Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-25

Nanv wears ago q citizen OF Alexandria,
IN 81 weird but clever and interesting little
hook uubhshed under the title OF " Mar
rotiye Of John Trust" gave TO the world
what purported to be the history OF this
female stranger and therein described
her as -.
rose from the undulation which acknow-
io5god nv greeting. She seemed, indeed.
the mould OF form. tthe.unlon OF elegance
and grace before undreamed Of; Her eye.
a diamond when she listened. flashed like
a sword when she spoke. A Grecian nose.
uerfectlv feminine in the fitness OF It's out
line. relieved the masculine swelling on
the upper Up and made woman the entire
contour Of her face. Her hair lay IN ITS
rovc, brilliancv ae if IL had been chiseled
mon her noble forehead. On such tes::
lures ropOse wore an air OF command ana
emotion took stateliness."
He describes her coming TO Alexandra
M a time when the seeds OF death daily
brought her nearer the sleep eternal. and
saws The ladies of the hOspltable town
were kind 20 her. They never asked her
name or that of her family, Tor. said one OF
htcn, she ls stranger and slck-two let
tors OF introduction from Heaven.
FACTS PEW AND sIMPLE.
The known facts relating to the female
strangcr' are but few and simple. At the
close Of the war | visited Great-grand-
amt of mine, who was born, reared, and
Lyed at Alexandra, and who was a reccg g
nlzc1 society leader there in the good days
wnou All the balls and receptions OF tue
national capital were gwen IN that then
famous and fashionable city. She had seen
tine "strangers." and perhaps knew more
of them than any one living. One day,
nearly thirty years ago. upon my return
from the old cemetery, | took from the
hps of this clear-headed, venerable lady
the following
In thu early autumn Of 1916, when this
CITY was the best part of the District OF
Columbia. gentleman and lady. sup
po.ed to be husband and wife, arrived at
alexandria and took a suite OF rooms at
the City Hoiel. then the principal Inn. |
remember them well. The gentleman was
travelled scholarly, cultured, seemed pos
sessed OF ample fortune. and. aslde from
an occa7ionai hour with other gentleman
of elegant leisure. spent all his time with
hrs wife The lady was tall and grace
flu. ACCOMPLISHED III music and literature.
dressed with exquisite taste, had most
beautiful hands and feet, voice ot
marvellous richness and tenderness, and
covered a. one who understood the
world. Its history, literature, philosophy
music. poetry, and religion. Occasionally
they appeared together on the streets, at
church, and IN their long evening walks.
Neither ever told their names nor whence
they came. nor why. nor do J remember
that any questions were asked. exclusive
and aristocratic as our people then were.
People were not so meddlesOme or so GU
rlous as now, and while we really knew
nothing of them. yet they were so kind
and good. SO gentle and refined, tina. |
think we all loved them. To US they were
known simply as the strangers
HEAVILY YELLED.
THE lady always took her meals in her
rooms, which, IN that day. excited no
comment here. yet there was one, ana
only one. thing mysterious III her con-
duct-on all occasions she WAS heavily
veiled, no citizen of Alexandra ever saw
her face. After some weeks the lady was
taken sick. From the fact that the most
eminent physicians of Alexandria and
Richmond were called to see her we knew
she must be dangerously i'll. No one had
youched for her, she was not a native of
the Old Dominion. but she was stranger.
and she was sick. At that time 1 was
about %. You will know bow 10 pardon
the apparent vanity of an old lady OF near
tourscore when tell you that then occu-
pied prominent social position, and al
my suggestion several ladies OF the old
families went with me TO the hotel, where
We rendered our services and offered TO dc
all in our power TO relieve and comfort
her. We were assured both by the hus.
band and the attending physicians that
nothing could be done; that all she need
ed was quiet and rest. but that night more
than one PRAYER went up for the sweet
voiced, velled stranger.
LAID AT REST.
well, never knew Just what her dis.
ease was, but IN "a few days she died and
was quietly LAID at rest out in the old
cemetery. The husband left Alexandra O
few days after her burial without telling
any one where he was gong. and was never
seen there afterwsrd. think 1t was IN
the summer of 1917 that the FIAT marble
slab bearing the strange inscription was
put over the grave IN the night time. and
If any one here ever knew by whom
II was done the public never found II
out. Within few weeks after this the
landlord in whose hotel the strangers
had been guests received from some for
eign country Gust where he never told a
letter containing draft for a good sum OF
money, with specific instructions as to
how sufficient amount of the money
should be expended III erecting around
the grave brick wall. surrounded
by cope stone, and that upon the
stone should be erected an IRON rail-
ing so high That no one could get into the
grave. The money was spent as directed
and the top of the iron railing was abou!
nine feet from the ground. Aftefward
regularly every year, until about 1883
money was received from the same source
and spent in keeping the grave and en-
closure In perfect condition. The remit.
tances then ceased: the gentleman who
had so long sent the money was supposed
20 DO dead"
UNANSWERED.
And so this piteous and mystic inscrip.
tion attracts attention aad arouses the
sympathetic curiosity of the visitor of the
quaint, dreamy, historic old city OF Alex.
andria, and has for three quarters % q
century. Why the mystery thrown about
her coming, death, and burial why the
enigmntcai, vet deeply pathetic words
employed by the dtsconsolate hus-
band are questions that all these years
nave not been answered. nor Is il proba ole
That they will be answered in the years to
come.
The DISPATCH should stiffen up its back
bone aud demand general dog law. We
ION the demand Of the Washington Pes
that the politicians speak out. The Popu.
lists al least have the courage Of their con-
victions and have through their leaders
declared against dogs. We want 10 hear
from other papers now aud from the poll.
ticians. - Fredericksburg Free Lance.
We doubt the advisabiiitv OF making a
general dog law an issue in this campaign.
We have issues enough already.
For the present II would probably he
wiser to add county after county 10 the
list of those having special dog laws, and
IN good time we would thus have all the
counties adapted TO sheep husbsudry GOV.