54 
THE MODERN CEMETERY. 
most. Their failure is attributed by Mr. Lawson 
to the smoke and foul gases from manufactories that 
sometimes envelope the entire neighborhood at night. 
The deleterious effect of these poisonous vapors on 
the evergreens is frequently so marked as to be seen 
at once, and their constant recurrence has wrought 
sad havoc. So far, Scotch Pines seem to withstand 
their influence, and handsome young specimens of 
Colorado Blue Spruce are doing remarkably well 
and promise pleasing variety in foliage effects. 
I saw no Hemlock Spruces and wonder that they 
are not given a trial. The introduction of several 
Willows not yet used here, as the Royal and Laurel 
leaved Willows, would increase the beauty of the 
scheme, particularly if handled with an eye for color 
effects, and the charm brought about by judicious 
massing, and the varied results of light, shade and 
passing breezes. Probably all of these and many 
more will come into use as the planning and plant- 
ing of the new section goes on. 
The charm of the illustration “A well set Gem” 
will be seen to result in no small degree from the 
way the willows on the tiny island catch the light 
on their upper branches. I believe the effect would 
have been even better had the trees been Royal 
willows, because of their silvery foliage — the yel- 
low tinge of common willows showing up darker in 
a photograph than in nature. 
The lakes in the older parts of the grounds, with 
their surroundings, are the present beauty spots of 
the grounds. The illustration referred to shows a 
lovely bit, and “Lake Shore Planting” gives ano- 
ther glimpse of water view that is charming as a 
whole and that also shows several good points in 
detail. Two aspects of water side planting are fairly 
illustrated by it, the grouping on the farther side be- 
ing seen to better advantage than that on the nearer 
shore— and more honestly too. The latter is so near 
the eye that only a part of a fringe-like plantation 
is shown, and the group seen in this incomplete 
way looks rather stiff and formal, an effect that will 
be overcome when the growing shrubs sweep the 
grass on one side and droop to the waters edge on 
the other. The spacing and arrangement of the 
group on the other side can be more correctly 
gauged as a wider stretch is visible, and one can es- 
timate the relative distances. But the near planting 
plainly shows the pretty effect of shrubbery seen 
against a background of water. The introduction of 
small isolated groups of graceful hardy grasses, (like 
Eulalia Gracillima Univitatta, ) near the water at 
some points, instead of shrubs, softens and improves 
such scenes wonderfully. 
This illustration also shows the picture making 
results of well placed, boldly contrasted masses of 
light and shade, as well as the quick changes wrought 
by a passing breeze — one-half of the water being 
placed with the masses of dark foliage lying deep in 
undisturbed reflection; the other half broken into a 
thousand running ripples, each one with its bit of 
light and corresponding shadow. 
The same breeze stirred all the trees it touched 
into gentle whispering atoms that put a new aspect 
on nature. Small things, small changes, small dif- 
ferences count for so much in these living landscape 
pictures, as they do in the sum of human existence 
— -they make or mar a life. So also they make and 
unmake thousands of landscape scenes as the end- 
less round of sunlight and gray mist, moonlight 
and frost rime, snowflakes and cloud shadows are 
shifted across numberless combinations of sea and 
sky, mountain and meadow, dim forest and glim- 
mering stream, picturesque dell and awe inspiring 
canon. 
Like all cemeteries Oakwoods contains a mixed 
showing of stone work, good, bad and indifferent^ — ■ 
principally indifferent. Nevertheless it has some 
very expensive and elaborate monuments, as well 
as some that have decided artistic merit. But in all 
fine cemeteries the style of the memorial stones of 
all sizes should be required to meet an established 
artistic standard. The number of conspicuous ones 
would then be few, while every one, (whether cost- 
ing much or little,) would be in good taste. Each 
lot could then be considered in relation to those 
around it, and the grounds would be beautiful and 
symmetrical as a whole Instead of being spotted, 
(as is too often the case,) with all sorts of incongru- 
ous, inharmonious, meaningless and even grotesque 
designs and objects. Small wonder that so many 
persons are averse to visiting cemeteries, when they 
are so filled with cheerless stones that they strike 
a chill to the heart of the sensitive. 
Every cemetery should be a park; a quiet, peace- 
ful landscape; a place of velvet sward, clear waters, 
beautiful foliage and singing birds. Markers for re- 
cording names and dates should be so low and in- 
conspicuous as not to count at all in the general 
view; and all monuments should be subordinated to 
the large general effect — each being designed espec- 
ially to suit the location where it is to stand, thus 
gaining the proper setting and at the same time add- 
ing a harmonious feature to the picture. 
Then cemeteries wall be places where Nature’s 
soothing balm will envelope the troubled spirits of 
the living, assisting poor sorrowing humanity to take 
up the broken strands of life and go its way com- 
forted. 
Stones are but cold comfort at the best. They 
would better take on forms of beauty, or breathe a 
wholesome meaning before being set up where sad- 
ness culminates, and bruised hearts congregate. 
Better to see the stately swan sailing majestic- 
ally on the water, or the helpless baby robins 
meandering in safety across the fresh grass, and 
better far a pure white rose blooming but for a day 
or two to make the world more fair, than preten- 
tious stones that have no gentle meaning, no noble 
quality to lift the heart towards higher, holier 
things. Fanny Copley Seavey. 
