Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1884-03-06
A GRAVEYARD ROMANCE.
Epltaph Of IA Husband Over His Name
less Wtfe's Grave.

ALEXANDRIA, VA, Feb, 1O.-"Yo' jes'
turn to de lef' and follow dat lane bout
half mile and vol come foul of dc gate
dat leads to do ole graveyard. Nigh to
de place, and jss' TO- yO' git dar, Zeb.
Tompkins Ibis. He tends to it,"
Recently was walking slowly up the
track of the Orange and Alexandria
Railroad, the iron highway which leads
South from this place az far as Lynch
burg. 1t was almost evening, and the
falling shadows OF q winters sun were
their mellow rays and glancing of
Just gliding the tops of the houses with
across the Potomac River to the Mary
land shore. the ancient town, paralyz-
ed by war and shifting tides OF trade.
lay behind me. seeming almost like
deserted village, so quiet were its streets
and silent its decaying homes. 1 had
Just left the scene of EllswOrth's death,
now wrapped out by the ravages Of fire,
and also the curious little church Wash
ingtOn used to attend long before this
century was born. 1t is strange old
chapel.
You cross the threshold, and dim and small.
Is the space that serves for the shepherds
fold;
The narrow aisle, the bare, white wall,
The pews and the pulpit, quaint and tall,
Whisper and say: ''Alas we are DID,"
AN OLD VIRGINIA DARKEY.
was looking for the cemetery which
lay South from the town, when the Old
negro stopped, leaned upon his cane and
gave me the information about the place
for which / was searching. He was
fair specimen of the old Virginia darkey
one of those characters in the life OF
this region that attracts attention and
cOmpsls your pity. His clothes were
tattered and torn, and had been so
patched that the original was lost in
the variety of cOlOrs used in keeping his
garments together. His jaws were
fringed with an irOa gray fuzz, and all
over his black face years had traced hard
lines. In the corner of his mouth rested
the inevitable clay pipe. and the hat on
his head had lost its crown and half its
brim.
Mighty POI times here, boss" said he
as he stopped to invoke blessing for
the silver piece his directions and con-
ditiOn had extracted.
Taking the course he had indicated I
soon stood at the gate of the churehyard
with Zob. Thompson the grave-digger as
a companion. 1t is beautiful place. so
quiet and lonely. far secluded even from
what little of life there is left in this,
the oldest city ON the Potomac. Among
the whispering pines and ten acres of
old graves wandered for an hour or
more, looking at the aRcisrt headstOnes
and the curious words cut upon them.
THE STRANGE LADY'S GRAVE.
"Dis ID de grave Of de strange lady,"
said Zeb., as he stopped before marble
slab laid fiat upon a brick easement.
There had once been an iron fence
about the lot with single mound, but
1t had been broken down during the
war and nothing but the foundation re-
manned. Near the head of the tomb is
large wild cherry tree and by the foot
tall beautiful cedar.
''Most all de people what come here
come to see dis grave and 20 can hear
great stories bout it in town."
The words cut upon the stone are al
most illegible and it took some effort to
write from them this singular record of
life and DEATH: