Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-03-21

aIiy died. No one, except her physi
clan and her husband and Mrs. stew
art, who died years ago, saw her face
She was buried, and all that we know
Is told IN this piteOus, suggestive cpl
taph.
gro THE MEMORY or a fEMALi
srItA SoER,
Whose mortal suffcrings terminated
on the llth day Of October, 1916. Aged
I twenty-threo years and eight months.
"Thls stone Is placed here by her dis
I consulate husband, in whose arms she
4 sighed out her latest breath, and who
under God, did his utmost even "tt
soothc she cold dead ear Of death"
How loved, how valued once, aYails
thee not,
! 10 whom related or by whom begot,
/ A hoap of dust alone remains thee,
! IT'S all thou art and all the proud
shall be-"
( "1o whom gave all the prophets
witness that through his name, whose
ever believeth on Him, shall have
remission of sin. Acts, 10th chap, 43d
verse.
10 WAS commonly supposed that the
occupant OF this tomb was the
daughter Of an English noblemaD,
who had eloped with an intelligent
butler or coachman, Why the secret
was never diyulged, even after her
death, and why the purpose never 10
reveal her name and history IL re-
corded on this monumental stone, are
inquiries which may never be solved.
II was suggested not long ago that the
lines:
$40 whom related and by whom
begot,
A heap Of dust alone remains Of thee,
Ills all thou art and all the proud
shall be-
having peculiar significance, re-
forrcd to Aaron Burr, wliose daughter
Theodosia left Charleston, South
Caroline. with u gentleman from
New York, two years before
the death and burial Of the
'Unkn0wnp In Alexandria. But Mrs.
Aston was devoted TO her husband as
well az her father, and older several
years than the occupant of the stran-
gers tomb
The publication Of these memorials
Of Alexandria in the pages of the GA
ZErTH may cause the institution Of in
quries in England which may lead 10
the solution OF the mystery.
have sought to induce the proper
authorities to suffer the stone that
marks this tomb TO be removed.
Among the bones within will be found
some trilling gold or silver ornament
oa which this woman's name Is in
scribed. Nobody courts oblivion on
the contrary, this mode Of burial and
over-wrought sccretivencss was in
tended to excite the very curiosity
that attaches to the nameless occupant
of this mausolcum, and If we would
crafty the dead, her last resting place
should be "desecratcd.p If my ends
be attained | will tell the result to the
readers Of the GAZETTE.
TOMBSTONE POETRY.
II was surely queer fashion one
hundred years ago, that required the
decoration of every tombstone with
original couplets. The mania has per-
vaded other countries IA well ~ this,
but the disorder assumed u violent
character in Virginia.
At old pobick church, mnny years
Older than this of Alexandria, and
twelve miles south, | found tomb.
stone resting against the rear wall Of
the building. and covered with weeds
and grass, The old tabet N five feet
high and four wide; why II was left ut
this spot, could not learn. II attests
the virtues of Susannah Mills, wife Of
John Mills, Merchant" We are told
that she died I'm l7Tl, aged 30 years.
Then comes the inevitable poetry
What Ger abe was forbcar to say,
Twill best be known on that great
day,
Where you and all, and every one,
Must give an account of what they've
done.v
"'ro say no more, she lived approved,
And died lamonted and beloved"
The first line casts n dim shadow of
dubiety over the verify of the last,
and the fourth limo * too long by half
a foot. But these little inaccuracies
were unnoticcd one hundred years
ago. \ few yards away. resting
against the root of n decaying tree, IL IA
time-worn stone, designed to perpet-
uate II namc that deserves to nc re.
membercd, There Is cool, curt philos-
ophy in the distich
Weep not, my friends
Dry up your tears,
must lay here
TIL Christ appears
Old poIICK CHURCH.
But this IL surely n comfortable rest
ing place. The forest In the verge OF
which the stately old brick ediiice
stands, has never been invaded by the
nxcmnn. The building, imposing
enough, and of graceful outlines, IL UNI
harmed 10y the lapse of about lbs wears.
Here and there the coplngs and
door and window llntels aud
other ornamental stones have
been broken by ravenous relic hunters,
but, besides this, there Is no sign of de-
cay, and old Pohick church. having
survived two bloody and ruinous wars,
may stand when the millennium
( dawns.
These old churches and dolorous en-.
itaphs AT least tell what manner of
men were the daily associates of
| Washington when he occupied his
high'backed pew hardly capable of al.
evating his head enough 10 see that OF
the cncoilined preacher, whose crnni.
um WAS projected from another hox
fastened up at the end of the church.
where sat around Very commonplace
people, These epitaphs show how
simple and illltcrate they were. Ma
/ grand puhlic.sohool system In those
days induced youths 10 abandon fields
and gardens OF the country
! for the vices OF professional
life, gaming Tribes, Wall