The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-05

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fxon and the ascension, and from then until
now.
The earth hath bubbles as the water has
And these are of them.
As passed the wide and rust-grown gate
Of the old cemetery, the sound of voices led
me to retrace my steps and peer between its
crates into the Enclosure. 1t was an I'M
canny hour for any one to be there. Long
since decay had SO preyed upon the buried
remains that no grave-ghoUl had occasion to
pIv his vocation here. The sounds ceased
the stiffness deepened. The moon
shone down on crumbling tombs, broken
marble, alien vines and briars, shattered
vaults and the desolation which neglect had
created throughout the Enclosure. There
was no living presence to shape dialogue.
Far up the tree-arched avenue the chilled
Waterman walked and led his horse to keep
warm, but their football was noiseless on
the echolesS sands and the imagination
needed but little stretch to picture the pair
as phantom creatures of the hour.
Quoth l. thus were the notes.-the base
less fabric of the imagination, and | turned
to pursue my way, when laugh, rollick-
ing and free, rang out through the old
burying ground. 1t is jolly crew, me
thought and glad holiday laugh and half
concealing myself l bided my time to note
what might follow. That | was well re-
paid may appear from the sequel, for while
/ cannot hope to present the exact language
of a strange dialogue, / have endeavored to
tax the recollection to its utmost to give a
fair report of what heard.
Peering long and searchingly had dis
cerned two persons sitting on opposite edges
of one of the old-time and now crumbling
vaults. One was dressed in a sailors garb,
and the shadow of young tree, sadly
needing pruning and attention, fell athwart
his face so that l could not distinguish its
outlines beyond the fact that he was full
bearded and a silk 'kerchief, of some bright
color, was ever and anon swayed by the
breeze and mingled with the flowing beard,
which was either well silvered or else the
moon had whitened it into a most excellent
counterfeit. His cocpanion, however,
was seated to better advantage for a closer
inspection. His face was turned full toward
me, and the lig'rs falling on it brought out
its every feature. 1t was a youthful coun-
tenance, in which the warm blood of early
manhood had made it glow with roseate
hue so that it was life-like, and beaming
with gayety. | could not be mistaken in
my conjecture that it was he whose res
Onant laugh had rang Justify out in the
stiffness. Ay, there's no laugh like the
brave and hearty laugh of those who stand
where youth and manhood meet.
1t was strange place and strange time
for mirth, but the festivities midway be-
tween the old year and the new bring
strange departures, when wine maketh
merry, wine that is mocker, and mayhap
caused some merry wager. With this
thought | was for a second time in the act
OF turning away, when casual glance
brought an unlooked-for surprise. | could
see, and see plainly, objects beyond the
pair which their intervening presence
should otherwise have concealed had
the strange visitants been of cor
poreal mold. They were present, and yet
were not A branch Vibrated in the morn
ing air just beyond the bearded man which
should have been partly hidden from view
by his portly form, and although the young
man was between me and neglected shaft,
crumoling to decay, I could plainly see
through him and beyond, noting in the vivid
moonlight the dark stain the trailing vine
mad left on the marble and see the gray
pchen which chung to its wrinkled surface.
But to resume: Again the laugh broke
out, subdued somewhat, but unsteady mel
low and dying out into half refrain as if
ms companion had chided and curbed its
now, and then he CT the beard resumed the
broken thread of his narrative; but what
went before | know not, while those who
rom the garnered warp of the broken story
thereby hangs a tale.
mus spoke he of the beard. "a hundred
years agoF Why not9 | remember it well.
mad cheated the shark in deep water and
mat glutton near the coast had not fastened
MS mandibles upon me. | died on land,
ana who administered on my estate | do
not remember. 1t was all in dollars. / had
come by some of them Indifferent honest it
hut 4 :
sea should he worse than stealing on
land. MIR. What's-his-name really it has
escaped me, had me inferred with some
snow OF expense and erected tablet com
memorating some virtues ! did not possess,
and charitably emitting some faults that
WOULD have marred the marble, and thus
eased nus conscience for keeping the major
part OF my belongings But later he evil
lehtly thought ne had compromised too lib
ottl4y with his conscience and to make
amends he duly reported me intestate,
'aggled with the undertaken and had u
very modest bin reduced: from that step it
was short ono to fault the marble, the
carved work and tho lettering on my tomb
'uone which savings, added 10 the money he
ook from my sailors belt, gave him II very
handsome competency
And where is your tombstoneW queried
ne young man.
- ne OF the beard laughed at the question.
none, years ago. quoth he. Long ago,
ne continued, the bones of my worthy adj
Illustrator were peeping out from the rank
gas and we're being kicked about with as
nnch abandon as mine had been before he
was brought here
sad he of the rosy cheeks: "When last |
was here, half dozen years ago, more or
SS-Ior to tell YOU the truth | never tried
Keep the run of years--the living were
diNing of gathering up these unsightly re-
WI MINERS and giving them fitting interment.
~ has it not been donem
on, ay!, replied he of tho beard Look
ooub you. Sentiment. DO you see that
usIy young tree broken down in the very
n Tor OF Its youth see the crumSling wall
.nat lncloses this area of desolation; poison
mes cling to it and breed noxious vapors;
Ieeping down they mar the granite aud
laI ole as they trail their slime over what
rere once symbols Of love, pleasing to the
ye ana suggestive to the memory; see the
ue aIK OF the serpent across the shattered
..ueC, notice the crumbled and crumoling
f ellJS, the DrDtrurincr bonas SrllastlV at