THE HILLSIDE SLEEPERS 



Two miles away beyond the river, 

 near to the top of the hillside, a few 

 gravestones stand, plainly visible in 

 the sunlight. They are gathered in 

 an irregular line, white against the 

 green slope. They are guarding 

 the sleepers till the morning of the 

 resurrection. At the distance where 

 I stand I cannot count whether there 

 are eight, or ten, or twelve. Some 

 sleepers there are overlooked from a 

 two-mile view. They belong to a 

 little family of graves of which the 

 white slabs tell the location and over 

 which the cedars sing a requiem. 

 Could those sleepers awake, and, 



[96] 



