USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Malden > The Woodlawn cemetery in North Chelsea and Malden > Part 4
USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Chelsea > The Woodlawn cemetery in North Chelsea and Malden > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
-
WILLIAM C. HALL Died in San Francisco, Jan. 31, 1855, The last of his little family ; Having first caused this monument, with the above inscriptions, to be crected.
THE HALL MONUMENT. (Woodside Avenue.)
67
CURRIER LOT AND SANBORN LOT.
Friend after friend departs : Who has not lost a friend ? There is no union here of hearts That has not here an end. - MONTGOMERY.
In this connection another family may be mentioned, which exhibits forcibly the uncertainty of life : -
June 26, 1854, JOHN M. CURRIER, aged 20, died of fever ; July 19, 1854, LAURETTA, his sister, aged 23, died of consumption ; Aug. 7, 1854, ANNA S., the mother, died ; and, -
Sept. 9, 1854, ANNA CURRIER, her daughter, also of fever.
All are sleeping in a lot presented to the son by his employer, NOAH STURTIVANT, Esq.
A little nearer to the Chapel Entrance is the -
LOT OF MR. JOHN SANBORN.
There is nothing here to strike the eye of the stranger ; but a touching incident connected with two of its tenants deserves a remark.
In November, 1853, JETHRO RAND SANBORN, a pro- mising lad of twelve years, was killed by an accident. This so grieved his little cousin, PERCY G. CLARK, aged about four years, that he refused all nourishment, and sat for hours alone in the places where they had played toge- ther, and finally, on the sixth day of January following, died of a broken heart. Here now the two young friends sleep peacefully together.
68
THE SEED MUST DIE. - THE DEWDROP.
THE SEED MUST DIE.
The seed must die before the corn appears Out of the ground in blade and fruitful ears ; Low must those ears by sickles' edge be lain, Ere thou canst treasure up the golden grain. The grain is crushed before the bread is made, And the bread broke ere life to man conveyed. Oh! be content to die, to be laid low, And to be crushed, and to be broken so, If thou upon God's table may be bread, Life-giving food, to souls an hungerèd.
TRENCH.
THE DEWDROP.
A dewdrop, falling on the wild sea wave, Exclaimed in fear, "I perish in this grave !" But, in a shell received, that drop of dew Unto a pearl of marvellous beauty grew, And, happy now, the grace did magnify Which thrust it forth, as it had feared to die ; Until again, " I perish quite !" it said, Torn by rude divers from its ocean bed. O unbelieving ! so it came to gleam, Chief jewel, in a monarch's diadem.
TRENCH.
TEARS. - IS THERE NO RESTING-PLACE ? 69
TEARS.
The rose, which in the sun's bright rays Might soon have drooped and perished, With grateful scent the shower repays By which its life is cherished.
And thus have e'en the young in years Found flowers within that flourish, And yield a fragrance, fed by tears, That sunshine could not nourish.
BERNARD BARTON.
IS THERE NO RESTING-PLACE ?
" Tell me, my secret soul, Oh ! tell me, Hope and Faith, Is there no resting-place From sorrow, sin, and death ? Is there no happy spot, Where mortals may be blest ; Where grief may find a balm, And weariness a rest ?" Faith, Hope, and Love (best boons to mortals given) Waved their bright wings, and whispered, "Yes, in heaven ! "
70
HEAVEN.
HEAVEN.
Oh! heaven is nearer than mortals think, When they look with a trembling dread At the misty future, which stretches on From the silent home of the dead.
'Tis no lone isle on a boundless main, No brilliant but distant shore,
Where the lovely ones, who are called away, Must go to return no more.
I know, when the silver chord is loosed, When the veil is rent away, Not long and dark shall the passage be To the realms of endless day.
The eye that shuts in a dying hour Will open the next in bliss :
The welcome will sound in a heavenly world, Ere the farewell is hushed in this.
We pass from the clasp of mourning friends To the arms of the loved and lost ; And those smiling faces will greet us then Which on earth we valued most.
71
EARTH AND HEAVEN.
SACRE TO THE
MEMO
To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
CAMPBELL.
EARTH AND HEAVEN.
Flowers, that bloom to wither fast ; Light, whose beams are soon o'ercast ; Friendship, warm, but not to last ; - Such by earth are given.
Seek the flowers that ne'er shall fade ; Find the light no cloud can shade ; Win the friend who ne'er betrayed ; - These are found in heaven.
MISS H. F. GOULD.
72
BROWN'S LOT. - FIRST-BAPTIST CHURCH LOT.
LOT OF JOHN M. BROWN.
The richly bronzed fence on Greenbank Avenue, which attracts the eye to the northerly side of the Chapel Entrance, encloses the lot of John M. Brown, of Charles- town, and is one of the finest structures of the kind in this vicinity. Mr. Brown, with great liberality, has also pur- chased the adjoining lot, which he reserves for planting and ornament. The trustees are under obligations to him for the admirable manner in which he has treated the spot, and for his general interest in the Cemetery.
Near the above, on the same avenue, is the lot of -
THE FIRST-BAPTIST CHURCH, BOSTON.
This lot is pleasantly located, and well graded and fenced. In its centre stands a marble obelisk, inscribed as follows : -
This Monument
IS ERECTED BY THE FIRST-BAPTIST CHURCH, BOSTON, IN MEMORY OF
REV. SAMUEL STILLMAN, D.D., Former Pastor of the Church, Who died March 12, 1807, aged 70 years, After a faithful ministry of 42 years.
" Though dead, he yet speaketh."
WHY MOURN YE ? 73
WHY MOURN YE ?
Why mourn ye that our aged friend is dead ? Ye are not sad to see the gathered grain, Nor when their mellow fruit the orchards cast, Nor when the yellow woods shake down the ripened mast.
Ye sigh not when the sun, his course fulfilled, - His glorious course, rejoicing earth and sky, - In the soft evening when the winds are stilled, Sinks where his islands of refreshment lie, And leaves the smile of his departure, spread O'er the warm colored heaven and ruddy mountain-head.
Why weep ye, then, for him, who, having run The bound of man's appointed years, at last, Life's blessings all enjoyed, life's labors done, Serenely to his final rest has passed, While the soft memory of his virtues yet Lingers like twilight hues when the bright sun is set ? BRYANT.
" In holy sleep the sainted father lies : Oh ! say not that the good man ever dies."
10
74
SIMON G. SHIPLEY'S LOT.
Life is real, life is earnest ; And the grave is not its goal : " Dust thou art, to dust returnest," Was not spoken of the soul. LONGFELLOW.
SIMON G. SHIPLEY.
Nearly opposite the lot of the First Baptist Church, of Boston, is that of SIMON G. SHIPLEY, who was for many years a deacon of that church. Born in Pepperell, Mass., in 1798, he came to Boston, in 1815, to seek his fortune, and commenced his apprenticeship by resolving to serve one Master, - even God. He was a guileless and devoted Christian, a good friend and counsellor, - having an open ear, a willing heart, and a ready hand. Dignified without pretence, benevolent without ostentation, he delighted to serve the cause of the poor and suffering. For several years, he was a Director of the Howard Benevolent Society, and one of the Executive Committee of the American Baptist Missionary Union ; and, from the outset, was a Director of the Society for the Relief of Aged and Indigent Females. His character was not unappreciated; and he was repeatedly elected to offices of trust, - serving at different times on School Committees, in the Common Council, and as an Alderman of the city of his adoption. He died, in Charlestown, much regretted.
SIMON G. SHIPLEY.
(Greenbank Avenue.)
75
THOMAS DITSON'S LOT.
CHARIOTNE EMINETTE
LOT OF THOMAS DITSON,
ORIOLE AVENUE.
In this lot repose two of his children. Their graves are marked by a marble scroll, with morning-glories, and two lambs at its base, as in the engraving.
Let them die, Let them die now, thy children ! so thy heart Shall wear their beautiful image, all undimmed, Within it to the last. MRS. HEMANS.
Early, bright, transient, chaste as morning dew, They sparkled, were exhaled, and went to heaven.
YOUNG.
76
STAY, WEEPING MOTHER.
STAY, WEEPING MOTHER.
Stay, weeping mother ! gaze upon thy child, Rapt in a dreamless sleep, serenely mild : The tearless lashes shade the fair young cheek ; The loving lips no troubled murmurs speak ; For all is peace.
The pale, calm brow is yet unmarked by care ; The canker-grief hath left no signet there ; The little hands are folded on the breast, As though 'mid prayerful thoughts it sank to rest, In perfect peace.
The chiselled limbs repose in placid grace ; A seraph-smile is lingering on the face, Telling of rapture, when the angel's kiss Drew the freed spirit to yon realm of bliss, - The home of peace.
Now, with the eye of Faith, behold in heaven The sainted child from earthly bondage riven : With pure delight, it spreads its cherub wings, And, waving victor-palms, exulting sings The song of peace.
1
BALDWIN-PLACE CHURCH LOT.
Therefore, sad mother, meekly bow thy head, And, kneeling low beside the cherished dead, Ceaseless thank God, that, free from life's alarms, Thy child, safe cradled in its Saviour's arms, Hath found sure peace.
MRS. A. F. LAW.
Not far from Chapel Hill, on Savin Avenue, is a large lot of nine hundred square feet, belonging to the -
BALDWIN-PLACE CHURCH, BOSTON.
It is enclosed by a substantial fence ; and now holds the remains of the Rev. Dr. LEVI TUCKER, late pastor of that church, and also those of his lamented wife. He was a man much beloved and respected. At the consecration of these grounds, he made the closing prayer, being in feeble health, and, in a feeling manner, alluded to the pro- bability that ere long his own bed would be made here. By the liberality of his parish, he was enabled to travel abroad, in the hope of re-establishing his health ; but he returned only to experience anew the affection of his people and the kindness of his friends, and then to fall asleep. He was removed to Woodlawn from Cincinna- tus, N.Y., where he died.
78
EAST-BOSTON BAPTIST-CHURCH LOT.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church, Boston, and some societies, have lots in this vicinity ; among them, the Bay State Lodge of G. U. O. O. F.
THE MOUNT-TABOR MASONIC LODGE, of East Boston, have a fine lot of twelve hundred square feet, in a half- circle, at the junction of Evergreen and Carolwood Ave- nues, wherein two persons have already been interred.
As we pass down Greenbank Avenue, near the top of the hill, on the right, is the lot of the REV. SYLVANUS COBB, where, by the side of his sister, rest the remains of "Little Jamie," whose interesting biography has been presented to the public in a book prepared by his mother. He died at the age of nine years two months.
A little further down this avenue is the -
CENTRAL-SQUARE BAPTIST-CHURCH LOT, E. B.
This contains fifteen hundred square feet of land, and is a perfect circle, within a triangle formed by the junc- tions of Greenbank, Choral, and Carolwood Avenues. It rises five or six feet in the centre, swelling beautifully on all sides, and is one of the most conspicuous spots in the Cemetery. Here repose the remains of the -
79
EAST-BOSTON BAPTIST-CHURCH LOT.
REV. HIRAM ATWILL GRAVES,
Son of the Rev. Joseph M. Graves, who died much la- mented and extensively known. He was born in Wen- dell, Mass., April 14, 1813 ; graduated at Middlebury, Vt., at the age of twenty years ; was settled in Springfield, in 1836, as pastor of the First Baptist Church in that place, where he remained four years, greatly beloved by the community. In 1839, he removed to Lynn, and took charge of the First Baptist Church of that city. In 1841, finding that repeated attacks of the asthma had worn upon his health and spirits, he took the editorial charge of the " Christian Reflector," which was removed from Worcester to Boston, and became distinguished for his broad views and conservative tendencies. In 1843, anxious to see a church of his own denomination gathered at East Boston, he preached there regularly, and laid the foundation of the Central-Square Baptist Society, now so flourishing under the charge of the Rev. Mr. Sykes. In 1844, sickness drove him from his field of labor to
Southern climes and other lands. He returned with health apparently improved, but soon sought his father's house, in Bristol, R.I., and there peacefully expired, on the 3d of October, 1850, full of bright hopes, and with a heavenly trust which never failed him. At the request of friends, his body was removed to Woodlawn, where,
80
REV. HIRAM A. GRAVES.
with religious ceremonies, it was deposited, with the intention of having a suitable monument erected to his memory. It is hoped that this expectation will not be disappointed.
Here, too, reposes MARY HINMAN GRAVES, wife of the Rev. Hiram A. Graves, and daughter of Scovill Hinman, Esq., of New Haven, - a companion worthy of such a man. Cheerful and courageous, kind and considerate, she was greatly esteemed. Married in 1836, she died in North Adams, April 8, 1856; being the last but one of a family of twelve children.
The writer cannot take leave of this spot without alluding to another of its choice tenants, - MRS. CARO- LINE S. SYKES, wife of the Rev. James N. Sykes, and daughter of James Anthony, Esq., of Providence, R. I. Distinguished for high mental culture, and refinement of manners, her purity of life and sweetness of temper made her universally respected ; and her quick discern- ment and sound judgment guided her, amidst difficulties and trials, to the esteem of all around her. In April, 1854, she was deprived by death of her oldest son, a child of much promise. In September, 1855, her young- est also was suddenly taken from her. By these succes- sive blows her sensitive nature was prostrated ; and, after the severest suffering, she calmly expired, Dec. 28, 1855, her death being regarded as a great public loss.
It is a beautiful belief, That ever round our head Are hovering, on viewless wings, The spirits of the dead.
Throw away thy rod, Throw away thy wrath. O my God! Take the gentle path.
Not a word or look I affeet to own But by book, And thy book alone.
Though I fail, I weep; Though I halt in pace, Yet I creep To the throne of grace.
HERBERT.
81
THE REAPER.
THE REAPER.
There is a reaper, whose name is Death ; And with his sickle keen
He reaps the bearded grain at a breath, And the flowers that grow between.
" Shall I have nought that is fair," saith he, - " Have nought but the bearded grain ?
Though the breath of these flowers is sweet to mne, I will give them all back again."
He gazed at the flowers with tearful eyes ; He kissed their drooping leaves : It was for the Lord of Paradise He bound them in his sheaves.
" My Lord has need of these flowerets gay," The reaper said, and smiled :
" Dear tokens of the earth are they, Where he was once a child.
" They all shall bloom in fields of light, Transplanted by my care,
11
82
THE REAPER. - SELECTION.
And saints, upon their garments white, These sacred blossoms wear."
And the mother gave, in tears and pain, The flowers she most did love : She knew she should find them all again In the fields of light above.
Oh ! not in cruelty, not in wrath, The reaper came that day : 'Twas an angel visited the green earth, And took the flowers away.
LONGFELLOW.
" E'en for the dead I will not bind my soul to grief : Death cannot long divide. For is it not as if the rose That climbed my garden wall Had bloomed the other side ?"
Before we leave the present part of the ground, let us turn into Evergreen Avenue. Here, in a lot near a large savin-tree, is the grave of-
83
WOODLAWN'S FIRST TENANT. - MARINERS' LOT.
THE FIRST TENANT OF WOODLAWN.
He was placed in these grounds on the evening next preceding the consecration. A neat marble monument marks the spot, giving the facts : -
AUGUSTUS F. BOWEN Died June 30, 1851, aged 31 years 10 months. First tenant of Woodlawn.
On this avenue, near the above, is a scroll of marble, finely sculptured, inscribed with the simple word " Mo- THER." The back of the stone shows, however, that it was erected to the memory of Mrs. BROWN, wife of Mr. J. Brown. Nearly opposite, on Evergreen Avenue, is -
THE MARINERS' LOT.
This belongs to the BOSTON BAPTIST BETHEL SOCIETY. It is a parallelogram, of twenty-four hundred square feet, extending through to Chessom Avenue, and capable of high embellishment. It was procured through the zea- lous efforts of the devoted minister of that society, the Rev. Phineas Stow, who has spared no pains to secure for the mariner a proper resting-place at last. The original plan was to erect in the centre of the lot a suitable monu-
84
MARINERS' LOT. - SELECTIONS.
ment, and to provide a fund for the care of the ground, and for the burial of sailors therein; but this has been relinquished or postponed until the benevolent shall supply the necessary means. The remains of forty-four persons have been buried in this lot.
See the haven full in view ! Love divine shall bear thee through : Trust to that propitious gale ; Weigh thy anchor, spread thy sail. ANON.
Life ! thou art the storm, the rock ; Death ! the friendly port thou art ; Haven! from the tempest's shock Welcoming the wandering heart.
Yes, I see from yonder tomb Promised peace and tranquil rest : Death, my haven ! I shall come ; Soothe me on my mother's breast.
BOWRING'S TRANSLATION OF RUSSIAN POETRY.
85
LOOK ALOFT.
LOOK ALOFT.
In the tempest of life, when the wave and the gale Are around and above, if thy footing should fail, If thine eye should grow dim, and thy caution depart, Look aloft, and be firm, and be fearless of heart.
Should the visions which Hope spreads in light to thine eye,
Like the tints of the rainbow, but brighten to fly, Then turn, and, through tears of repentant regret, Look aloft to the Sun that is never to set.
Should they that are dearest - the son of thy heart, The wife of thy bosom - in sorrow depart, Look aloft, from the darkness and dust of the tomb, To that soil where " affection is ever in bloom."
And, oh! when Death comes in terror to cast His fears on the future, his pall on the past, In that moment of darkness, with hope in thy heart And a smile in thine eye, look aloft, and depart.
J. LAWRENCE, JR.
86
THE FIELD OF EPHRON.
Although we are now near central localities, yet here is -
THE FIELD OF EPHRON.
This has been set apart for single graves for adults. On the right of Evergreen Avenue, surrounded by an evergreen hedge, and tastefully laid out in a crescent form, this common ground has been provided for a great family of the afflicted. It derives its name from the words of the dying Jacob, who said, " I am to be gathered unto my people : bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with THE FIELD OF EPHRON the Hittite, for a possession of a burying-place. There they buried Abraham, and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac, and Rebekah his wife ; and there I buried Leah."
Virtue, on herself relying, Every passion hushed to rest, Loses every pain of dying In the hope of being blest.
GOLDSMITH.
Within this great enclosure, and surrounded by Nestling Path, with a hedge border of arbor-vitæ, is -
87
GARDEN OF EVERGREENS.
THE GARDEN OF EVERGREENS.
Household angels here repose : Hopes and joys of earth, adieu ! Now your brightness doth disclose Heavenly glories to our view.
Here is the bed for little children under five years of age. It is extremely neat ; and the surprise and satisfac- tion expressed by mourners, who have felt obliged by circumstances to speak for a grave in the "Public Lot," which they had never seen, has oftentimes been great. Many a mother has left her loved one here, with the feel- ing of assurance, that, where such care was manifested before the sacred dust was deposited within it, there could be afterwards no neglect.
Sleep, little cherub! on the breast Of the green hillock take thy rest. The wintry snow, the dropping rain, Shall dash above thy head in vain ; The beaded hail, the cutting sleet, Unheeded o'er thy head shall beat ; The spring-buds o'er thee will renew Their blooming sweets and vernal hue ; And honeyed flowers shall o'er thee spring, And birds their dulcet measures sing.
I. MCLELLAN.
88
GARDEN OF EVERGREENS. - BEAUTIFUL THOUGHT.
A mother has often been seen at the grave of her chil- dren, absorbed in private meditation, and tending sweet flowers which have been watered by her tears. To the observer, she speaketh, -
Lovelier flowers beneath are laid ; Sweeter buds than these are there : Where a mother oft hath prayed, For that mother breathe a prayer.
BEAUTIFUL THOUGHT.
" Take the bright shell From its home far and free ;
And, wherever it goes, It will sing of the sea.
So take the fond heart From its home and its hearth :
"Twill sing of the loved To the ends of the earth."
" A little while they dwell with us, Blest ministers of love ; Then spread the wings we had not seen, And seek their home above."
89
COMFORT IN AFFLICTION.
" BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN."
There is a day of sunny rest
For every dark and troubled night ; And grief may bide, an evening guest ; But joy shall come with morning light.
The light of smiles shall fill again The lids that overflow with tears ; And weary hours of woe and pain Are promises of happier years.
And thou, who o'er thy friend's low bier Sheddest the bitter drops like rain, Hope that a brighter, happier sphere Will give him to thy arms again.
Nor let the good man's trust depart, Though life its common gifts deny ; Though with a pierced and broken heart, And spurned of men, he goes to die.
For God has marked each sorrowing day, And numbered every secret tear ; And heaven's long age of bliss shall pay For all his children suffer here. BRYANT.
12
90
REFLECTIONS.
REFLECTIONS.
" Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ? "
God takes the beautiful, the best ; They are but lent, not given : He sets " his jewels " on his breast, That they may shine in heaven.
Our God is all we boast below, - To him we turn our eyes ; And every added weight of woe Shall make our homage rise.
And though no temple richly dressed, Nor sacrifice, is here, We'll make his temple in our breast, And offer up a tear. GOLDSMITH.
A bruised reed He will not break ; But hearts that bow before him Shall own his mercy while they ache, And gratefully adore him. BARTON.
=>
NETHERWOOD POND. (From the East.)
91
We par mos down Greontank Avcage, rahmen - AZ.THFI WOOD PONG
This, then Overarckid by three of its skie, sad opes co xbe easy, ita fire ipar Lino
magical if They are min in the shade, on the erected, fluving de pomer 0 0 486000 00 016 east, where one of the form. Forel Que le presente! The hill, coreved wab works, obore ladoside &vecome tre swell pont of Marine i mme, and the wartoing Email which romboir Force nicos Brat ile worth, all vand to increase far tens of The plan and why i improved by cool work and jeanfinas will give additional pharm,
Of Il that pained theo in the becomes of one o
Ti. valve abode
To thy thuế hoan.
The fountain, lespins From ise boddexx wens
Shall make thy ahead Lopes spring to life is
-
91
NETHERWOOD POND.
We pass now down Greenbank Avenue, and turn to -
NETHERWOOD POND.
This, though wholly artificial, is the gem of the grounds. Overarched by tall oaks, walnuts, elms, and maples, on three of its sides, and open to the east, its five sparkling fountains, playing in the sunlight, make the whole sur- face alive with their excitement, and give to the scene a magical effect. There are seats in the shade, on the south, near Fountain Path ; and a new arbor is to be erected, during the present season, at the avenue on the east, where one of the finest views may be presented. The hill, covered with savins, above Lakeside Avenue, the swell north of Ravine Avenue, and the charming knoll which overlooks the fountains from the north, all tend to increase the beauty of the place, and, when improved by rock-work and plantings, will give additional charms.
Thou wilt find nothing here Of all that pained thee in the haunts of men.
The calm shade
Shall bring a kindred calm ; and the sweet breeze, That makes the green leaves dance, shall waft a balm To thy sick heart. BRYANT.
The fountain, leaping from its hidden vein, Shall make thy dead hopes spring to life again.
92
ELM HILL.
No avenues yet penetrate the fields which surrou
ELM HILL.
The venerable elm, standing alone on the emine the westerly part of Woodlawn, with the truthfu ness of it now presented by Mr. Wilkie, cannot determine this locality. From this spot, and fro higher ground beyond, the views are remarkable fo beauty, grandeur, and extent. It is expected rustic observatory will soon be erected, to sert double purpose of a rest and a stand-point. The M Heights exhibit here all their majesty, and, wit autumn tints, give a glowing warmth to the s around. The contrast, too, looking from their hig broken surfaces to the still, low, far-reaching me: that run into the very heart of Lynn, is always str and turning towards the west, where, in repose, re villages, with their church-spires and bright dwe and the wide farming fields, with their grazing kir mind becomes rapt in contemplation, and memory the touching beauties of Gray's "Elegy."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.