Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-05
WOODLAND CEMETERY.
Reflections of n Day Among the
TOmbs.

Who has not read and admired the beau
tifnl sentiments and elegant polish of Ad-
dison's reflections in Westminster Abb
Boy? "When l look upon the tombs OF
" the great, every emotion of envy dies in
Gme; when l read the epitaphs Of the
a beautiful, every inordinate desire goes
"out: when I meet with the grief of par
:" ents upon a tOmbstone, my heart melts with
Compassion when I see the tomb Of the
0parents themselves, L consider the vanity of
"g-ieving for those whom we must quickly
" follow; when I see kings lying by those
"that deposed them; when I consider rival
" wits placed side by side, or the holy men
" that divided the world with their contests
"and disputes, l reflect with sorrow and
/" establishment on the little competitions,
=" factions and debates of mankind when l
"read the several dates of the tombs of
"some that died yesterday and some six
d" hundred years ago, I consider that great
"day when we shall ell of US be contempt
"~raries and make our appearance together"
Every city has its Greenwood, the Nee
ca of many sorrowful yet loving pilgrim
ages; every heart has its Greenwood" the
/ graveyard of buried hopes. We build US
stately mansions and costly palaces; add
wealth to wealth, sorrow to sorrow, struggle
| aud die, and folded up like WORKOUT gar
ments we are laid awayin sarcophagi which
| loving hands have decorated and prepared
for our long home. It not pride, nor is it
vanity that decorates and beauties the
! tomb but a tender and holy regard love
/ sublimed. Around the graveyard cluster
the ties that Irvine with the heart-strings.
Sacred is the grave, solemn the spot where
the sainted repose, and good index is q GEM
etery Of the refinement, prosperity and re-
Iigion Of a people. Whenever therefore we
visit a strange city, if Circumstances permit,
we visit its emeteries--silen cities ofpolish-
ed white mansions of stone-f9rm our opin-
ions of the people, and are seldom dissp-
pointed. Far, and swiftly, has travelled
the fair fame Of our charming Forest
/ City, aud Tar has extended the praise of
{ our beautiful Woodland Cemetery. 1t is
! not, therefore, wonderful that a native Gu
iosity thus enhanced induced US to pay it
an early visit. Whether it be that the spir-
its of the dead walk with you among those
| hallowed fanes or visions of the pail and
last sickness cloud the spirit, we know not,
but a graveyard is a solemn place and sends
| strange shiverings to the heart and quss-
tons to the brain.
We found the location of Woodland Gene
terry very fine, the grounds extensive and
beautifully laid out with carriage and net
work paths interminable fringed all about
with cypress, shrubs and emblematic trees.
Here and there was a lofty column erected
by friends of the departed; here a vault
and there a splendid slab, and oft REQUIRED
the unpretending stone. Standing before
one we tried to guess the history of its
| dweller's "life's ftful fever Came only the
| stones laconic answer-Ric jacet! We found
many curious inscriptions, many honorable
names, many whose fame never left the
bounds Of their circle and whose loss was
[ mourned but by their own kindred-all of
| them Somebody's Darling" But we must
/ leave till another time to tell you of the
splendid columns and elegantly finished
/ slabs which chiefly attracted our attention
and won our admiration. They are truly
-ftmouuments in so beautiful q cemetery and
are, we are informed, from the extensive
marble-vorks of 7. Jones & Son of our
city.