Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-19

- not known IN tnis country. 1no hSeAiP'ssSSr,
however, il faint, and the word may possibly
have been mistaken.
Here is another bit Of verse:
In ms%3;y q s M:ri, Mnsss:ssr. 1915
TO Heavenly mansions he has gone before
There now they have met to Part no more"
The Rev. Winchester was at one time pastor
Of ST. Johns, but it is not quite clear just what
he, or whoever it was that indicted the inscrip-
ton, meant
There is nothing more pathetic In the way OF
coniugai bereavement than these Few nnes
written on q slab very near the edge OF the
church yard where the wall has begun to totter:
Farewell my husband. wife Of your tears.
Here must lie until christ appears,
and when he comes hope to rise
Unto Life that never Dies"
The COPY is literal one, the spelling and
punctuation being preserved
Near the door of the sacred edifice is the tomb
Of a celebrated son Of Virginia. whose services
during the war for liberty were quite noted
and whose name is borne on the rolls of the
state of Virginia that of one of her most
honored soldiers. His slab is raised on the
regulation six legs and is quite plain. although
the weather has not dealt very lightly with it,
1t sets forth that it is the last resting place Of
"Colo. Robert Gamble" who, after passing
through the trials and vicissitudes of war and
escaping untold dangers without harm, died in
the year 1910 by being thrown from his horse
and receiving fatal injuries.
THE OLDEST TOMB.
The 'oldest tomb" was, Of course, pointed
out with pride by my guide. II is the custom
airy sandy marble that is too soft for such pur-
poses. II stands quite near the church and
bears this inscription on its face:
Here lye,b the body Of Robert Rose
His extraordinary Genius and Capacity in all the
polite and useful arts of Life tho eQsled by few
inanity Benevoence aud Charity ran thor 'iish the
whole course Of Life and were snerted with nm
objects, without Noise or ostent aton in his friend
and was in hs ~ S tie
struenve With the most tender piety he discharged
Brother in short he ws,a friend to the whole human
Eace and upon that principle strenod Asserter and
Died the Both day Of june I75l IN 47th year Of his
Oddly enough there is another tomb to the
memory OF a man by the same name as the
','rector of Albemarle Parish" who died in
1854, and whose epitaph is this simple Latin
phrase: 'Vir probus ct integer."
True Christian faith is often developed upon
the death bed and makes known its existence
In undying words that, craven on the tomb,
speak to future generations. Some of these
are to be seen in ST. Johns. Sarah Ann Smith,
who died September %, 1925, was then nine
teen years of age and this is supposed to be
her e1hortation to her acquaintance:
w Returp ~ my friends sI cease to weep
Prepare yourself your soul to save
There is no repentance in the grave
"Stop my friends rs you pass by
As you are now SO once was
fsepa a R RSW yeI t TO soi mSsi
THE GEM
But the gem of the collection Of epitaphs
was shown to me as wandered through this
city of the dead by the little daughter of the
sexton. who, after repeating the verse that
was written on the stone somewhat after the
fashion of 1.-The Boy Stood ON the Burning
Deck. led me to the western side of the
church and rather proudly pointed out small
brown stone scarcely foot from the ground.
sadly In need of props, that told this cheerful
story:
"In memory Of Abraham
Shield stonecutier and Bricklayer
a native in the County Of
Oct 81 l79S aged % years.
PLEASED the f G"ra t to END my RT11'
S sha seG s, me x Plaza is 9 9s kssi
The spirit Of advertisement was strong even
In death in those days.
Grammar was not always above par in the
cutting Of the stones for this old yard One
stone OF eminent respectability as evidenced
by the neatness with which it has been kept
underneath, says:
-Here lays the body Of
Judith pritchardn
And 80 they ran, relics of a past age true re-
mInders Of the time when men were brave
enough to stand out for their rights against a
mighty power and wise enough to found this
great nation. The names are sometimes his
toric, but mostly sadly domestic the inscrip-
tions. though often quaint and ridiculous, were
seemingly inspired by true love and deep re-
greet and there is an air of solemnity about the
place that even makes the casual stroller
through the crooked paths a bit inclined to
wipe away tear or two for the silent folks
whose lives, In many cases, went to make DOS
sible that Day of Independence that was being
celebrated while these observations were being
made
As turned my steps out of the acre of
shabby stones and walked toward the crazy
steps leading down into a younger world I
caught the words OF the minister inside the
church as he paid his tribute to the man who.
over hundred years before, had stood in that
same pulpit and sounded the first notes Of war.
He was saying: Foremost and fearless among
them all Is the erect figure of Patrick Henry
the morning star Of the revolution, heralding
by brave and brilliant speech that day Of free
dom which dawned at Lexington shone
brightly at Boston and Philadelphia, and has
Increased in luster through more than o CEN
fury, and in the blaze Of whose meridian
splendor our hearts and homes are lit up to-
day. 1t was Henry's voice which here rang out
like clarion call to arms for the protection of
American rights, the vindication of American
honor, the promotion of American sovereignty
and independence. 1t was here within these
very walls that American liberty first saw the
light"
And with these words ringing in my ears
softly stole away. my steps keeping time to tho
rhythm Of that famous line uttered in that old
building decades ago: Give me liberty or