Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-10-30
[WriJten for the Herald
Ana Autumnal Day i'm Greenwood.
BY REV. W. H. AYEEs, oAsTLEToN.

| UuIldl JlaCCS VI AIlCTlCd. II HlOueTI
writer has truthfully said: "There is
but one Greenwood in the world 1t has
no peer among the cemeteries of Europe.
''Kensal Green, near London, is mainly
interesting from its containing the ashes
of modern men of genius like Hood,
Jerrold and Thackeray. The charm OF
plain, unornamented "Grange Gene
terry" all centers around that spot where
Chalmers and Hugh Miller slumber.
Among American burial places Green
wood fairly bears away the crown.
The best time to visit such place as
this is in the season of autumn, when
the robe of nature has assumed her more
sombre hues, and when her song has
been hushed into more subdued melody.
Then is the visible world without, with
her pictures of decay, fitted to awaken
within the soul serious feeling; for to
visit such place as this with light and
thoughtless spirit seems great sacrilege.
We passed through the gateway of the
cemetery as the full glories of the day
were beginning, and | thought of the
early visit of the devout women and the
disciples of old to the sepulchre of the
crucifed Jesus. AS we left behind US
the great city, with its confused noise
and clamor and walked along the silent
streets above the sleeping multitude, it
seemed as if we were in another world.
Earth, with its turmoils and conflicts APP
peared TO have passed from our sight,
and it was as if we were upon the verge
of the great eternity.
One might presume that such place
as this would be visited by throngs,
eager to pay some tribute to the memo
rv of the departed, and that these la
| byrntns of loveliness would present p
greater attraction than Central Park,
which is every day thronged with multi
tuaes of pleasure-seekers. But this is
not the case. We seemed to be left
alone with the dead and these beautiful
grounds, covered with monuments of
! marble, appeared like some deserted city,
with only here and there solitary trav-
eler.
!
here been congregated .Thither had they
come, from far and near, from hamlet
and palace, from over the land and sea,
with funeral pomp, a greater company
! than Napoleon gathered upon the shores
| of France, or Xerxes led forth from his
vast empire. Here the rich and the poor,
the learned and the ignorant, were sleep
ing side by side.
T,o-
here, clothed in white raiment, whose
happy voices once were heard in Sabbath
schools, but whose songs have been
hrahnd below to be begun upon SUMMER
! shores. Beneath these grassy sOds
were those who had gathered
about them large assemblies whom they
had sought to lead unto Him who is
"the way and the truth and the life. "
Pastors are here mingling with their
fiocks but no sermons are preached in
this great sanctuary, and no songs of
praise 90 up from these still courts.
The teacher and the taught have been
| called to their final reward. and he that
was filthy is filthy still, and he that was
righteous is righteous still.
Here are some who once trod with
hurried footsteps the streets of yonder
v
| isheth.". But the busy mart and the
counting room has been left behind, and
they are here with no other riches but
the magnifcence of a costly sepulchre
| Some are here whose names are still
fresh in the minds of the living
whose presence in the world was a ben
| ediction; who lived to make humanity
purer and nobleT, and who sought to in
/ 4t, -
which fired their own bosoms. These,
though dead, still live, and their memo
ries shall be imperishable. They are
! gone, but their influence for good still
remains. Among this number may be
mentioned DR.. Edward Robinson, whose
name is dear to every American schol-
ar. No longer does he explore the mines
of the Holy City, but he has entered in
to the glories of the New Jerusalem" "
This, too, is the camping ground of
many brave soldier, who in the dark
hour of his country's history, when the
storm of war gathered in blaCkness
around the national capitol, went fourth
from home ard shed his blood, sacri-
fee to the crimes of wicked men. Here
at least, it may be, after many weari-
some march, and with many an ugly
wound, he has pitched his tent for the
last time, and now with each returning
spring do his grateful countrymen gather
about his grave and strew their chaplets
of flowers above his mouldering ashes.
mains. . .r
Side by side with him are policemen
who have gone their last round of duty,
and since the night of death has come
can no longer protect the weak and the
helpless.
As we wandered on from grave to
grave, one thought filled my mind with
sadness. 1t was, that many had been
called here who had once been the de-
votees of pleasure and gaity-the wor-
shippers of fashion-unto whom the
death-angel had come as "a thief in the
night"
How many, | thought, have been sum
moned into these silent halls of death
who would gladly have staid upon the
earth longer, that they might have en-
joyed the excitement of the ballroom and
the theater?
l fingered at one spot with feeling
of melancholy interest. 1t was at the
grave of beautiful French maiden, who
upon the eve of her seventeenth birth
day, while riding home from a scene
Oi 16StlfIty. udu UStn HuIiCu lIOlll HCT
carriage upon the pavement and had met
an untimely death.
Above her sepulcher was erected
beautiful monument, carved with the
greatest skill, but it was already bearing
the marks of decay and it seemed fit
emblem of the vanity of worldly pomp.
We fingered long around those foun-
tains, ponds, flowers, trees, monuments,
till the day was drawing near its close,
then we turned to depart.
We fingered to witness the burial of
some pilgrim of earth, who had fallen
asleep, and was being bourne to his last
resting place. A few mourners were
gathered about the open grave, song
was sung, the clergyman uttered the
words, II am the Resurrection and the
Life" and the coffin was lowered into
the deep, damp vault with falling tears,
and the procession moved slowly away.
We followed, and as we passed through
the omen gataway 7 nausad IN aak the