The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-08-16
An Interesting Sketch of an Old and

An Interesting Sketch of an Old and
Abandoned Baltimore County Church.
About one mile west of the village Of Wood
ensburg, Baltimore county, in the heart of a
forest, where three roads meet stand the
abandoned church and churchyard of Mount
Gilead. of the Methodist faith.
Tradition afirms that Mount Gilead Park,
the adjoining country estate Of Mr.. II. G..
Vickery, of Baltimore was once the site of
fiourishing camp-meeting ground, but, how
ever that may be, the old church of stone,
rough casted was founded by Messrs. Rich
ards, Jones and Henkles, and built in 1888.
1t stands on a grassy knoll, overarched by
huge oak and hickory trees, whose roots are
clasped by periwinkle vines. In the rear of
the little edifce lies tiny graveyard. 1t is
graveyard that boasts of no sexton and where
the office of pall-bearer is no sinecure. Neigh
bors unite at intervals to clear away unseemlY
tangles of wild carrot or to dig their neigh
bors' graves, and pall-bearers are each pro-
vided with spade with which to fill in the
open tomb as a last service to departed friend.
Some of the memorial stones are modern
and stately in design, but the majority are
time-stained and quaint-truly "sculptured
urns'-since most of them are pictorially
adorned with whole bas-reief scenes sugges.
tive of grief or immortality and volumes of
verse by way of epitaph
The following is copied, with, its peculiar
spelling, from a gravestone overhung with
sculptured roses:
I'm memory OF Nancy Chew, consort of
John f. Richards, who departed this life De-
cember A. 1853 in hope of blessed immor-
tally, aged "a years and days"
Her faultless shape appeared with every grace,
While beauty sat triumphant in her face.
Her hair of brightest auburn in ringlets flowed
And charms beyond the reach of art bestowed.
Her forehead white. her radiant eyes.
The bright celestial hues that paint the skies,
A gentle blush her blooming cheeks disclose
The native tincture of an op'ning rose.
II nf oFf1n QT1dd
Revealed the spotless mind that dwelt within.
Under a huge horizontal slab elevated few
inches above the ground rests the ashes of the
two wives of Gotlieb Hustler. The glowing
eulogy to the earlier love is in significant con-
trast with the brevity of the second inscrip-
ton. They read as follows:
Mrs. Elizabeth Hustler, wife of Gotlieb Hustler,
who departed this life March %, aged 43 years
and months.
From care and pain, from sin and sorrow freed
Here rest the ashes of saint indeed;
Whose patient faith no suffering hour could
move,
Whose hope grew stronger and more pure her
love.
True to her Lord in every state resign'd,
She bore His constant meek and lovely mind.
Till at His word her spirit soar'd away
To see His face through Heav'nS unclouded day.
Also Elizabeth Hustler second wife of Got
leb Hustler who departed this life January
20. 1855, aged IS years II months and days.
If the women are not all dead who refuse
to tell their ages, at least one of them rests at
Mount Gilead, as witness the following in
scribed under marble weeping willow
In memory of Mrs. Elenor Bond consort of
Mr.. Edward Bond who departed this life 18th
day of May, 1852 aged about so years.
This polished marble at her head
Is reared in honor of the dead.
Long, long. the story may it tell:
How well she lived how calm she fell
Farewell, my friends, farewell to you,
My kindred all, a long adieu.
Reflect whenever this you see
That YOU will shortly follow me-
Upon the gravestoDe of Willie T., son of
Frank H. and Tillie Helms, who died Janu-
airy 80, 1874. aged years and months, is
probably the original inscription of the ia
milar memorial lines oft quoted in obituary
announcements
Little Willie was our darling,
Pride of all our hearts at home,
But an angel came and whispered
Little Willie do come home.
On a small cross nearby is inscribed the
somewhat enlightening sentence:
To my brother
One deliberately engraved headstOne repre-
sents background of weeping willow tree
beneath which stands a griefstricken Niobe
bending over a funeral urn. Her head is SO
draped with marble veilings as to give the ap-
pearance that the afflicted lady is shedding
copious tears into a white marble handker-
chief. An hourglass and a broken rose, each
half the size of the dsconsolate woman, orna-
ment the sides of the bas-relief while below
is inscribed:
Dangers stand thick through all the ground
To push us to the tomb,
And fierce diseases wait around
To hurry mortals home.
Great God, on what slender thread
Hang everlasting things,
The eternal states of all the dead,
Upon life's feeble strings.
The congregation of old Mount Gilead
Church has removed to Woodensburg, where
a new frame church was erected in 1899 at a
cost of So, 500 by s. w. Coe and other men,
bers. The edifce was designed by Mr. Will
liam II. Hodges, of Baltimore.-"Odd Tales"
in Baltimore San.