The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-10-21
BILL ARP ON GHOSTS.

The Remark able Noises in an Old
Mansion-Ho Believes the Story. Rut
Don't Put Much Stress on Ghosts.
"Old Mortality" was one of Walter
Scott's most interesting characters.
This long bearded, venerable man spent
all the later years OF his life in going
about from Cemetery to cemetery in
rechiseling and remarking the marble
slabs that covered the graves of the
dead. Not only that, but he cleaned
them OF the mould and stain and set
them up square and level and did II
out OF respect for his dead kindred and
friends. Nearly fifty years ago 1 visit
cd Laurel Hill, the beautiful homo of
the dead OF Philadelphia. and the first
INN tn,ng that greeted me at the entrance
was Dr0wnstOne statue of Old Nor
tallty, working on a weather. beaten
marble slab. A little dried up, spec
tacled old gentleman with pea. Jacket
coat on and the big pockets filed with
chlsels and mallets and brushes and
old rags. Maybe he is there vet. I
don't know, but thought Of him the
other day as ] wandered through the
silent city of the dead in Myrtle Hill at
Somc, Ga. 1t has been about forty
years since helped to lay off that
cemetery, and people have been NOV
Ing there ever since and u good motto
to place over the gate would be "For
men may come and men may go, but |
go o. forever"
An old-time friend was with me, and
| cant help but think of him as "Old
Mortality" for he has been nursing
and cherishing that graveyard for over
thirty years and has made it place of
beauty and JOY forever. He has long
fot III
lawyer and a learned Judge, but know
that he never took as much interest or
real pleasure in anything as in beauti-
Tying and adOrning that lovely and
romantic place. He has spent hun
dreds OF dollars there out of his own
pocket. His lot, with it's Italian marble
monument to the memory Of his wife,
Is marvel of exquisite beauty. l saw
where he had righted up and placed q
new Foundation under the monument
OF the wife Of far distant friend.
Within the last year or two he has
been to Macon and reformed and re-
newcd the monuments that mark his
parents graves. He has been to Eaton
ton and worked on those Of his brothers
ana sisters who died in the long ago,
and has placed tombstones over the
graves of his grand parents. He talk
cd to me feelingly aoout some neglect
ed graves OF our friends who sleep in
the old graveyard at R)me that nobody
cares for and is well nigh abandoned.
when get through with them" he
said, II shall feel satisfied and take
rest from this business and endeavor TO
be ready for my own funeral" If he
Is not Old MOI tality now be will be If
he lives long enough.
Well, | like that. We all like It;
that Is to say, all kind-hearted. refec-
tive people. Some people are afraid
OF graveyard, especially young peo-
pie, who have horror of death, but it
Is foolish fear and wears off as we get
older, When l was a youth at coun-
try school there was braggart sort of
a boy named Baldwin who said he
wasent afraid Of ghosts. Jim Linton
bet him dollar that he wouldcnt go
down to the rocky field that night
and cut sassafras bush that was near
an Old gravt and bring it to the house.
The money was put up. Just about
dark jim slipped around and hid be-
hind rockpile that was near the
bushes that had grow around the
gave: When Baldwin got there and
was about TO cut the sassafras Linton
said solemnly in deep bass voice,
'Beware that's my grave" and Bald
win ran home with Jim after him and
like to have tainted at the door. When
was the little mill BOY and had to
pass country graveyard on tho way
and happened to be late in getting my
grist from the miller it was q strain on
my youthful courage to 60 slow by the
sacred mysterious place. But go fast
you cant on an old sway back mare
with a bag OF meal under you. For
three or four years | was on the look
out for ghost in the twilight, but
l never saw one and | reckon 1t helped
me later on, for my wife lived near the
village graveyard and when l was
courting her and kneeling at her shrine
had to pass near it every night or two
and 1t was & test OF my love and my de-
votlon, for neither rain nor darkness
intim!dated mo, which proves that love
Is stronger than fear. Some moon
| light nights when | was little pre-
mature | have walked inside of that
timc-honored place and sat upon the
tombatoncs and peruscd the epitaphs
and the epitaffy for it Is reaeeming
! trait II car humanity TO speak well OF
the dead, especially upon their tombs.
[ don't believe in visible ghosts, but
some strange things have happened
since the Witch of Endor called up the
ghost Of Samuel. One night in Florida
a number OF US were giving in our ex-
perience when my old college friend,
Mckay, took his turn. He Is too old
TO prevaricatc or eXaggerate. He
travelled in Europe with his wife and