, or
a hand pointing upward, carved thereon, but
few have even this. Nothing but little
mound to tell US of palsied hand and pulse
less breast beneath. Some are fresh and new,
and some are covered with the grass of years
There is group of six, apart from the rest,
two long graves with four little mounds be-
tween probably father, mother, and children.
a II but one had apparently been sleeping for
years, and that one was of but recent date
While here, we stumbled over two little moss
covered graves, with an evergreen shading the
spot. This was something unusual to fnd in
the " PauperS Corner" and so we passed to
| examine them more closely. There were OILY
| two, nestled close together aud with little
pine head-board, which had rotted off and fall
len down. Picking it up We deciphered through
! the mould and moss the inscription, Z" Charley
I & -Cholera-June 30lb, 1882" What
a simple record, and yet it speaks of q more
enduring affection than could costly scul pture
or chiseed marble. With reverence we re-
placed it and turned away wondering to our.
selves who could have cared enough for Char
ley and E1ie-two little paupers as they doubt,
less were, to ref this touching, though rude
and simple tablet to their memory Probably
that hand which had performed this work of
love had itself become cold and powereSs, and
no other was found to ill its place, and save
its charge from the raVages of Time. And
no wonder, for every day the world sweeps by
the poor little outcasts, in yonder city, with
smile and a sneer uuheedng the outstretched
hand, the silent appeal for help. If they care
: so little for the living, why should they care
for the dead ? Then
" Rattle their bones over the stones
They re only poor orphans whom nobody owns!''
With feelings of sadness we retraced our
steps toward The Heights to catch a glimpse
Of the setting sun and note the beauty of the
scene. What magnificent, what a glorious
panorama is spread out before US Away to
southwark, standing out in bold relief, are the
highlands of Neversink and Staten Island
while farther On, stretching away to meet the
embrace of the distant horizon, lies the grand
old ocean, which, tinged with the rays of the
setting sun, sparkles and gItters like a sea of
liquid gold. Nearer by, guarding the narrow
entrance to New York Bay are the frowuing
battementS OF Forts Hamilton, Richmond and
Lafayette. Ia the foreground the surf is
breaking upon the beach with dull and sui
len roar while the waters of the Bay are COW
cred with vessels carrying the flag OF almost
every nation that behoIds the light of the sun.
and bearing within their massive huks the
wealth and commerce of tie Islands Of the
East and of the West. Lying off @ Iarantine
are couple of u. S. gunboats and d soopof
war, while a hundred yards beyond the French
transport frigate " FiuiSterre," recently from
Vera Cruz, is swinging slowly with the tide,
aud from her long line of white ports can be
5, en- the mouths of her grim war-dogs.
Turn to the northward In the foreground
are Forts Columbus and Castle William with
island Beyond is New York, with its brick
walls and stone, its churches and theatres
Broadway with its ever busy, ever fashionable
throngS, Wall street with its banks aud bro
kers, Five Points with its dens of filth and
crime, and Fifth Avenue with its brown stone
fronts and embryo palaces. While in the dis
tance, as if to complete the picture looming
up against the clear blue sky, the eye can just
discern that master piece in the picture. gallery
of Nature--the Highlands of the Hudson.
Tramp-tramp- p-tramp-with slow and
measured tread, with muflled drums and arms
reversed, a military escort swept slowly past,
followed by that long wagon draped in black
with its solitary outrder-the coach iu which
sooner or later We all must ride. They form
ed around an open grave short distance away,
the mourners gathered near The coffin, wrap
ped in flag entwlned with Grape, was slow
ly lifted out and lowered into its narrow home
AS we drew near, the last words of the speak
er fell on the ears of the bowed and weeping
throng-" Dust 10 dUSt-ashes TO aShes." The
clods ratified heavily upon the coffin lid, ava
kening within the heart their dull and pain
ful echoes. At length the work complete, the
last sod smoothed over the silent breast, the
escort marching around the grave fired rat
tliug yolley-a farewell salute to their late
brother in arms. As its echoes died away in
the distance, they filed away, leaving US again
to our cogitations We learned from one of
the bystanders that this funeral was in honor
of Lieutenant Colonel in one of the New
York regiments, who fell at the battle of An
tietam, and whose remains were brought here
! for interment.
How very few of the many thousands who
60 down to bloody graves, are accorded the
honor of military funeral The Captains,
the Colonels, and the Others of rank, may have
tho honor hostnua cd nnnn than and rirht we'll