The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-11-13
A GRAVEYARD IDYL,

1854 81 Upon forehead meek!
eaii ssIi ~ --RichmOnd Christian Adrocats.
a,ts 80 ------>e>
Z a'@. o. A GRAVEYARD IDYL.
b Il the summer Of 49,, when young Doc.
!, NJ putnam was recovering from On attack Of
! Nvhoid fever, he used to take short walks In
IL suburbs OK the little provincial town
where he lived. lie was still weak enough
10 need cane, and had to sit down now and
/. hen 10 rest. His favOrite haunt was an old.
fashioned cemetery lying at the western edge
AZ the alluviat terrace on which the town Is
built.
II wss quiet, shady old cemetery, not
much disturbed BY funerals. Only at rare
intervals fresh heap OF earth and q slab Of
+, dean marble intruded with their tale Of
new and clsmOrOus grief among the sunken
mounds and weather stained tOmbstones Of
Tie ancient sleepers for whom the tears had
long been dried.
One afternoon Putnam was In his accus.
toned seat, whistling softly to himself and
mttipg bis initials into the edge Of the bench.
TAs cir was breatbless, and the sunshine lay
70 hot on the marshes that 1t seemed to draw
N In visible steam briny incense which
mingled with the spicy smell Of the red
edars. Absorbed In reverie, he failed to
notice how the scattered clouds that had
been passing across the sky all the afternoon
were being gradually reinforced by big fluffy
Nnuli rolling up from the north, until Q
rumble overhead and the rustic Of shower
b We trees aroused him. .,..'
n Ne center Of the grounds was an ancient
Wumer-h0use standing amidst q maze of
hoWer.beds intersected by gravel walks.
IAis Was the nearest shelter, and, rs the rain
AegsA 10 patter slnartly, Putnam pOcketed
III knife, turned up his coat collar and ran
dbr II. Arrived AZ the garden. house, he
tbme there o group Of three persons, driven
10 hasbor from different parts OF the ceme-
TRY. The shower increased to storm, the
hGiices were lashed by the rain and steady
Stream poured from the caves. The althHa
0a su0wberry bushes in the fower-pots,
md even the stunted box .edges along the
paths, swayed In the wind. 1t grew quite
Dark in the summer house, shaded by two
Or three old hemlocks, and it was only by
the lightning flashes that Putnam could
make out the features Of the little company
Of refugees. They stood in the middle Of the
building, 10 avoid the sheets OF rain blown
IN II the doors In gusts, budding around 4
pump that was raised on Q narrow stone
platl0m-A0e unlike the daughters Of Priam
clustered about the great altar in the pene-
trath. Pf&tpiees' atfa ecu tempestate
columbia. = IN
They consisted Of . young girl. an elderly
wom9 With towel and watering pot, and
Wo!eu1n n overalls, who carried q spade
~ ~ perhaps been interrupted in digging
4'Q9xAf The platform around the pump
hardly gave standing room for q fourth.
tutnam accordingly took his seat on tool
chest near one, OF the entrances, and, while
~ SOFT spray blew through the lattices over
~ lace and clothes, he watched the effect
the lightning FLASHES on the tossing, drip
ping trees OF the cenetery-gronnds.
~ have spent the night here often, !" said
u Young fady, In an absent voice and as il
nurmuriDg TO herself. no.. .b.F q,
"You hsves'' exclaimed Putnam. "Oh,
you slept In the toOi.chest, l suppose, on
~ old fadys shake-dOwn." go
She was silent, and he began to have q
weird suspiSi0n that she had spoken In earn.
e. This is getting interesting he said
y himself; and then aloud. "YOn must
I'VE seen queer sights. OF course, when
~ cock struck twelve all the ghosts popped
81 and sat on their respective tOmbstOnes.
- ghosts In this cemetery must be awfully
- felloWs. II doesn't look as II they had
buried any one here for q hundred and thir.
u'ave years. I've often thought IL would
3 good idea TO inscribe ComPlet over the
ne, aSthey do on q Paris Omnfbus.''
"fou speak very lightly of the Dead"
- NJ young girl In . tone Of displeasure
- looking directly at him. -
Futnam felt badly snubbed. He was about
attempt an explanation, but her names
mdicaoelt ehaes bh0 e0nAjleTed the CONVERSE
,n9n y 90 end. She gathered up her skirts
"a prepared to leave the summer. house.
II water had soaked away somewhat into
Excuse me,~ said Putnam, adyauciaer
Ssperateiy and touching hts hat, "but I rs. !,
- that your shoes are thin and the ground
estill very wet. ] Am going right over to
NJ Street, and II I can send you carriage
q anything-" ttrL DID ~ rl.4
Thank you, no; sha'n't need IT." and
- stepped Of hastily down the walk.
Putnam looked after her TN q winding OF
u path took her out OF sight, and then
started slowly hOmeward. "What the deuce
Seuld she mean, (" he pondered - he walked
ooag, "AbotIt spending the night in the
oA0lerye Can she-nO she Can't-be the
cAt1keepsr's daughter and live in the gate
lDssel Anyway ahs's mighty pretty"
e0 tAe next day be started on his crIstO.
nAU walk and his tset led him involuntariIv
\ the cemetery. AZ he trayersed the path
along the edge Of the hill he saw in one OF
0ee grave lots the heroine Of his Yesterdays
Q9eopnter, and sudden light broke In on
MA: she wasa m0urner. And yet how hap
hened Il that she wore no black: There was
wooden railing round the inclOsure, and
WN1tn u single mound and 4 tombstone Of
0esA marble. A few cut flowers lay on the
lsve. She was sitting in = low wicker
eAtf, her hands folded In her lap and her
-, 1xed yacsntly on the western bills.
4Wna1 now took closer note Of her face. Il
VI brown paleness. The xir Of hau.
Eur given u by The purity Of the profile and
He almost ins0lent stare OF the large black
~ VA contrsdicted. BY the sweet, irreso.
~ eutvesof the mouth. At present her
= pvpeA S1ly o profound apathy. Az
Vi Approached her eyes turned toward him,
Aiaely without recognition. Dill.
1p.7j isk drawn ~ - Uncomfortable cs,n si
ynpelhy and attraction to speak to her,
49, seSAe riak Of ineruding upon the %.
: neae q hsr grief.
Y -1Ecuss ne, 1aissy - began, stopping In
"but / want to apol0Gize for
49, ! said yesterday abeut-about the Gem.
s.ssy: Il must have seemed very heartless to !
-, but I didn't know that you were in
Aotrntae khs61 spOke q did,"
aave forgottsa what you said, |" she a.
sNntJyiIs <.8u " AMY
~ A clad you have" said Putnam.
q tefuosls)y. There seemed really moth. |
further In sav. hut "A M fingered for q |
Yectto1 iufptiSed him, and he laughed out
% east . look Of strooe Indignation 1t
\ md rose 70 her feet 10