The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-04-27
A small white marble cross, with just
this inscription:i
"QUEENIE."
Died February 4, 1861.
Aged Is.

church, ana, as sure as i ala so, my
footsteps would lead me, almost un-
consciously To- this little grave, ana
there would stop. l do not know how
IL was. but the first time my eyes fell
upon the headstone, with its brief in
scription. l felt my attention strangely
arrested, and an unusual sense of mel
ancholy steal upon me. Now, am the
reverse of sentimental-the last man
in the world to feed my fancy with
morbid speculations. Tombstones, IN
deed, had always interested me; but
that was mainly because j had weak
ness for quaint epitaphs. and found my
fancy often tickled. now by the POM
posity, now by the unintended humor,
now by the delicious irony or some IN
scription.
Our parish churchyard has It's charac-
teristic specimens. One Noah wilcox
lies buried there. on whose tomb ap-
pears the text: Except ye repent, We
shall all likewise perish" which al
ways thought a most cruel imputation
on the departed Noah. There IL an
other--a peculiarly delightful one--on
the headstone OF two children, who died
early in the century:
Through eating poisonous vegetables
Mistaken for champignons;
Died within a few hours OF each other
in excruciating agonies.
Their father mother and alas. now an
only child.
Partakers OF the same meat.
Survive with debilitated constitutions,
10 lament
So dreadful a calamity.
While on an adjacent tablet the moral
Is drawn thus:
This monument Is erected TO perpet-
uate the sad event,
as an awful caution TO others,
Let IL be. too, a solemn warning
that in our most grateful enjoyments,
even In our necessary food
may lurk "A deadly poison,
and when health and strength
fatter us most with length OF days,
some unforeseen misfortune may snatch
us in anguish TO
ETERNITY.
/ had just been enjoying the above,
read then by me for the first time. and
the smile was still on my lips when.
strolling a few PAGES onward. j came
10 halt i'm front of Queenie's grave
! have said that / am not morbid.
was then i'm my least morbid OF moods.
The Solemn warning cit is shock
ing thing To say, but ii is the TRUTH
had only tickled me. / could not, had
] tried, have squeezed out "a tear for the
premature and painful death of the
poisoned children, nor have fetched
sigh for the debilitated constitutions OF
the survivors. / was. in fact, disposed
10 be distinctly hilarious about IL. In
that mood my rowing eyes fell upon
Queenies cross. They rested there
for how long do not know. l had fall
len into what our country folk call
stud" and there. insensible OF such
material things as minutes, l fingered,
musing
Queenie-mysteriou unknown Quee-
ME Why no record of thee--no de-
scription? Only just that sweet pet
name. Was the story OF thy short
young life story of sin and shame.
that a veil should thus be drawn over
thine Identity? I cannot think so, gen.
tie Queenie. Thine image rises before
me- How sweet that face; how tender.
how true, how sad. Unshed tears are
sparkling i'm thy brown eyes. A wealth
OF dark hair crowns thy pale forehead.
Thy little. mobile mouth quivers. Thou
are alone-alonei No one into whose
arms thou canst fling thyself, poor child
upon whose breast thous canst hide
thy face, and sob forth the cruel grief
that is choking thee. But thy heart
must break for lack of a comforter,
and
Good day. sir. Did yer want to
know the 'ist'ry o. that ere grave?"
I strated. quite angry at being thus
awakened from my absorbing day
dream. A man stood at my elbow; a
SNUG fellow with a smirk on his face,
and an eye which ] may be allowed TO
describe as 'tippy' eye. Probably
he was the sexton.
mo. thank you was my curt re-
joinder.
"Oh, | beg your parding. sir; but yer
seem interested and I thought yer
might like to ear all about that Quee-
ME-"
I could almost have struck the fellow
for the contemptuous, familiar way in
which he uttered her name. II was very
absurd OF me: I'm fact. altogether ridi-
cIt-tfs. For why on earth should | con-
stitute myself the champion OF this un-
known girl who had died so many years
ago? Yet, here | was as indignant n
his tone as IL he had spoken with Of
fensive familiarity OF my own mother
or sister, Realizing the absurdity of
my feelings. 7 checked the angry re-
buke that was on my lips. and merely
replied. with cold formality.
81 am much Obliged. | will not trou-
bic YOU"
You know about 'er, maybe?" he
persisted.
Yes" said "I know about her"
Then turned and walked away.
And | had not said that merely 20
get rid OF him. | did know Queenle as
her sweet image had risen before me;
as / wished to know her. as I should
always think OF her. Were her story
different from the story OF my mag
nation 7 had no desire 90 hear IL at
all. Were II the same. had no desire
to hear IL debased, vulgarized. robbed
OF all its poetry by translation into the
language OF this Snug Philistine. The
mere notion of such n thing was OF.
fensive TO me-nay. downright sacri-
ligious. | resented IL as hotly as
should have done the suggestion of
personal affront.
Now you. my reader, viii already
Beware Of 0lnlmenIs For CataHh That