Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-14

srandchild But a unitarian age had
other views. and the spot on the old farm
hallowed once by the mausoleum is now
an alleyway. In this tomb her coffin
F, bears two plates. one the gift of the citi-
! zens of Washington. referring TO her
| piety. charity and worth.
One Of the few statues I'm the cemetery
IS an eff1gy OF an old rector of the church
of Mrs. Van Ness establishment after
ward bishop OF the diocese, William
Pinckney He was rector Of the Church
Of the Ascension for many years, and a
great friend OF ". w. Corcoran. Be-
cause OF this friendship the philanthropist
gave the parish the splendid piece Of
| property where the church Of that name
now is Every one loved Dr. Pinckney,
| but many wondered why. seemingly so
young in heart, ne seemed so old in ap-
| pearance. 1t was a loving vanity that
I whitened his hair-the desire TO equal in
| appearance of years his much-Ioved wife
IT Is said. She, a charming lady and
most talented, was a dear friend OF his
mothers and the confidant of his youthful
love affairs before he had thoughts of a
| spiritual vocation.
The most serious Of these affairs nearly
broke his tender heart, and his only COM
fort arose from pouring his woes into the
sympathetic ear Of his lifelong friend.
She by the by. had fashioned bis christen-
ing robe. One day he made tie startling
discovery that he had never really been
In love before. but now adored with all
his heart his gentle friend. Their mar
ried life was very happy. and he always
from that time, cultivated an elderly
manner.
! southern sympathizer during the war
| the bishop remained in the city, quietly
holding services and tending the sick and
destitute. One day on reaching the
| Church Of the Ascension for service he
| found the door open, but q guard with
| fixed bayonets barring his entrance. He
was told that he had offended the powers
that be by not praying for victory for
the northern army. and that he could hold
| no moro services unless he promised to
obey.
] But he was a bit OF a lawyer. at least
in ecclesiastical law. and declared that he
based his declination to offer the gov
eminent prayer on the illegality of adding
| to or subtactfng from the prescribed
service OF the church. Moreover, he took
the matter to the house Of bishops. and
was upheld in his stand.
81
Near by the mausoeum that Travelled
all the way from the city are some graves
| whose occupants had more than one Jour-
| ney to the grave. One is the tomb Of the
famous pastor of the First Presbyterian
| Church within the District. Stephen
Balch was shepherd of his flock for fifty
three years. From the time he took
charge Of the only Protestant congrega.
| tion between Alexandria and Rock creek
| to the day OF his Death he welded i'm
| mense influence in local affairs. He held
| probably the first open-air service in the
city, and It was in memory Of Gen. Wash
| tngtonS whose death had but recently oc-
CURED. He drilled the boys Of the town
into so good company that they and he
took part In the battle of Bladensburg.
He Is supposed to have married and
| buried more of the first families" than
any one minister Of the gospel in the his
tory of this part Of the country. When
his labors finally ended and he was called
| 70 come up higher every store in town
closed its doors while the funeral service
was held. His church and the graveyard
where he was buried had to give place to
| the march OF business. and Oak Hill is
honored by the custody Of his ashes
Quite different figure in the service of
the Great King was Lorenzo Dow, who
once held service I'm the Capital and filled
the hall with eloquence. With his faith
ful Peggy" his body slept for years at
Holmead. But again a utilitarian age
said move on to the seepers. so they also
| ind quiet rest under the oaks on the hill
| A splendid shaft has defied the storms
Beauty" TO the Beast Beautiful Hat
| tie Williams. the Georgetown school miss
who captured the heart of the Russian
minister. some forty years her senior,
| loved her Russian bear. as the Count
Bodisco was called. and when he died tie
| streets of Georgetown and the lanes ~
| the graveyard witnessed the unique sight
| of burial party on foot. The weather
! was bad and the lady of the count fol-
lowed on foot after the bier all the way
1t Is Russian custom and when her sis
| ter had died at st. Petersburg Count
| Bodisco walked TO her grave. So his
| widow, though IL almost cost her life
| showed him the same honor The circular
plot where Bodisco lies. surrounded By his
| children. looks rather sad, for though the
enduring stone is as sound as ever, there
| Is never a blossom laid at its base. The,
only ones Of his blood not lying by him
are In far away Russia, where his grand
daughter is maid of honor to the en-
press.