The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-04-06
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|, concluded 10 leave tho busy haunts Of mel
/ fora while, and leaving them behind Ne, "
d wendell our way 10 tho "sllont city" tina
: lies upon the hill among the cedafs In TN
southern part Of the city, TO spend an hou
or two wandering through that lovely spot
All nature seemed smiling and at peace
the heavens were beautifully brightly
blue and the sun, pouring his rays Of mel
low light, like streams of liquid gold alOnl
the horizon, gildcd the tree.tops, and Eel
lovingly upon the lowly mounds
ut our feet the air was balmy with
the breath Of spring, and solemn
stiffness peryaded the place, ,naughI
being heard, save now and then
the quick rumble OF some passing vehicle
or occasionally the voice OF some rambling
pedestrian, or visitor, like ourself. There
are many persons who have Il dislike they
cannot overcome to visiting graye-yards or
cemeteries, and it is on this account that
those hallowed precincts are more ire
quently avoided than sought after by the
gay and giddy, and even some OF mature
age. But graveyard always had ias-
wandering among the graves, engrossed In
reflection and speculations concerning the
quiet inhabitants of this metropolis.
| Feelings which naturally arise from visit
ing the graves of the departed are
generally melancholy, but not necessarily
unpleasant-at least il is not so with us-we
love to linger around these mansions OF the
inanimate, the silent haunts of the dead.
The loneliness of the place, the quiet that
hangs over it, engender thoughts that are
not Improbable Every mound about us,
every engraven epitaph that catches our
wandering eye, is eloquent with history
and lesson of its own. The inmates OF
these graves were once active, living beings
animated by the same hopes, ambitions,
desires and passions as ourselves. Now
where are, what are they? Their bodies
are laid here, but where are their souls?
| Here every age, sex and condition meet in
one common doom Here youth and
beauty, old age and deformity, tyrant and
slave, friend and foe, are Frustrated togeth-
erl Here they lie-speechless, imam
innate, in some cases forgotten
cuous mass of equality mould
ering away by piecemeal, communicating
each his dust with the other; and these
frail, decaying stones are their only monu-
ments. They once chung with ayidity to
life, and probably drank deeply from the
mingled cup of human existence the mixed
draught of happiness and woe, and saw
much of the checkered scenery of life. How
eloquent is the grave There the human
family are on one level; the pious eccleSl-
astic-the crowned warrior, stained with
blood and covered with glory-the brow
laureled with the need of literary renown
and genius-the poet, the orator, the sage,
the prince, the pauper-all, all must return
as the meanest the vilest the most lille
erate-to silence, to Il handful of dust
| Midst the salt sea barren
rock rises above the waves
the surf breaks tioaming on its shores-the
sea-bird skins over the CLASSY surface of the
waters-the passing sail is reflected in its
bosom. That miserable rock at one time
contained all that the earth holds OF what
was once Napoleon, whose word gave law to
nations and dominions-who lifted up and
who put down. And the world-conquering
Alexander-either of ancient or modern
times--a few feet of earth can contain him
We never see grave that we do not feel
like repeating the inscription that is placed
over so many, "Requiescat in Pace" Yes,
for praying that the unknown fellow-being
whose ashes repose at our feet: May he
resi- in peace" The Greek term which
means the soul, also means butterfly, and
the idea it conveys is beautiful and
poetic. The soul inhabits for while a
perishable body-so the butterfly is
hidden in the dirty, unsightly worm the
latter decays-the former rises out OF its
dissolution, beauteous, glorious thing.
SO when the body is laid in the grave the
immortal spirit shall part from its tempo
rary abode-rich and brilliant of hue, on
golden wing, in gorgeous loyeliness' to sport
in eternal sunshine before the blazing
throne of the Omnipotent.
As we said. the graveyard among the |
Cedars is beautiful spot. No lovelier loca,
ton could have been found Tor burial
place. And there good many hand
some monuments and many well-kept
graves-and many that are sadly ne,
elected. Among the latter we noticed
a. Of who 1Onnnt
tie Dallas HERALD in 1919. The monument
over his grave is broken column of mar
BILE. and one that we thought very appro-
pirate, as Il symbol of his own broken lite,
being cut Off in the very flower and vigor OF
his manhood, being, denied many long
inscription: -. W. Latimer. Born Dec.
9th, iS2G Died April 9th, 1859, in the 3Sa
wear of his age. Erected by his friends IS
q testimonial of their appreciation OF MS
worth. lie has gone, who shall ill hi.
place among US? In Hoe Signo Ninces."
Then there is n small cross cut IN the mar
bic, and below it these lines: blessed are
the dead that die in the Lord, for they are
at rest from their labors and their works do
follow them" There has been an attempt
TO beautify the grave, but II is III sadly
neglected condition now. The railing that
was once around it has all fallen down upon
the plants that were over and around the
ana the myrtle has ONcIlul anu - !
choking out the other plants. We could
scarcely keep our bands off some of the
graves, we wanted so badly to remove some
Of the superiuous growth OF some, and put .
them upon some others that were utterly
neglected and bare. II was really pathetic
10 notice the difference in the !
graves and The efforts at adoril-
nept over some. There are groups
Df handsome monuments all over
he grounds, and in among them all
are humble, lowly mounds, many OF them '
without either head or foot stone, name,
lge, or date, TO tell who the
sleeper is, below. But what matters III ,
The one whose grave bears no mark sleeps
ust as sweetly, and just as sOundly as his
lent neighbor whose handsome monu-
nent gives his name and virtues. Little
'ecks that slumberer as to what is said or Z
eft unsaid Of him now. Some ofthe graves !
rave nothing them except thick sod !
# beautiful green grass, and we thought T
hey looked as well or better than any +,
here: otbe 3 have flowers planted on and !
round them, and others almost made the ,
ears come into our eyes to look at them !
hey were covered with bits Of broken
lima, glass-colored and c0lorless-and in
me or two cases, pieces Of broken bottles 4
nd beer glasses were the strange ornas !
neuts. II
In a few lots the Virgin Mary keeps I.
watch and ward over the sleepers below. /,
n many Of the lots beautiful bush called
he bridal wreath grows luXuriantly, !
.llei with tufts of ieathery white bios !
oms, that grow in long, trailing sprays, !
,ending and waving gracefully in every !
,assing breeze There are a few weeping J
willows, with their light, delicate foliage 2
nd slender branches great many rose =
PUSHES a quantity Of black honey-suckle- .
be- favorite resort Of the dainty humming- 4
iri-a good many lilacs-purple ones, but !
10 White.-purple aud white hags, and !
ivrtie running riot everywhere. But al =
be- shrubbery aud flowers need attention. \
9me OF the lots are such wilderness that =
be- graves are completely covered up +