Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-07
erlhph 10 .His vile martha. !"

'.Speakii,g of queer epitaphs, said,
the raconteur of the smokers club. re-
minds me of a trip took to the ozark
Mountains with a party OF TRENDS. II
was late in September when We found
ourselves at Eureka Springs. Ark that
pretty little resort which lies between
the East and West mountains IN what
may be called one of the loveliest val
leys In the country.
Never mind the scenery" said one Of
the clubmcn, . nervous, dry smoker" tell
us the yarn
.Who is telling this story?" asked the
raconteur IF you have ever been there
you can corroborate what l say. We
stopped at a hotel located at the top of a
bluff almost directly over Basin Spring,
which owes its name to a curious forma-
lion caused by the dropping Of water for
endless years on a moving rock until 1t
was followed out into the shape of a ba-
sir"
STOW the guide book part called out
{; travelling man from behind cloud Of
smoke.
II am giving You points of interest in
that neighborhood. and you should thank
me instead of interrupting to scott. We
went on an excursion every day, and one
morning started out on horseback 10 visit
the Four Mile Cave. famous for its sta
lactites. After going couple of miles
one of our horses cast a shoe. The delay
occurred near a little cemetery, below
which ran the White river. 1t was such
there while my friends hunted up o
blacksmith, and ! did not find it alto
gether lonely, as other visitors wert
moving about in the distance, and the Ole
cacetaker of the graves was within hail
ing. | passed the time waiting in read
ing the headstones on some rather pre-
tentous mounds, and in this way came
TO an exceedingly odd and incongruous
epitaph, which | transferred TO paper
with a rude copy of the design. How il
this for a euiogy on a partner:
My wife Martha. Her picked up din
ners We're perfect success.
'It was so jolly after the dreadful anf
untruthfu literature of the other monu
ments that / must have showed my
amusement in my face, for the old sex
ton drew near and said:
'Howdy? S'pose yer readin' wots OF
that there stun?
"'Why, yes said. Did you know tbs
woman?
did I know Marthy? Why. lor bles:
yer. everybody knew Marthy-least tina
Warnt her name till she was dead. iel
name was Molly Jones, but them huntin
fellers ailus called her Marthy. caus,
they said 1t were scripter. Spose yel
don't hunt much? This be great place
for thet, this be-
And just then | heard the mellow cal
of a hunters horn along the river banl
below. answered by the cry of a pack o
hounds. The old man pricked up his ears
Thar. do yer hear thet? Thet b.
George Perry an his houns. They b.
goin' to hev fox hound | reckon. SCI
'em Thar they be right down thar. 1el
see, it was George Perry's father the
really paid fer tibet stun.
''Who was this Martina | asked.
Wall. she useter be the head cook a
the ole Perry house afore she marie,
Bill Jones. AFTER she got spliced the,
moved back inter the mountings, an KEEP
a kind of IA tavern thar tibet the hunters
unster stop at when they went out o.
trips Eff they ketched ennyt hing Mol.
ulster cook ii for EN-, an eff they didn'
they he'd to eat one o. her picked-up din
chore. She cud make most ennythint
taste good, an ole kurnel Perry usete
say tibet his big tavern couldn't set n,
spred ekal to Mollys picked-up dinners.
Who raised this stone to her mem
ory?'
g I'm comm to tibet, stranger. WheI
Molly he'd to die lots of folks felt purt,
bad. an kurnel he up an says, says he
''Ill stan the 'spense of a monnymunt t,
what he called her crownin virtue. H
said Their warn't no great scripter abou
it, but twas jest the gospel o. her dali,
Twin, an eff Bin Jones didn't object
they'd let 1t stan fer wot it was wuth
An he put Marthy on as more befittin
her name for alluS maxim folks confer
table, an eff tibet isn't savin' grace IL
like to know
so would L. and wringing the Ok
mans hand joined my friends, thinking
of that other Martha numbered will
much serving. and wondering If after al
the spirit that makes folks comfortable
isn't another name for saving grace. a
the old sexton suggested. '-Chieagt
Times Herald.