Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-28

only in the simple but
forcible dialect of the
townspeople.
In refreshing contrast to this little dreary
village of the dead was the village of the Irving
near by-full OF New England thrift and energy.
The people. old and young. were a. lively and
gay as if they were a separate race and never
expected to die. as had those in the little quiet
municipality On the hill
This field Of tired-out laborers contained an
evolution of tombstones. eritaphs and monu-
ments. There were little brown sandstone
slabs some Of them 200 years old. the names
and figures appearing in curve and angle sharp
and distinct, as if ancient Egyptian artists had
done them There were square marble tomb
stones. blurred and blotched by storm and de-
cay; there were few pathetic wooden ones.
planted there BY poverty; there were invisible
ones. left so b. the hand of neglect. II WAS inn
pressive to notice how different we're the abodes
of the living. who could care for themselves,
and the dead. who could not.
Sull there was ii the cemetery one ample
Scoth granite vase. containing flowers OF men,
DRY and glistenlDg compliment smiles from its
sleek sides Mt the plebeian landmarks around it.
This was TO emphasize the po;thumous import
ance of u wealthy Boston tea dealer who had
come back to rest in sight of the mountains
from which. as a boy. he descended to fortune,
and a tall mast of granite was employed by the
proud little village to rehearse daily the fact
that said village had once furnished governor
for the state commonwealth. There were even
two or three old vaults in a corner of the field.
IN which hay stored broken images that had
held some of the prouder spirits Of the neigh
,borhood-
1t was the 29th of May Of Q year not long
after the war closed Two middle-aged men
were looking carefully among the miniature
hilltops. which, though covering death. we're
themselves overspread with the life of thrifty
vegetation.
These men were ex-soldiers. They seemed
not particularly strong in their movements;
one of them hmped and the other raised his
right arm with difficulty. They carried small
American flags. the stalls of which they were
plunging in the ground at the heads of ell the
soldiers graves they could find; these were put
there for the purpose af announcing that such
graves were to be covered with flowers at to-
morrows decoration. A little girl, the grand
less near by and occasionally singing softly,
half to herself. to keep the child imagination
nom the belief that her doll was crying.
1T seems TO me. Barker" one of the men
said. ''ss II | was walkin round on a crowded
steamboat in the night. at a fair. or some
thin. where a lot of old neighbors got caught
out away from home an laid down on the floor
anywhere they could catch it. an went to sleep.
i find myself steppin careful. every once in
awhile. if for fear OF hurtin some ON 'em.
i don't believe there's hardly one here Except
them that slipped AWAY fore | born) but
what if they'd get rish- M an look me in the
eyes We d know each O'her.
Barker did not reply. but seemed to be listen
ing in 4 way which TO the other was more COM
plimentary than an answer. The notes of a
sax-horn bugle came softly up from the valley
village near by. 1t was the leader of The brass
band which was to play ut tomorrows cere-
monies He was chanting that old ode. I'VE
Shall Meet. but We shall Miss Him, and each
note sounded TO the soldiers like an old friend
There's folks here from every house in town.
Barker. he continued Folks that ratified
aroun when they alive an took up so
much room you wouldn't of thought they d
ever be covered up like this. People that was
so seif-standin an SO independent like YOU d
neverve guessed they'd submit to lyia' in
graveyard with just a rough stone wall round
it. But here they be-quiet YOU please
under our feet"
Barker still framed his replies in deep but
sympathetic silence. The little girl was softl;
humming REST for the Weary or something
of the kind. rocking her doll. which she
imagined now TO have fallen asleep. She half
sat. half lay. ON the ground. and leaned up
against a child's grave. "a she did it.
Here's Captain Stubbers. Barker. What an
up-and-at-it man he in all military matters
before the war, He recruited the first company
Of peaceful soldiers ever had here since old
trainin times-when thought war was lust
somethin TO be read about in the history books
an SPOKE IN pieces at school. an played with
by marchin from one end o the town TO the
other an back ag in. Captain Stubbers used to
declare war in this easygOin town about once
a month. an git all the Young fsllers around
here taggin' after him with muskets on their
shoulders an four drums. three flies an tri-
angle ahead to bait EN- along. Why. they fol-
lowed him like sheep bein' salted.. How
straight the captain used to march. He looked
a. If he had had his head an shoulders took off
an set on agin little further back
When the war broke out he never
got any more southerly than Wash
ington; he was took sick an had to resign an
come home. But he was al avs marshal O. the
day at political meetins an the Fourth o July
-alays top o the shelf. little higher than the
other dishes. You never would o thought that
he would submit to graveyard. He took
partic lar pains all through the war not to- But
here he is-risht down almost under my left
foot"
Barker remembered the captain every inch
Of him He had been orderly sergeant in this
company that. as organization, never saw a
bat:le-not even sham one. and he was after
ward an orderly private in regiment of whom
only fifth part brought peace home with
them.
Here's old John ]. Partridge's present loca-
ton. continued the other. What "A manner
old John J. had, He was one o. your village
dukes reg lar old out-an-out high cocka-
lorum. When / was a boy used to straighten
pleadin ike. ef | him comm along the
street. in hopes he would give me a nod He
was considered rich in them DAYS; with prob ly
ten thousand dollars. easy.
IAN here is johnny Wilson," continued the
impromptu historian. stabbing n mound with
one of the miniature flags in the head of a low.
humbly MAJ ked grave. What a fish, He NAV
be sober now. for he has been dead quite a good
while. but ef 30 he amt responsible. An still
he was the life our whole company when be
want in the guard house"
Just then young lady rode slowly along the
little clay street that skirt.d one side OF the
burying ground Her strong black horse
seemed to love every motion of the bride rein
or whip, and TO more than obey IT, She was a girl
to be obeyed with her large black ewes and stately
manners, and still it evident that the blaek
horse was in love with her rather than in fear.
The eyes, while imperial in their expression.
could be tender and appealing at very short no
ece. And one never knew which of the two
methods Of ruling she about TO adopt
She was known throughout the country az
The governors granddaughter being de-
scended from the great man now living under
the monument People do not always Ike those
they look up to; but everybody liked. respected
and feared her at the same time. She had a
great deal of the old governor governor blood
o. well Us the sweetness of another line of an
eestors- Ii Was rumored that she was soon to