The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-19
THE STRANGERS GRAVE.
A Pathetic Story Told by the Inscrip-
tion on a Tomb

From the Philadelphia Times.
Alexandria, that quaint old Virginia
town, whose now dingy and comparative
ly deserted streets have seen so many
acts played in the glorious history of our
country, has among its many relics one
which is most interesting on account of
its mystery ard romance. To this, as to
all other traditions, there must always at
tach a shadow Of uncertainty as to where
reality ends and fiction begins.
Occupying a central spot in the old
cemetery of Alexandria stands a weeping
willow, between whose dropping bows
lies time-wOrn marble slab bearing this
inscription;
TO the memory of female stranger.
whose mental sufferings terminated on
Oct. IA, 1916, aged % years and months.
This stone is placed here by her disconso-
late husband, in whose arms she sighed
out her latest breath. and who, under
God, did his utmost to soothe the dull,
cold ear of death.
How loved, how honored once, ayails thee
not.
To whom related. or whom begot.
\ heap of dust alone remains OF thee,
It's all thou art and all the proud snail be.
ITO Him gave all the prophets witness,
that through His name whatsoever be-
heveth in Him shall receive remission of
sins. Acts, tenth chapter, fOrtythrd
verse.
1t was in the early autumn of 1916, when
Alexandria was portion of the District
of Columbia, that a lady and gentleman,
whom all supposed to be man and wife,
came to the town and engaged suite of
rooms at the City Hotel The man was
cultured, refined, Travelled and, from all
appearance, very wealthy. Occasionally
he would talk TO some of the townspeo-
pie, but the greater part of his days were
spent with the beautiful woman who was
his companion.
She was all that was grace and ele-
gance He taste in dress showed that she
was woman of artistic temperament.
She played on several in struments with
touch and knowledge that were marvel
Gus. Her conversation was that of a per
son who had travelled and who had moved
in the higher circles of society There
was an air surrounding her, which in her
sweet simplicity. drew all hearts to her
and made them love her, even though
strangers to her. But she can be best
described in the words of John Trust,
who published little book regarding her,
the facts of which were taken from the
strangers grave:
STATELY, yet graceful, her queenly
form rose from the undulation which ac-
knowledgcd my greeting. She seemed,
indeed the mould Of form, the union of
elegance and grace before undreamed of.
Her eye, a diamond when she listened,
flashed like a jewel when she spoke. A
Grecian nose, perfectly feminine in the
sOftness of outline, relieved the masculine
swelling of the upper lip and made wO-
manly the entire contour of her face Her
hair lay in its raven brilliancy as if it has
been chiseled upon her noble forehead.
On such features repose wore an air of
command and emotion took stateliness. j.
Strange to relate, neither the gentle
man nor the lady ever told their name or
from whence they came, and stranger
still were never asked, Notwithstanding
that the old Virginia families were as ex-
elusive and aristocratic then as they are
now. To all they were known as the
Strangers, though the hospitality ex-
tended to them by the best people of
Alexandria was not as to a stranger, but
as to the dearest of friends.
During their whole stay at the hotel
the lady always had her meals served in
her room, which, in those non-curious
days, excited no comment. But there
was a mystery which none could solve,
she was always closely yelled, no person
ever being able to see her face
This strange couple had been in the
city but "A few weeks when the young
woman was taken sick, and the announce
ment of the physicians who attended her
pronounced her case hopeless from the
first. Nothing was left undOne by the
kind ladies of the town. She was sick
and a stranger, what needed they of
further introduction The young girls of
the place kept her room bower of fra
grant flowers, while the elder members
sent her every dainty procurable
Days passed on and the sparkle, once so
apparent in the dark eyes, gave place to
the shadow of sickness that dimmed their
brilliant lustre. The checks, once man
tied with the quick flush of youth, faded
away, leaving a face pale and sunken by
acute suffering. All knew now that the
end must be near. and there were few
who did not send up silent prayer from
their hearts for the sweet, loved soul so
soon to appear before its Maker
II was Just at sunset she breathed her
last. Her devoted husband supported the
tender form and closed the loving eyes
when death had left them still and cold
Few and simple were the ceremonies
over the grave-a prayer, a hymn, and
the heavy clods upon the coffin sounded
the requiem to the end Of a short, pure
life.
The husband remained in Alexandria
but few days, leaving secretly and never
reavement. 1t was never known at what
particular time he left or TO what place
he went.
Many rUmors were afoat. Some said
he had drowned himself in the waters of
the Potomac when finding himself alone
and bereft of his only happiness; others
said that he had iOurn9yed to foreign
lands. The latter seems the most proba-
BILE, since each year brought a sum of
money to be expended on the lonely grave
beneath the willow in the old cemetery
It was in the summer of 1917 that the
fiat marble slab bearing the strange in
scription, was placed over her grave in
the night time, by whom none ever knew.
Within few weeks after this the land
lord at whose hotel the strangers had
been guests received a draft for sum OF
money. to be used in placing around the
grave a brick wall, sUrmOunted by a cope
stone, and that upon the stone should be
erected an iron railing, so high that no
one could get into the enclosure.
The money was used as directed, but
since then, however, land the destruction
Of the railing a marble enclosure has
been placed around the little lot.
The annual remittance continued until
the year 1885. Then as it came no longer
it was supposed the gentleman had died