Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-07

fall for moment and indif-
ferently on gray rock wall
above which rises green terrace
topped with a hedge of arbor vitae and
other old trees that shade many messy
tombs. The wall and terrace extend
along Thirty fifth street to It's junction
with Wisconsin avenue and thence
along that busy way to q point not
far to the southeast of the west en-
trance to the naval observatory
grounds. The wall and terrace are
considerably higher on Thirty fifth
street than on Wisconsin avenue. Near
the northwesterly end of the stone wall
on Wisconsin avenue are three heavy
black iron gates. two for an entrance
for carriages and hearses and one for
persons afoot. South Of the gates and
on the terrace is a frame building of
old pattern. The wall and the gates
are those of Hollywood cemetery and the
frame dwelling is the home of the
sexton.
Not many persons pass through those
iron gates, for most of the graves
within are old, and few persons visit
at old graves. Some men with sad
dened faces and a few black-veiled
women bearing flowers enter, but In
nearly all cases their grief Is fresh.
~
II you enter Holyrood you will proba-
bly, follow a yellow-red gravel road that
turns to the left and gently climbs uphill
between irregularly planted and express
i've yews. cedars. box trees and arbor
vitae All around you il a luxuriant al
most rank and riotous growth OF green
vines and shrubs and a wealth Of flowers.
whose dominant note is white. They
grow upon graves. at the head Of graves.
at the foot of graves and by the side OF
graves. Out of the vine and foyer tangle
jut headstones and those more preten-
tious memorials to the dead which we
call monuments.
As the yellow-red road leads you on and
up you rise to a height considerably
above the rumbling. rafting streets and
looking over the tops Of the street trees
. wide vista of city, hazy ridges and
shining river opens before and below you.
You are looking at scenes familiar In the
long ago to the people now sleeping at
yonr feet Even in this, the newer part
OF the cemetery, some OF the little burial
plots have a trimmer look than others.
In the sod Of this and that grave 10 plant
ed stake. at the top OF which is long,
narrow sign inscribed Perpetual Care.
In other plots. where the grass Is long
and the shrubbery spreading wild. there is
no written sign. but one can plainly read
''Forgetfulness.'
At length the road leads You to a
space in the cemetery suggesting. be-
cause of its form. an amphitheater. The
background Is myrtle-matted terrace,
and in the center Of this terrace is the
red sandstone face of a burial vault,
the receiving vault, ught-closed by iron
doors. 1t Is so quiet here that perhaps
you may hear no sound other than the
sexton as with pick and spade he digs
another grave. 1t Ii Q somber place,
whore one may give rein to thoughts of
happy melancholy.
II you continue your walk you will
come to the top of the hill, whence you
look west and south. The view to the
west reaches far over woods and fields,
and ridge succeeds ridge until the farth-
est merges with the sky. To the south
the river with its green marsh borders
stretches far away. Perhaps reverently
or ahstractedly you are reading the In
scriptions of the tombstones that look
very old. From under the moss that
feeds on marble and granite you spell
out names and decipher dates.
y
It is in the western or the older part
Of this cemetery where one is most i'm
pressed that time heals grief for and seems
to bring forgetfulness of the dead. 1t
will not do to write that 'it is garden
grown to seed-things rank and gross
in nature possess 1t merely" because
though the temptation Of people who
write to use quotations In order to dis
play their reading Is often strong, the