Evening journal., 1897-12-08
TRUE TALE OF OLD SWEDES.
OF AWOMAN PROMI-
NENT IN CHURCH WORK IN ONE
OF DEI.AWARE'S TOWNS.

EXPERIENCE OF AWOMAN PROMI-
NENT IN CHURCH WORK IN ONE
OF DELAWARE'S TOWNS.
Although had been in Wilmington
several times prior to that of which l
write, l had never seen Old Swedes
! Church This is doUbiy singular be-
cause, in addition to being Of en- in
quiring and investigating tmn Of mind,
was also a devout churchwoman.
Since infancy my religious training
had been received in the little Protes-
tant Episcopal church and chapel in
the town of my nativity, situated about
| thirty miles from ,he metropolis CT our
state. To me the name of Old Swedes
was redolent with the memories and
traditions Of church work in Delaware,
and ! entertained for that venerable
edifice my full share OF the universal
reverence which it commands.
| When / was quite a young girl my
Unc,e John died and was buried in
| Wilmington. | was not present at tho
| funeral but ether members of the fam
lily were. In tlF0se days travelling was
not so cheap CT so pleasant as it is in
these days of mechanical invention and
application. ii / ever was told where
Uncle john was buried I did not carry
it in my mind, and, as the years rolled
by, he became but one of many faina
memories of the past.
But enc night he and his place Of
! burial were recalled to my mind in "a
most singular and not very Pleasant
manner. 1t was a Pleasant night in
early May. Worn Out with The dutics
of The day l had retired rather early
and was soon fast asleep. Shortly be-
fore midnight l had a dream. II was
that 1 was in strange city. taverslng
a narrow and ill-kept street leading 10
4 small church. gray with years, un-
usual in architectural design and sur
rounded by a ChurchyaTd, the monu-
merits, slabs. headstones and footstOnes
of which bore evidence of the ravages
of years of weather upon their Cnce-
| white faces.
When I reached the churchyard en-
closure / found that, to enter its sacred
precincts, / must pass a sort Of stile.
Once inside 1 began wandering around,
reading the inscriptions upon the
stones which marked the last earthly
resting places Of men and women who
had distinguished themselves in some
manner in the battle of life Many cf
the names were familiar to me; some
of the dead l had known personally,
and | read there the names of persons
with whom / had, in earlier days,
friendly relations. But Of all the graves
/ visited in my dream the one which
had for me the greatest fascination
was in a comparatively retired spot
near one end of the church edifice. 1t
was unmarked by any stone, and had
sunk in for lack of attention during the
many years succeeding the depositing
Of the sacred clay within its narrow
confines. / could net tell myself why
It was, but / was 10th to leave that spot
and was looking at it intently and
wondering what bound me TO it when
my maid entered the room and brought
my strange and unCanny visit to q sud
, den termination.
= The dream was deeply impressed on
my memory and, try as l would
could not recall any incident in eithel
my past or present life to explain its
place or meaning.
Two years later / visited cousin il
/ | Wilmington, and she insisted upor
I | showing me the points Of interest The
e city afforded.
J Before l go home / should like t,
} | see Uncle Johns grave, l suggested t,
] | her one afternoon as we were putting
q on cur wraps preparatory to going out
e You shall see it this very after
t neon" she replied
t The subject was dropped and w
, | went out for cur stroll.
S After a walk of fifteen or twenty min
e Utes my surroundings seemed strangel
familiar. l endeavored to recall q pre-
r vious visit and could not. Then it al
n L.
: had had two years before Yes, ther
was the old gray church, the weather
!, | beaten grave-stOnes, and the stile owe
J. ] which / had clambered in my dream.
2, | There, too, was the cool, shady, grass
carpeted retreat of those who had bee
passing away from day to day for NOR
than century
Is "That is old Swedes," remarked m
4 cousin. Then noticing the look of SUI
prise upon my face. she continue,
But what is the matter, dear-are yo
i'll?
reassured her as to my health an
lr requested her to remain where she ws
until she saw me stop and beckon f,
J. her to rejoin me. Her face manifesto
le both incredibly and anxiety, but 81
granted my request.
Hastily walking along the sho
T. stretch Of street. 4 mounted the sti
and was soon within the churchyal
and enclosure. Without a moment
% | hesitation / traversed path leading
" The end OF the church and saw the
what l expected to fnd-the gras
m grown and sunken grave. Then
1n beckCned to my companion to come
OF me. she did So Pointing TO the ne
-u lected grave / asked
"Whcse it it?"
And she replied, your Uncle John
"a How did YOU guess it?v
1t was tcO long a story. for me to g
A. peat just then. In my agitati1nI cou
- simply stand and wonder. and to q
day have never ceased WONDERING u,
r. It happened. But l told her all VIII
n We reached home
ne PLANS FOR. A NEW BUILDING
Architect Rice is preparing plans