Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
Gertrude's Graveyard.

Gertrude Murry was decided enemy OF
tobacco She used TO say she hated it. Now
hate is strong, bad word, know. NV
mother has often said TO me, My dear, you
should hate nothing but SIM" and never
use the word but what think of my dea,
mother and her advice. But think as Ger.
trude did, that it is quite proper to say
hate " in speaking of tobacco, for it is a
terrible poison, and Injuries more people.
body and soul too, than people are willing to
believe.
But she did something besides hating it
and calling it bad names. She tried to per-
suade every one who used it to give it up.
She was a queer child. She never acted like
other children, but had way all her own,
which sometimes made folks cry and some
times laugh, and always made them shake
their heads, and say, "What queer child
Gertrude Murry s.'
She took a notion into her head one day
that she would have little graveyard all her
own. There was quite large piece of ground
in the old garden behind the house, where
nothing was planted. There was a long row
of blackberry bushes which hid this corner
from the house windows, and she often used
to go down there to play alone. 1t was one
day after she had been to visit James True.
the village undertaken, that she got the idea
OF having the graveyard. She went straight
off to the wood and brought home four pretty
little hackmatack trees, which she planted
in the four corners of the lot she had chosen,
and then, happening TO think it would b.
better to secure the ground by asking her
father to give it to her. she went in pursuit
of him.
"Papa papa !" she called aloud, as he was
threshing grain in the barn.
Papa, will you give me the northwest
corner of the garden 2
"The what, child ?"
"The northwest corner of the old garden,
papa. 1t is bounded on the north by the
Seek-no-farther apple tree, east by the walk,
south by the blackberry bushes, and west by
the sweet-corn field"
There was general laugh over this
speech. Father and all the threshers stopped
their work, and held their sides, while such
peals of laughter resounded through the
great barn, as brought mamma and Hep
sey out to see what was the matter.
"You need not make fun of me-" ex-
claimed Gertie. I" tried to be particular.
just to save you the trouble of going down."
"Gertie wants me to deed her the north
west corner of the garden, mother" said Mr..
Murry as soon as he could speak " are you
ready to sign the papers ?"
"What do you want it for, deary 2" asked
mother "are you going to build a doll
house ?" Her mother knew that particular
spot was her little girls favorite resort, and
that scarcely a day passed but the dollie5
were taken there, too. So she thought, OF
course, that Gertie was planning some sort
of dwelling for them. She was quite un-
prepared for the answer and the roar Of
laughter, which was repeated as the child
looked up very meekly and replied, 81 want
it for graveyard, mamma"
When her father had recovered the power
of speech, he pursued his inquiries farther.
"What are you going to bury, dear ~
Quick as flash of light Gertrude picked
up her fathers pipe, which lay on the wooded
bench by the door. "This first" said she,
and off She ran. So quick was her motion,
and the words that accompanied it, that no
one of the amused group perceived what she
had done and as she fitted down the gar
den walk, thought only she was running
from their mirth. But when the work wa,
done, and the farmer was ready for his even
ing smoke, the pipe was nowhere to be found.
"Where's my pipe Who's seen my pipe 2"
shouted father, up and down the yard, in
no very pleasant tones.
81 buried it, papa, in my new graveyard, -
said the child, coolly. "Come and see. "
The heavy steps of the tired man and the
light tripping of the little girls feet fell
together on the garden walk, as they pro-
ceeded TO the northwest corner of the garden,
where Gertrude pointed to neat little
mound about foot long, nicely rounded
and turfed, at the head of which was placed
IA bit of shngle, with the inscription: