Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-05-28
4 PLEA ZOE Ole Dead.

EDS. GAZETTE: Starting out for an after
dinner stroll to-day, the writer, following q
sudden impulse, found himself at the en-
Ofthe Old Graveyard Having eff
fected a perilouS passage over the broken
stile-nOt without some auXjety concerning
the risk to life and imb-he stood at last,
intact, within the Enclosure. Ones thoughts
are apt to be retrospective in the presence
Of death and the time and place were 50
suggestive, that the old faces down beneath
hes sod came troOping forth from the usty
past, bringing with them a flood of oId-time
recOllec1OnS. How many lives have strand
ed upon that green hillside! The storms of
life have tossed it into little pillows, and
streWn il with wrecked opes%
Long ago, in the good old times, before
hearts went out of fashion, and when CO.
pie were not ashamed to have kindly, hu-
man impulses, this was a place one was apt
to remember in his prayers (suppOsing that
to tenderly care for fbeseN little heaps of
earth; II sometimes, perehance, a
grieved heart God the eyes, pitiful tears
were rained upon them. How it touched
one to note the Watchful care that plucked
away the fares, and suffered only beautiful,
fragrant flowers to spring up from the
graves Of dead friends. The loved ones,
though lost, were not forgotten We can
on1zed them in our hearts, and took care
to keep their memories fresh aud green.
green sod, praying that it might rest lightly
over them and we planted flowers there in
token of the tender love OF the living for
the deadf and we built mOnuments-mar-
BILE tongues That were to speak through all
time of their virtues and our faithful devO-
ton.
Alas! what hollow mockery it seems to-
day. The few Odd trees that are left are
gaunt and ghostly, and the place seems de-
serted and neglected by all save Gods sun
light, which fingered lovingly in the streets
Of this silent city. From there one can see
he stately spires and beautiful RESIDENCES.
All! we only decorate the homes of the liv-
ing now, while those ofthe dead are choked
with weeds. Our hearts have grown cal-
lOus, and u hands are SO busy in their mad
grasping after this worlds goods, that no
opportunity offers for little attentions to the
/ ora YES of those who have Tonne hpfnra n
And are we 50 Don forgotten when we
are gone Z" With what pftfful sadness the
mind. How many of all the men and WO-
men of beautiful Delaware have spared one
thought to-day for this old graveyard,
whose broken stones appeal mutely, but,
| OIL! so eloquently, to our humanity and our
Christianity? Here and there a stone has
fallen and been broken; others are twisted
out OF position by the action of frost and the
L washing of rain still others are covered
under piles of brush, or hidden by rank
/ truggIe through brush and weeds; great
holes yaWn in every direction; in three
places brush heaps have been burned upon
graves h fences haVrotted DOWN near by
the whole place is oYergroWn, and its gen.
era aspect is a shamea and a disgrace.
an the fullness of his heart, the writer
thanks God that none of his kin rest here
what he writes, But the bones If 1Ssnv ~ ~
II oIu~ and friends do lie there
noble bows am ISL y&Ing pan
spoken kind words to him in the old time
mESnne was leaving the old homo
70 seek nis1OrGune, as many men will. have
wished MIN well, and sped him forth upor
ms weary way with words of cheer tina
EdictiOn.
Mr.. Editor, 1 pray you give this a place fl
you paper; and although I shall be manJ
miles away before it car meet the ewes o
your readers, yet L shall hope to I'M the OIt
Graveyard rehabtlitated should my foot
steps ever turn toward the old home again
DELAWARE, O., May q, 1863.