The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-23
THE T0MB-BLOSSOMS.
A PosrHUMoUs SKETCH.
BY WALTER WHITMAN.

By WALTER WHITMAN.
A pleasant, fair-sized country village, a
village embosomed In trees, with old
churches, one tavern, kept by a respectable
widow, long, single-storied farm houses,
their roofs messy and their chimnsys smoke
black, village with grass and shrubbery,
aud no mortar nor bricks nor pavements
nor gas-no newness: that is the place for
him who wishes life in its flavor and it,
bloom. Until Of late my residence has been
In such place.
Man Of cities! What is there in all your
boosted pleasures-your fashions, parties
balls and theaters, compared with the sim
plest of the delights we country folks
enjoy!
Our pure air, making the blood swell and
leap with buoyant health; our labor and
exercise; our freedom from the sickly vices
that faint the town; our net being racked
with notes due, or the fluctuations OF prices.
or the breaking of banks; eur manners OF
sociability expanding the heart and reach
ing with wholesome effect upon the body
can anything which citizens possess balance
these?
One Saturday, sitter paying q few days
visit at New York, returned TO my
quarters in the country inn. The day was
hot and my journey q disaGreeable one.
had been forced to stir myself beyond COM
fort and dispatch my affairs quickly. for
fear Of being left by the cars. As it was,
| arrived painting and covered with sweat
just as they were about to start. Then for
many miles had TO bear the annoyance Of
the 81 cam engine smoke, and IL seemed to
me that the vehicles kept swAying 20 and
fro on the track with more than usual
motion, on purpose to distress my 1aded
limbs. Out of humor with myself and
everything around me, when l came to my
travels end, l refused to partake OF the
comfortable supper which my landlady had
prepared for me, and rejoining the good
woman's look of wonder at such an un-
wonted event, aud her kind inquiries about
my health, with a sullen silence, l took my
lamp and went my way 10 my room, Tired
and head throbbing, in less than half a
score OF minutes after l threw myself on
my bed I was stepped in the soundest
slumber.
When awoke every vein and nerve felt
fresh and free. Soreness and irritation had
been swept away, as It were, with the cur
tains of the night, and the accustomed tone
had returned again. l arose aud threw open
my window. Deliciousl It was q calm,
bright Sabbath morning in May. The dew
drops glittered on the grass; the fragrance
OF the apple blossoms which covered the
trees foated up to mo; and the notes OF a
hundred birds disooursed music TO my ear.
BY the rays just shooting up in the eastern
verge knew that the sun would be risen in
q moment I hastily dressed myself, per-
formed nv additions and sailed forth 70
take q morning walk.
Sweet, yet sleepy scenel No one seemed
stirring. The placid influence Of the day
was even now spread around, qulesing
everything and hallowing everything.
%a
folded bsbind me. l passed around the
edge Of hill, on the rising elevation, and
top Of which was burial ground. On my
left, through the 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 nay back agAInst the
fence, with my fAes turned toward the
white marble stones few reds before me.
All saw was far from new 90 me; and yet
l pondered upon IL.
The entrance to that place Of tembs ives
o kind Of arch-a rough hewn, but NO deubt
q hardy piece Of architecture, that had
stood winter and summer over the gate
there, for many, many years. O fearful
arch IL there were fed thee q voice 10 utter
what has passed beneath AID near thee; II
the secrets of the earthly dwelling that Re
thee are known could be by thee disclosed
story aud its possessor not 60 mad with
terrori
Thus thought /; and strangely enough
such imagining marred not in the least she
sunny brightness which spread alike over
my mind aud over the Landscape Involun-
tarily, as / mused, my look was cast TO The
top of the hill. / saw q figure moving
Gould some one beside myself be ou'
80 early, and among the toEnbsH What
orAa fttra Odd anOI1oh In fancy IN n nd nlaa
there, and at such timer Continuing my
gaze l saw that the figure was a woman. She
seemed to move with a slow and feeble steL
passing and repassing constantly between
two and the same graves, which were within
half red Of each other. She would bend
down and appear 50 busy herself few
moments with the one. and then she would
rise. and 60 to the second, and bend there
and employ herself as at the first. Then &c
the former one, and then to the second.
Occasionally the figure would pause a
moment, and stand back q little
and look steadfastly down upon the
graves, as il to see whether her
work was done well. Thrice saw her walk
with a tottering gait and stand midway be-
tween tho two and look alternately at each
Then she would 60 to one and arrange
something and come back to the mid way
place, and gaze frat on the right and then
on the left, as before. The fgure evidently
had some trouble In suiting things
her mind. Where stood could hear not
noise Of her footballs; nor could I see
accurately enough TO tell what she was
doing. Had a superstitious man hsheld the
spectacle he would possibly have thought
that some spirit Of the dead, allowed the
night before to burst its cerements, and
wander forth in the darkness, had been be-
lated ia returning and was now perplexed
to find its eofhHhouse again.
Curious to know what was the woman's
employment, undid the sample fasteninKs
of the gate and walked over the rank, wet
grass toward her. As l came near l reoog-
nized her for az old. q very old in
mate of the poor house. named
Delarer. Stopping a moment while l was
yet several yards from her. and before she
saw me, tried 10 call to recollection GER
tain particulars OF her history which had
heard a great while past. She was native
of ole OF the West India islands, aud before
l, who gaEed at Ter, was born, had with her
husband come hither to settle and gain q
livelihood. They were Door; most misera-
bly, poor. Country people, have
noticed, seldom like foreigners. 50 this
man and his wife, in all probability. met
much so discourage them. They kept up
their spirits, however, until at last their
fortunes became desperate. Famine and
want laid iron fingers upon them. They
had no acquaintance; and to beg they were
ashamed. Both were taken i'll; then the
charity that had been so slack came TO their