Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-05-07

She said she was going to Alexanurla
to meet some friends who expected to
be there. Maybe they would not como,
but she always liked to go to the old
church.
They were passing the arsenal where
the guns stood with their horrid throats
turned toward the river. as if threaten
ing the steamer and little rowboats with
immediate destruction.
tIt does not seem possible that those
guns were ever really shot at anybody
said Rita. "'All quiet along the Po-
tomac' seems SO natural that / wonder
why anyone ever took the trouble to send
kilograms about it.
Rita was watching the sparkles on the
water and the little sail-boats darting
here and there like childen at play. A
rcw-boat came near the steamer to catch
the waves as it went by, and went tos-
sing up and down as if seeking the
speediest destruction possible.
"The little boat looks SO small from
here, y said Rita. "It seems as if they
cannot possibly live on the waves And
vet when am in one it seems quite
large affair. / should feel very sorry
for steamer so unfortunate as to run
against it."
sThere is conceit in the mind Of
man by reason of which he has a ten
dency to think his own position larger
than any other 1t is way kind Nature
has of keeping US from feeling uncom-
fortably cramped in small places"
81 never feel the real meaning of time
until come here, said Paul, as they
walked from the wharf into the city.
fsTo have stood still even for quarter
of century makes city seem to the
progressive eye as if it must have be-
longed to the most remote ages. Poor
Alexandrial She could not believe that
the dynasty Of conservatism was dead,
and the strong waves of radicalism were
dashing down to sweep it into the past,
and she was lost for her blind clinging
to dead faith. Slain, like Dido. for
her constancy."
They were passing the old Marshall
house.
IT went in once said Rita, ssand
stood where Ellsworth was killed"
''How did you feel2"
''That is the worst of it. I did not
feel at all. I had expected to thrill.
There is shoeshop down below, and q
man was pegging shoes and whistling
the 'Gobble Song.' In yard opposite,
a woman in ragged dress hung clothes
on line, and sang I'm called little But
tercup,' stopping between the bars to
scold a dirty-faced child that was cling
Ing to her. I came away"
The calm of whole century of quiet
Sundays seemed to have fallen upon the
old church. The organ voluntary foated
out upon the solemn stiffness with much
the same effect as might have been pro-
duced by the presence of nineteenth
century lady Of fashion in buried city.
Then the music and the voices died
away, floating away off into an empyrean
dream, and Rita saw only the past.
There was girl in the seat in front of
her--a pretty maiden, with red gold hair
shot through with silver arrow. Rita
thought she must be confidential friend
of gentle Nellie Custis, and she longed
to ask her what happy secrets Nellie had
intrusted to her care. And while she
was speculating upon the feasibility of
tempting the maiden to this breech OF
confidence, the benediction was pro-
nounced and Rita came out OF her reverie
Of the past to realize that pretty Nellie
was dead and turned to dustn ages ago,
and the spacious old pew opposite was
vacant for all time, and the organ was
droning out farewell to the old days.
'My friends have not come, = she said,
looking around the church.
81 am sorry you are Disappointed Y he
said, craftily concealing his real senti-
ments.
They went out into the churchyard
and stood by century-old grave, on the
tombstone Of which was inscribed the
solemn warning:
AL you that cum my grave to see,
Prepare yourselves to follow me;
Repent and turn to God in time,
You may be taken in your prime.
'sIt would have been more generous i
he had put the warning on guidepost
some distance of, so that we might no
have cum his grave to see, thereb.
avoiding the possible unpleasant contin
gency," said Paul.
But Rita was looking with solemn eye
and serious face at the old time grave.
1T makes me sad to stand by an olt
grave like this. It is so strange to thinl
that these people--all these lying aroun,
US here were living once. They walked
about the streets, and went in and out
and loved and hated, and enjoyed and
suffered. They lived whole grea
; ,,,nrlds of 4bo;r cryr o,d 49,, o,,,,, II, =;