Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-07-21
1"s Is,, York

NEW YORK. The sections OF
the old Trinity church. In lower
Broadway. will tell you OF white
haired pilgrims who still come 20
ask about the flat stone slab that
marks the grave OF Charlotte
Temple"
Their number decreases each
year. America has just about for
gotten the most sentimentally trag-
gic and wistfully romantic heroine
Of Its early days. Hers was a story
that passed from generation TO gen.
Grafton after the Revolutionary
War. The grave stone was once
n OF the sights OF New York.
Tourist trips were routed to include
II In their lntinerary. Millions OF
tears have fallen at the recitation
or the story.
Today. stenographers from Wall
Street. dressed In gay summer at
tire. nibble at sandwiches as they
troll through the historic Trinity
churchyard. They chatter 20 each
other OF over-Sunday romances al
the beach: OF dance dates and the
alter invitations from their boy
friends"
cha fotte Temple" OF the old.
old. tale. knew no such happy mo-
ments. Hers was one Of those tear
stained lives of the pre-Laura Jean
Libby variety.
The creator OF charlotte" was
one Susannah Rowson, OF Ply
mouth. England. and the book was
based on the true story OF another
girl OF very similar name.
The story was that or a beauti-
ful young English girl who ran off
To America with a dashing young
army officer. They came TO New
York without benefit OF wedlock.
After a time. due to social and
army inducements. the young Off
Ger found IL important 10 move his
heart-torn sweetheart 20 a seclud-
ed place in the country. There he
would visit her from time 70 time.
furnishing enough money for her
support. Meanwhile, too. I've had
arranged for her to be tutored and
prepared for the station Of his po-
tential wife.
Meanwhile. also. a charming
young lady OF the Colonial society
set had come along Ga ar excellent
martial prospect. and poor Char
lotte became more and more neg
lected. However. he continued TO
send money 10 her and some kind
neiEhbors. hearing her sad story,
had become sympathetic and help
ed her az a time when she vas In
saddest need-for she was about
TO become a mother.
Charlotte ultimately found her
self alone and penniless and des-
perate. She went 70 her old tutor
and to others. only TO be turned
away from the door. Her old neigh
bors appealed TO her father to for
give and forget but when the faith
er arrived in America II "a toe
late-Charlotte had died In child
birth. And the young army officer.
haunted by his conscience and still
In love with her. searched the old
countryside for her. only 70 Be in
terrupted by "a passing funeral. On
making inquiry. he learned that
this was the burial service OF his
old sweetheart. Whereupon he
threw himself upon the grave and
begged the girls father TO slay him.
The father refused and the young
man thereafter wandered the earth
a morose and melancholy soul.
All Of which became one Of the
best sellers-some 5000 copies be-
ing sold in the colonies alone. For
many generations. the grave bore
the name Of the real-life figure.
after whose story the book was
fashioned. But as the centuries
passed. many things happened to
the original Trinity churchyard.
The name on the stone was chang
ed and a metal plate marked the
resting place OF Charlotte Tenn
pie" 10 became one OF the most
famous graves In all America. One
day some ghoul stole the metal
marker. leaving a slight depress-
ion in the stone slab. Here for
many years. sections OF the church
left flowers from the church.
But visitors are few in these DAYS.
and the heroine OF Americas old
est sentimental tragedy Is being
slowly forgotten.