The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-08-28
PATHETIC INCIDENT
A LITTLE GRASS COVERED
GRAVE IN A CEMETERY.
Reveals One of Those Mysterious
Life Tragedies That We Read Of
in the Novels.
in the Novels.

Lille lfaStUlcS 1lal VIC NS@O VA
in the Novels.
Away off in a neglected lot in the
Fort Mill cemetery is little grave,
barely three feet in length. The lot
and gave are overgrown with grass
and weeds and neither bears eVi-
dence of having received kindly at
tention for years. Indeed, t is prob
able that of the many who have WIS.,
tied the cemetery in, recent years not
more than a score have seen the
little grave. At its head is small
wooden slab, now all but rotted
away, the only token of child that
same into the wrold many years
ago to brighten and bless for brief
season the home of its parents.
Then the little one, stricken with
malignant fever and unable to
withstand the emaciating ravages of
the disease, passed out into the great
beyond, leaving behind a sorrow
stricken home. Shortly after the
death of the child the parents, COM
parative strangers moved away,
and not until a few days ago had
anything been heard OF them in
this community; so far as the pen-
pie here knew they had gone the
way of the child. Few remembered
that the family ever lived here and
they were as seldom thought of as
tn child's grave was seen. But the
grave was not forgotten-by one.
1t is the last resting place of a child
whose memory is loved as devotedly'
by it's father. as it was on that far
day, 20-odd years ago, when the lit
tie one was taken.
Late one afternoon some weeks
ago l was standing in the shade Of
tree on the lawn in front Of the
Presbyterian church, watching a.
number of little boys playing ball
My, attention was diverted from their,
play by the approach of a buggy
whose occupant drove up to within
few feet of where~1 was standing
and hitched the horse. The mans
face did not seem to. be that CT a
stranger-I thought I had seen him
beforehand as is the custom Of
South CarolinianB, said good-eVe-
ming. The man returned the civility
and presently we were in conver-
sation, doing most of the talk
ing at first, for it was evident the
man was none too glad again to
meet with one he had known here
many years before. This discovery
was enough to arouse my 'chriosil
ty and to impel me to continue the
conversation.
After we had talked for few
minutes the man, noticing that j
had observed a small bunch Of flow.
'ers which he carried, apparently
from a sudden impulse began to tell
me of his life since he resided here
and of the purpose which. brought
him back-not, however, before e1!
pressing the hope that l would not
mention his name to any one in con-
nection with his visit. s..,,
Perhaps you will recall. said
he, that I, with my wife and childi
resided in Fort Mill some. years ago:
After the death here of: our child,
my wife and l decided to make our
home in another section Of the coun-
try. Less than year had: passed
after We left here when went home
one night to find that my wife was
missing. OF course / was terribly
distressed over hre disappearance
and at once began a search for her
which has not ended to. this day, but
my efforts have gone for naught, for
I have not been able to find the least
trace of her.
why she left, I have :. never
known. We had had no differences
to which I could attribute pes 'reas'
son for going away. The mystery
which surrounded her Disappearance,
together with the irreparable loss we
had so recently sustained in the
death Of our only child, all but over
came me. I determined to leave the
town in which We were living at once
and have since been as "a rudderless
ship on q shoreless sea- never stay:
ing in one place longer than':a a few
months No one could know the
sorrow her disappearance has cans.
ed me- Now l am old and almost
worn out, but have come back to
this place once more. to visit th'
grave of my child. Through all the
years that have passed since my
home was broken up have had my
face and heart turned full to Tho
imperial glory of the Masters throne
and some day I shall find that fol
which l have so long looked in vain
on this earth"
W. r. B.