Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-12-01
THE Tomb BLOSSOMS.
by WALT WHITMAN.

village embossed in trees, with old
churches, one tavern, kept 10y respect
able widow, long, single-storied farm
houses, their roofs messy, and their chin
neys smoke-black, a village with grass
and shrubbery, and no mortar, nor bricks,
nor pavements, nor gas-no newness I;
that is the place fer him who wishes life
in its flavor and Its bloom. Until Of
late, my residence has been in such u
| place.
Man of cities What is there in all your
boosted pleasure-your fashions, parties,
balls and theatres, compared with the
simplest of the delights we country folks
enjoy.
Our pure air, making the blood swell
and leap with buoyant health; our labor
and our exercise; our freedom from the
sickly vices that faint the town; our not
being rackcd with notes due, or the fuc-
tuations of prices, or the breaking of
banks; our manners of sociability eX-
banding the heart and rcacting with
wholesome effect upon the body-can
anything which citizens possess balance
thesel
One Saturday, after paying few days.
visit at New York, l returned to my
quarters in the country inn. The day
was hot and my journey disagreeablc
one. l had been forced to stir myself
beyond comfort and dispatch my affairs
quickly, for fear of being left by the
cars. AS it was l arrived painting and
covered with sweat Just as they were
about to start. Then for many miles /
had to bear the annoyance of the steam
engine smoke, and it seemed to me that
the vehicles kept swaying to and fro on
the tack with more than usual motion,
on purpose to distress my jaded limbs
Out of humor with myself and everything
around me, when | came TO my travels
end, l refused to partake of the comfort
able supper which my landlady had pre-
pared for me and rejoining to the good
woman's look of wonder at such an un-
wonted event, and her kind inquiries
about my health, with sullen silence, |
took my lamp and went my way to my
room. Tired and head throbbing, in less
than half score of minutes after | threw
myself on my bed, Twas stepped in the
soundest slumber.
When awoke every vein and nerve
felt fresh and free. Soreness and irrita-
ton had been swept away, as it were,
with the curtains of the night and the
accustomed tone had returned again. l
rose and threw open my window. Deli
cious! 1t was calm, bright Sabbath
morning in May. The dewdrops gilt
tered en- the grass; the fragrance of the
apple blossoms which covered the trees
floated up to me, and the notes of hun
dred birds discoursed music to my car.
By. he rays just shooting up in the east
ern verge i knew that the sun would be
risen in a moment. / hastily dressed
myself performed my ablutions and sal
lied forth to take morning walk.
Sweet, yet sleepy sccne No one
seemed stirring. The placid influence of
the day was even now spreading around,
quieting and hallowing everything.
sauntered slowly onward, with my hands
folded behind me. passed around the
edge of hill, on the rising elevation,
and top of which was a burial ground.
On my left, through an opening in the
trees, could see at some distance the
ripple OF our beautiful bay; on my right
was the large and ancient field for the
dead. stopped and leaned my back
against the fence, with my face turned
toward the white marble stones
few rods before me. All / saw was far
from new to me; and yet l pondered
upon it. The entrance to that place of
tombs was a kind of arch--a rough
hewD, but no doubt a hardy piece of
architecture, that had stood winter and
summer over the gate there, for many,
many yers. Oh, fearful arch if there
were &c. thee voice to utter what has
passed beneath and near thee; if the
secrets of the earthly dwelling that to
thee are known could be by thee dis
closed, whose ear might listen to the APP
palling story, and its possessor not go mad
with tcrrorl
Thus thought L and, strangely enough,
such imagining married not in the least
the sunny brightness which spread alike
over my mind and over the landscape.
Involuntarily, as unused, my look was
cast to the top of the hill. saw figure
moving. Could some one beside myself
be out so early, and among the tombs2
What creature odd enough in fancy to
find pleasure there, and at such timer
Continuing my gaze saw that the figure
was a woman. She seemed to move with
slow and feeble step, pass
ing and repassing constantly be-
tween two and the same graves
which were within half rod of each
other. She would bend down and APP
pear to busy herself few moments with
The one, and then she would rise and go
to the second, aud bend there and en-
ploy herself US at the first. Then to the |
former one, and then to the second. Oc-
casionally the figure would pause mo-
ment, and stand back little, and look
steadfastly down upon the graves, as If
to see whether her work was done well.
Thrice I saw her walk with a tottering |
gait and stand midway between the two |
and look alternately at each. Then she
would go to one and arrange something
and come back to the midway place, and
gaze first on the right and then to the
left, Us before. The figure evidently had
some trouble in suiting things to her
mind. Where stood could hear no noise |
Of her footballs, nor could. I see accur-
ately enough to tell what she was doing.
Io1 ~. al he