The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-06-21
FACTS AND FANCIES For WOMAN AND THE HOME CIRCLE

to the left hand had wonderful lure
for me as child, but for some reason
my Sunday wall1s with my father and
the other children. never included It,
though was always given a promise
that some day ] should explore 4. 1
was advised however that it was not
worth while, that It led to nowhere.
Such statement did not however damp
en- my lively childish imaginations and
J the lure Of the road was IN my heart.
Just around this turn to me lay the
world. wealth and fame and some day
must travel It
Often when at some fancied harsh
ness on the part OF my more than in
dulgent mother, have packed UP my
little bundle Of clothes, choosing care
fully that my tnroads on my ward
robe might not arouse family ire. I
have started out TO leave for ever this
cruel woman" with whom lived Ito
lind my own dear mother. In my fan.
cy would wend my way out this coun
try road where Just beyond its curve
felt sure would find this other
woman whom was seeking and she
would be wonderfully beautiful and
very rich and would receive her long
lost child with great Joy. How would
| heap Goals of fire on the heads of fos-
ter sisters by sending them beautiful
gowns out of my wonderful store. But
l never explored the road in fact
never got any further than the front
gate until the cruel mother would call
and ask me If wouldn't be her little
| girl a while longer and with tragic
remembrance of my trip this once but
with ominous threats for next time
i turned back to the home which had
given me shelter for six long years.
The main road continuing straight
ahead paused at the grave yard where
big gate hung on rusty hinges.
screeohed It's protest at the entrance
OF each visitor Directly adjacent was
an old fashioned stile for foot travel
ers. 1t was such friendly stile, such
broad low steps and not very high,
that 1t had no terors for small feet
, and short legs. On the other hand It
was most alluring and we children Of
ten crossed 1t when the gate stood
wide open.
Quaint old fashioned monuments
tomb stones" one would naturally
call them were almost buried in the
tall grass and there was also a riot
OF garden flowers Pink lowered
moss covered many a sunken grave
and yellow lilies, roses, holly hooks
and other varieties OF flowers grew
wild. There was no sign to be seen
asking that the flowers be unmolest,
ed but an Unborn reverence for the
abode of the dead must have possess.
ed us for do not remember that the
flowers were ever carried away.
Among the queer tombstones several
several hnger best in my memory.
One broad fiat stone contained the
portrait OF a person who lay buried
beneath and much to my regret the
stone bore the information that the
person buried there was man. The
portrait was so badly disefigured by
rain and storm that we could not dis
ttngush the features and had it not
been for the cold facts which the in.
scrtpton related my childish imagina-
tion could have pictured Just the kind
or person that l wished it to be-a
beautiful young girl. am sure might
have been the one about whom might
have weayed my dreams. One day
when we VISITED the spot we discover.
ed that some one had scratched the
portrait from the stone and our child
ish soul turned sick at the thought of
such sacrilege
Another grave was that of woman.
1t was built up of brick for perhaps
foot and half high and a huge slab
OF marble as large as an average door
coveredit completely. The Inscription
told us that the body of a woman rest.
ed there and Immediately she became
a heroine TO me. How her husband
must have loved her to have erected
such a handsome resting place for her
body. We wondered what she looked
Like and If by moving the slab away
we might even behold her we tried
but were never able to accomplish our
purpose though wobble to the stone
llent us encouragement enough that we
expended no little strength on it. That
we might be Just as wicked in so do
ing as the man, of course 1t was
man, who robbed the other stone of
its portrait-did not occur TO us-so
| loyal we were to the beautiful woman
whom we believed lay beneath the
stone.
Some day If can get my courage
beyond the place where the thought
Of snakes does not daunt me / mean to
have another walk in the old grave
yard to see If time has wrought any
more changes than when as 4 child
wandered there.
Want Cemetery "RecIalmed."