National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-09-12
In a Cemetery.
IIt.tr..tt IFt,, nr,.. /

1t was a quaint old southern cemetery,
In the outskirts of quaint southern town.
We were strOlling among the tombstOnes Of
a Sunday, when we heard the voice of =
female nitched at high key, aud presently
came upon man and woman seated on the
grass near "A grave with ahcadstOne read
ing:
"Sucrcd to the memory of Eliza Ann
BCudall beloved wife Of Samuel Bendall,
aged % years aud 3 months Faithful,
patient fOrgiving-a fond wife--a true
mother. She rests in Heaven
"iou'd no bizen to do II ~ said the wO-
man, az we came up.
"NOw, Lucy protested the man.
~ don't keer 2 cents, and don't keer
who knows don't kerr,
"But hain't dun nuthin', Lucy. Don't
go fur to jump ON Teller that way when
he's innocent as Il yearln mule"
"llain't dun nuthin' Whar did ] find
yoY
Fright here Lucy"
"And whar's right here? Who's planted
in this ERE placeYn
"My first wife, in COURSE
"And who put up that marble grave-stun
and had II covered with pictur' of a lamb
and all this fine language about bein' per-
feet on earth and going straight TO the high
est rOost in heavcny'
"l-l did
"In course you did She hadn't bin put
In her coffin when you sorter fell ON my
shoulder and sort % wcpt, and whispered
to me that your light had gone out forever.
Member that, SamuelYn
"Yesn
And you got me to boss the funeral, and
you said II was the neatcst job you ever
saw. Reckon the supper ! got yc that night
was the best you had had In three years.
Lor', but how you did paralyze the vittles
that night.n
lie was silent.
"And in less than II fortnight" she CON
tinued, "yOu was spOOnin' around me with
second marriage so plain in your eye that
dad and ma'nm pOked fun at me. Member
that poetry you writ meW
mo"
"YOu don'ty Mem'ry begins to fail We,
maybe remember every word Of It. The
fust verse started oil
I've bin to see an angel
Tonight. Aud her name Is
Lucy Jane Bowling, and she's
The purticst sweetest gal In
All this ere state.
"You writ It in red ink, on blue paper,
and you, sent 1t by one of Deacon Young's
red-headed boys"
Samuel sighed like locomotive.
"Purty catosh fur widower who's light
had gone out forever only two weeks before,
/ ch Got In new supply of wicks and kerr
osenc, maybe How long was II afore we
was marriedy"
dunno"
sob, you don't Mem'ry han't worth a
cent no more II was jist three months To
dot, and we've bin married jist seven
weeks to-day. That's how your light went
out, Sam Bcndall"'
"Yes.n
"And unbeknown to me, while you was
| calm me your honey and cream and water
melon, you've bin and paid out Il heap of
money to sOt up that ere stun, and tell the
! world what mix and mOlasses angel Liza
Ann was MOrc'n than that, you sneakcd
out this morning and cum over here to sigh
and grOan and squeeze out tears, and make
| yourself believe you had suffered great
/ loss. Sam, yer IA sneak ~
"Oh, Lucy'
/ "Reg'lar built, Onery sneak! II I'd had
! Il man planted around here, dye s'pOse I'd
| a-played wOOdchuck on second husbaudN'
"Reckon was kinder overcome, Lucy
"Umph! sam Bendall, riz up.n
He Obeyed..
! 81 don't say anything agin the dead, but
I no man as lives kin play sneak OH me-
| Here's one in memry of your light which
/ went out forever
! She aimed kick square on his coat-tais
and he took flying leap over his first wife's
! grave and made II break through the bushes
( for town