The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-12
ERECTED
10 THE MEMORY OF
By
JABEZ CRIMPLE.

|
He had all the advantage, you see, of
fame. 1t advertised him but not me.
But l revenged myself. l told my
dearest friends that there were two sides
left for other husbands, and one side for
myself. Those friends told my husband;
but that was only woman-like. He was
very angry for time, but the dear old
man really loved me, and / induced him
to forgive my humOr. In addition to
this inscription the monogram ~. c."
was artistically cut, in bas relief, high
up on the shaft, on each of the four
sides. l don't know why this is fash
ion. 1t will not help any at the last day.
We talked of having landscape or
two and our portraits painted on the
stone, but the project came to nothing.
We derived great deal of satisfaction
from that lot and the monument. 1t
was, by all odds, the finest place in the
Weeping Willow Cemetery. 1t ought to
have been, as there was enough money
spent on it. 1t was an object of admira-
tion or envy to all visitors. The news
papers advocated it. They gave his
tory of our lives; our ages, and my hus-
bands business and wealth. 1t was a
great help to him. How much it may
aid me depends on whether marry
again. We visited the place every spare
day (Sundays especially, embellished
the ground by every Horticultural device,
and pleased ourselves by imagining the
sensations that would affect people who
might, years hence, contemplate the
mounds under which we should be
buried. That is, Jabez did that, and I
humored his whims. Our most serious
quarrel arose from my saying that /
hoped it would he many year before l
should be compelled to enjoy the perma-
nent hospitality of our corner lot.
"You shouldn't talk that way" said
Jabez. ut sounds as if you did not
wish to be buried there at ALL"
"WelI, to be candid, DON'T" an
swered.
"And you'd let me lie there alone,
Angela~
Il love life. 1t is full of beauty for
me. Yes"
"And some other man might marry
YOU after I'm dead. Large as that lot
is, madam, it is not big enough for the
body of successor to me. l won't have
it. Promise never to marry again."
All the answer he got was laugh. He
did not speak to me for a whole day.
People talked over this enterprise.
That was what we (D wanted them to
do. That hateful Mrs. Fothergill never
would let her tongue be quiet about it.
She was, with her noise, like crow
Her grievance was natural enough. Hel
husband had bought back lot and there
was nothing on it except weeds and
, coarse grass. She was twenty years
older than l, besides, and SO much nearer
the grave. But Mr.. Crimple did not
show that we were proud. We did
nothing, said nothing to make our ac
7 quaintances feel badly. But they eoult
not get over or around that lot. Thu
; monument was thorn in their sides. II
tickled us, but it stabbed them.
. ] have intimated that Mr.. Crlmple's
. health was poor; that he was chronic
' invalid. (Mean Mrs. Fothergill-wht
3 was an old maid at the time of my wed
ding-said that that was the reason
married him. I retorted that that reason
y and his love of life was one Of the OBJ
:. stacles in the way Of his marrying her
= She never forgave that.) After we ha(
0 been man and wife for four years, anc
< about a year after the completion Of, thu
: Improvements on our cemetery real es
!, tate. Mr.. Crimple began to break VI
t rapidly. His liver became torpid; hi
7 lungs weakened; his back troubled him
: his eyes failed; his brain was affected
rheumatism set in, and his hearing wa
{ impaired. Those were the verdicts o
g the several doctors who were called in
and ] have learned never to disagree with
. doctors. Something radical had to be done
r Jabez was a Radical and he askec
: for and obtained a consularship il
a Italy, which would permit him, a
e is the custom, to travel mos
of the time. at the expense of hi
country. declined to desert my friend
and-our corner lot. think he rathe
liked my decision, and wanted to Sc,
1 Europe without being encountered witt
e the care Of anybody, not even his wife
E for, Notwithstanding his ailments, he still
had few Goals Of youth smouldering il
: his nature. Mems passions don't fare u
and turn to ashes like woman's and leav,
r them, at 60, with nothing but the ashe
= of dead sentiments, and Jabez was incline,
o to oele and smile and talk nonsense whel
the girls would listen to him.
: We went out to our Weeping Willoy
reservation the Sunday before he de
). parted. He was overfowing with patho,
|. / regret to state that he wept at tina
9 tombstone. Yes, and !, myself, shed
e few tears, though / can't say why-ou
Z of sympathy, probably.
"A beautiful situation, well located
d magnificent view, and in . good neigh
| IlY IL % l. x.ro ~I>aI IN h;ycsolf a. L,