Evening star., 1919-11-30
The Rambler Writes Of Several Old Churches


A granite monument stands there and
bright fall flowers were blooming
around 1t when the Rambler on n re-
cent cold Sunday copied this inscrip-
ton: Julius NARROW, October 20, lsZo
March 10, 1896; Evaline Hopkins
his wife, September 5, lS21-July D.
1913"
The other epitaphs in the little cem-
etery follow:
Fielder ,6;. G; NARROW, born Dec o. 1862 died
Marlow. died July II, 1896, aged nine months;
In Memory Of our father John Keller born
Oct r. Msms1s ds2s 9ea Fs" msh:r s lnee Edwards
beloved wife OF John Keller. bprn March 20
1885; died May o. 1909;
Carrie r.. daughter Of Vim, II. and Susie x.
Wheeler. born Sept. Is. ls>s; died Jan. ~.
J. Herman. son of f.. l.. and +. J: Fawcett.
Infant daughter of J. 7. and B. +. Hardy,
born Nov. 20 1910;
July IL, 1898; died Aug. -. 1893;
Elmer. son OF Joseph 4. and hannsa 1sne. Il.
James Hartley, died Nov 81. 1881, aged so
years.
Close to the church is n tall white
marble shaft inscribed, "Conley.' Fol-
lowing are the names and dates CHS
cled on it, Ruth Fuller Scaggs, Cam
bridge, Mass. 1918. Green Ridge. Md,
1894; Thomas Young Conley. County
Armagh. Ireland. 1909 Green Ridge,
Nd, 1887; Edgar Thomas, Washing
ton, d. c.. 1S4o. Strasburg, Va, 1852;
Elizabeth Fuller July l. 1870. April
3, 1875"
On these graves were shcafs OF
"gerbes" of fresh flowers so lately
put there that the winds had not yet
withered them. There Is something
tenderly touching in the sight OF
fresh flowers on old graves. 1t Is the
sign that in sweet remembrance are
held those whose ashes rest below. IL
must be pleasing to the spirit 10 know
that loved ones soon to follow nolo
its memory dear. There Is littie song
by Tom Moore. which comes into the
HANDLERS mind when he strays into
the churchyard and family burial
places around the city. 1t is:
This world is all a HertinS show,
For mans Illusion given:
The smiles of Joy. the tears OF woe,
Decpitful shire, dcccitful flow
There's nothing true but Heaven.
And false the light on glory's plume,
As fading hues of even;
And Love and Ho,,c,, and Beau'y's bloom,
Are blossoms gathered for the tomb.
There's nothing bright but heaven.
Foor wanderers OF stormy day.
From wave to wave were driven.
Ard fancy's fash and reasons ray
Serve but to light the troubled way
There's nothing calm but heaven.
To come at the beginning of Paint
Branch Chapel one must go back to
an old brick church. which stands on
Broad creek near where that stream
enters the Potomac river at Indian
Queen Point. one mile south or f'ort
Foote. That creek for most OF us
length is called Henson branch. Below
Washington in the Potomac country
the general distinction between a
creek and branch is that the creek
is tidal and the branch is not.
Two parts of the same stream may
he both creek and branch. Above
Washington the distinction is gem
orally because of size. large branch
being called a creek. or small creek
a branch. Henson branch rises near
Forestyille on the Marlboro pike,
which follows the highland that Is
the watershed between the Potomac
and the PatuXent. Henson branch
crosses the old T. y. road between Sill
yer Hill and Redds Corner, and
crosses the Oxon Hill and Redds Cor
of st. Ignatius Church. 1t becomes q
tidal stream or creek" where 1t
crosses the ancient IiScataway road.
a little more than Il mile south OF
New GlatZ. AT that point Its name
changes from Henson branch to Broad
creek.
On knoll just above the marshes
of the creek is the parent or ances-
trail church of all the Episcopal
churches in the District of Columbia
and Maryland west of the Eastern
branch. Sometimes il is called st.
Johns, but informally it is nearly
always called Broad Creek Church. 1t
stands in a section of the environs of
Washington for which the Rambler
has strong personal preference and
years ago he wrote many stories of
his walks down yonder" or down
"that-aWay." ST. Johns parish,
then called the parish of Piscataway.
was organized in 1852, when Maryland
was divided into Church of England
parishes. In the vestry book under
the date of January 80, 1894. is thfs:
by sufficient and lawful number Of
the inhabitants of piscataway. parish,
having met ut the house of John
Addison. esq, in said parish, they
elected the said John Addison, fore
man: William Hatton, John Smith,
William Hutchinson, William Tanne-
hill and John Smallwell to be vestry-
men in said parish, and they ordered
that forty pounds of tobacco per poll
be paid to John Addison, esq, and
William Hutchinson and that they do
employ carpenters for building
church" The first rector was the
Rev. George Tubman. In 1910 came
Nd