The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-03-01
The Webster Graves.
Correspondence Evening Post.l

The Webster cemetery is in place
selected by himself, and the arrange
ments made by him. Writing to Presi-
dent Fillmore in November, 1850, he
says he had been detained for this reason,
and adds: cat Marshfield, by my own
land, on the margin of the upland, isa
spot on which party of pilgrims from
Plymouth erected church at the very
earliest period of the colony, and here is
the ancient burying.grOund. 1t is quiet,
and secure against change, and not far
from my house. To this spot | shall be
taken not many years hence" or
this ward it is stated that there is no
record of the time when it was set apart
for burial place. 1t is in the southeast
erly part of Marshfield, and the Webster
mansion is half mile south from it. 1t
came within the grant of William
Thomas, whose stone says he was one OF
the founders of New Plymouth colony,
and died in 1861. The Winslow tomb
is there; and there are buried Susannah
White and her son Peregrine.
The Webster tomb is mounded over,
50 that it looks like fair, green Knoll;
above where the door isplaced is a white
marble slab bearing his name; it IL in
recess, and over it drOop three weeping
elms. The stones, which are all alike,
"simple columns capped with marble on
a granite base." are ranged in two rows
in front; that of Mr.. Webster has the
inscription, "Lord, believe; help Thou
mine unbelief," which he wrote out,
signing his name to it, only few days
before his death on that of his wife is
the text, "Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God" and on Julia's
her last words, "Let me 60, for the day
breaketh." Once when speaking Of this
place, Mr.. Webster said: "There is
plenty of room in front for the little
ones who will soon follow" as how soon
they did AFTER all the children, so
many OF the children's children, till of
the family many more are beneath the
sod than have their part on earth The
lot is Just within the Pilgrim Enclosure,
on the side toward the mansion, whose
chimney tops can be seen above the trees
Two hackmatacks and two small ever
green's are grown in it, and moss cross
stands in the center; there Is no shrub
berry, hedge, vine or flower, but simple
level ground. :,
There is something indescribably at
tractive about the spot; the land gently
rolls toward the north and the south; II
is breezy ridge in the midst of open
country. There are no trees to cast 8
gloom over it; there is no woodland I'M
mediately about it; and there are nc
hedges aud underground to choke 1T and
make it damp and chill. II looks cheer
full out under the open sky. The sur
coming up from its ocean bed shines on
it at his rising and all day long, and looks
at it last in setting. The fresh air comes
to it unobstructed; the cattle pass by i
on their way home at night; birds sins
in the woods off beyond the downs; th'
ships 90 by, out beyond the meadows
the Pilgrim settlement is almost in sight
The prospect is varied. and look which
way you will, delightful; whether acros
the tract crossed by country roads, Il
the scattered villages and level sea line
or the cultivated region immediatel!
about the mansion. a.
In winter it is doubtless bleak whei
the winds sweep over it; but on tina
afternoon of early September, when w
stood there, the perfect tranquility, tn
beauty of the foliage, and the genia
glow Of the sky hslped to make up an ex
perience and . scene never to be for
gotten. Standihg where Daniel Webste
!, and 30 manyUfhis family are gathered
we look uron the lands which had bee
his pride and care. They sloped ava
before us, .spriDkled with wild rose
dented With green hollows, rising. int
fertile ridges clothed with a masjesti
growth of his own planting; and owe
all was SO wide an expanse of sky, jus
then mellow with the purple and ambe
7 of sunset. No more serene picture exist
In my memory.