The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-06-11
She Wanted an Epitaph.

She came in from the country few
days ago and ordered a maidstone for
the grave of her departed husband. The
marble cutter was to have it ready yes
terday, when she was to come in again
with the inscription, have the letters
carved on and take the stone away.
She was on time, but she wore an
anxious, troubled look, having failed to
write up such notice as she thought
the stone ought to bear.
g want suthin' that'll do my poor
dead Homer justiss." she explained to
have one or two verses of poetry, and
| like Meet me on the other Shore you
know"
The cutter said he thought he could
get up something, aud she entered the
Office, and he took out twenty-three
sheets of foolscap and three pen-holders
and set to work, while she held her
breath for fear of disturbing his
thoughts. He ground away for a while,
| scratched out and wrote in, and finally
said he'd got the neatest thing that ever
went upo" white marble. It read:
IN MEMORY
of
HOMER CLtNK,
Who died
October 10, 1878.
Aged Al years, months. 81 days
My husband was a noble man,
OF me he much did think;
And I'll never see another man
Like my poor Homer Clink.
Isn't that bully?" asked the man as
he finished reading the inscription.
cts purity fair, but -" replied
the widow.
But what, MADAME"
"Why, you see, he was good and
kind, and was allus to hum nights, aud
all that, but I may find another man
just as good, You know. I have said
that wouldn't marry again, but I may
change my mind, and guess we'd bet
ter tinker up that verse a little. And
besides, you didn't get anything on the
bottom"
She went out and rambled among the
tombstones, while the cutter ground
away again, and just as she had become
interested in a dog fight he called her
in and read the new inscription. The
first part was as before, but his poetry
read:
''My husband is dead,
Ny poor Homer Clink,
And in the cold ground they have laid him
He was always home nights
Never got into fights,
But death come along and betrayed him."
81 shall meet him on the other shore, where
all is lovely, and where sickness never comes"
"There, how's that ?'' inquired the
poet, bland smile covering his face
Seems to me- as if that went right to
the heart "
The woman took the paper, read the
notice over four or five times, and final
~ said:
GO don't want to seem partikIer about
this, and I know I'm maxim good deal
of trouble. That would do for most
any one else-it's the real poetry, but
I'd like suthin' kinder different, some
give me a cross word in his life-not
one. He'd be out of bed at daylight,
start the fire, and [ never got up till !
heard him grinding the coffee. He was
a good provider, he was. He never
bought any damaged goods because he
could git 'em cheap, and he never
scrimped me on sugar and tea, as some
folks do. can't help but weep when I
think of him -
She sobbed away for while, and then |
frightened up and said l.:
"Of cours', I'll meet him in heaven
It's all right. AS 1 told you, may
never marry again, though I can't tell |
what I'll be driven to. Just try once |
more" She sat down to an old almanac, |
and the cutter resumed his pen. He |
seemed to get the right idea at once,
and it wasn't fifteen minutes before he
had the third notice ground out. it
read:
IN MEMORY