St. Landry democrat., 1890-07-26
The Romance of a Cemetery,

Down near one of the Southern cities
where the flowers bloom nearly all tn
year round, and the oriole builds his mes
and calls to his mate to come to him, fo
the home is prepared. is q cemetery ia.
nous for its beauty. Years ago it was til.
country place of very rich man; he was
a widower, with beautiful daughter anG
three handsome sons. The daughter was
sweet girl, idolized by her father. which
affection she more than reciprocated. A
bitter family feud existed between the
father and his nearest neighbor, who had
but one child-a son. At friends house
this pretty Juliet met and grew to know
her Romeo. Naturally enough, they fell
In love with each other, vowed eternal
copstancy and thought that in time the
father of each might be won over by their
children and induced to give consent TO
the marriage. But the old men grew bit
ter and more bitter, and the two sweet
hearts found it very, difficult to see each
other.
One summer night the little lady had an
appointment with her lover at the foot of
the hill that was just in front of her home
The moon was SO bright that she dreaded
going out in her own clothes, and so, in
spirit of frolic, she had her maid hunt up
some of her brothers clothes and into
them she got, laughing as she thought
how her sweetheart would be surprised.
long, old fashioned cloak was thrown
over her, and broad brimmed, soft felt
bat crowned her head. AS she went over
the hill one of her brothers saw her and
told his father that he believed some one
from the next place was on their grounds,
possibly to kill some of their dogs or poison
fhaiP hnpcna ~ LII
rushed to the veranda, armed with gun.
He saw the figure moving along swiftly.
but he TOOK aim, aim so sure that it struck
his own heart, and fred. Both arms went
up in the sir, the figure staggered and fell
over. Hearing the shot, the waiting lover
rushed to see what was the matter. In
the meantime the others had gathered
round. The hat had fallen off the pretty
head which it had disguised, and there,
pure and white, under the light of the
moon. was revealed to the brothers the
face of their own sister. She was carried
back to the house, dead-not able to speak
her forgiveness to her father, or give
word of love to her sweetheart. The lover
upbraided the father, but the younger
brother said: cas- she lies here let her |
be the peacemaker. She loved you in life !:
let US care for each other because of her |
death" So she was buried near her own
home, and all the people for miles around,
knowing of her tragic death, came to show
their respect and to line and cover her
grave with the blossoms which she had
loved in her life.
The beautiful country place was sold
with an express proviso that it was to be
made cemetery. The brothers and the
father and lover all went away and never
came back until each was brought there to
be laid to rest near the one they had loved.
Now the city of the dead numbers among
tie dead Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte,
who has engraved on the granite bearing
aer name, "After life's ftful fever she
,leeps well" Near by is the tomb of the
Booth family, and that of Reinhart, the
sculptor, who died when fame had made
his name household word, is not far off.
There are crosses erected to the memory
# little children; there are tablets that
ell of those who have lived and loved.
uttered snd toiled. But to them who
NOW most interesting of all is the little
,ravestone raised to the memory of the
Unfortunate girl who died because of her
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