This story was from my book, Ghost Stories for the Chicken at Heart. This book will be unfriendly to children, or a parent beware.
As a child I was brought up in the Roman Catholic religion and we would walk to a local Roman Catholic Church for Sunday and holiday services. As I grew up, I decided that I was not fond of the Catholic religion, Especially after the priest told me my oldest child would burn in hell because I had her outside of marriage. Lets just say I spoke my opinion and was politely asked not to return to the church. That incident with the Catholic Church in Florida had me decide to leave the Catholic religion. But that incident was the final nail in the coffin as I had put a lot of thought into leaving the catholic church since I was a child. Please do not get me wrong I am not bashing the Catholic Church. The Nun's and Priest's who ran this church when I was a child were wonderful people who had a large impact in my life. Their community outreach program's were inspiring and I was glad to have known them in my younger life.
To get to the church from the lower level in town where we lived, we had to go up a larger hill to the second level of town where the church was located. About halfway up the hill was a small graveyard built into the side of the hill. I can say after traveling around and seeing many different graveyards growing up it was a rather beautiful place. The graveyard was neat and tidy with small headstones. The only thing out of place was a large marble tomb with family graves surrounding it. The graveyard was only about a acre and when we did a history walk in girl scouts, we asked about the marble tomb in the graveyard. Especially since their was a much larger graveyard right up the road. That was when we were told about the story of the graveyard and how it came to be. The story teller sat s on the benches in front of the graveyard's fence and told us the story.
The story starts with there was once a wealthy Sea Captain who was blessed to marry a woman he came to love. Together they were able to have only one child, a Daughter. Everyone in town said that she was the most beautiful woman in town, however with her Father's occupation she became very spoiled. As she was an only child her parents, family and a line of suitors doted on her with gifts and compliments.
When she was older with most of her friends married and having children, her father had decided to put his foot down and told her she needed to settle down and get married. When the town heard that her father had stated she must marry, every single man in town came to court the young woman. Time and time again she would reject the suitors and stopped going on outing with all but two young men. One a son of a rich land owner outside of town, the other a man who worked in the local school. After months of going on outings with both men she could not decide and this made for two very upset suitors and a very angry Father. Her Father decided that she would have to decide on which suitor would be her future husband and he had a plan to make her choose between the two men.
After another two weeks had passed and he spoke to the two men. Meeting them at his offices he explained that he was unhappy with his Daughter and was going to make her choose between the two.
The man who came from the wealthier family exclaimed, "It is about time."
The teacher said to the Father, "Sir, I want her to be happy and do not mind waiting."
"That is because you know that she would not choose a poor teacher such as yourself," The wealthier man said. Turning to the father he said, "Sir, please let us stop the childish games and have her marry me. You know she will be given everything she wants and needs. Let this chap go back to his school and books."
As the two men argued and became heated he said, "Gentleman we will let my Daughter decide who she wants to marry. Until then I ask you both for peace and patience."
He put his plan into action the following night. While the cold crept in and the rain hot the windows the Daughter did not know what was about to happen.
The Daughter was preparing for dinner when one of the house servant came to the door. When the Daughter called her in the maid said, "Miss, your father has requested that you join in in the sitting room."
She looked up from the mirror and said, "Let him know when I am ready I will be down."
She finished getting ready and went to join her parents in the Father sat her down and said, "My Daughter, from the time I told you it was time for you to find a husband, you have dated these two men, not making a commitment to either of them. It is time you stop stringing them along and decide who you are going to marry."
He looked at her and said, "That is enough. Your selfish ways are coming to an end and either you make your choice or I will choose for you. You have two choices either choose a man and marry him before the end of the evening or take vows and go to the convent. This nonsense ends tonight."
As she looked at her suitors and her Father, she knew he was serious. Looking at her Father she asked, "Father, May I walk the bottom floor to think about what you are presenting me?"
He nodded and said, "We will wait here for your answer."
She walked the hallway and then sat on a chair at the end of the hall. She thought about both suitors and what she loved about both of them. The suitor from the old family treated her like a object but he did live a lifestyle she was used to. However, the teacher treated her as a person and she loved how much he listens to her and they have outings that do not require money. She knew if they married she would live a lifestyle she is not used to.
She waved her maid over and asked, "Any thoughts?"
Her maid smiled and said, "Think about how you want to be treated for the rest of your life. What would you decide if you were looking at your last day on earth miss? Who would you want to be with?"
The maid went to her place near the doorway and what the maid said gave her an idea. She walked back to the room and her Father asked, "Have you decided?"
"Not yet," She said. "I need to ask them a question first."
She looked at them and said, "If today was my last day on earth, what would you do?"
The young man from the old family said, "I would throw you the most lavish funeral and would spare no expense."
Her teacher said, "I would fight death itself, so we could grow old and spend our lives together. If you were to pass, I would join you in the afterlife to spend our eternity together."
The young man from the old family said, "What a waste, you could marry someone else."
Her teacher turned to him and said, "She is irreplaceable and holds my heart in her hand. I would not want anyone else."
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When she heard the answers, she decided to marry the second gentleman. By midnight that night, they were married just as her father had promised. Her new husband did everything that he had promised and more. For a brief time, she even became less selfish, and soon after, she gave birth to a little girl. She thrived as a mother devoted to her daughter and blessed with her husband's love and patience. As the years passed, her selfish ways disappeared, and she was happy with her life.
One day her husband came home and announced they were heading west because of his job. She begged for him to hold off until after the holidays. He made a deal that they would stay for the holidays then he would leave ahead of his wife and daughter to prepare their new home. So after the holidays had passed, her husband took his leave and promised her she would continue to be happy in their new home. That was the last time she or her daughter ever saw him. They had received a telegram that he had made it to their new home, and the house had readied for their arrival. A week later, she received another telegram, and that there was an accident, and her husband had passed away.
Her father brought his daughter and granddaughter back to his home. The father loved his daughter and was proud of the woman she had become and knew his daughter was devastated by the loss of her husband. As his daughter took to her bed, saddened by the loss of her husband, her father, and staff took to caring for her young daughter. Many visitors came to bring happiness to the young woman, but she was inconsolable. The following winter, an influenza epidemic swept through the town, and his daughter passed on the dreaded disease.
Before his daughter passed, she had told her father of her plans to plant a garden when they moved west. Knowing she was passing, her father came up with a plan. Her father had bought the plot of land and donated it to the church with only one stipulation, and that was his daughter's grave was to be at the center of the Graveyard as she was the center of his world, and she would get the attention just like she deserved. After his daughter passed away, he hired a gardener to make a beautiful garden in the Graveyard that anyone who buried a loved one there could enjoy in honor of his daughter.
Her father retired from being a captain and raised his Granddaughter in honor of his daughter. He did everything he could to bring light and laughter back to her life. He swore he would not make the same mistakes he did with his daughter. Keeping his promise, he raised her daughter to be a kind and loving woman. With the opportunities he gave her, she led a life of compassion and went to school to become a teacher.
On cold, windy nights, when the sea fog hangs low, you might see her walking her final steps grieving for her husband and looking for her daughter. At the same time, you might see the Captain in the fog visiting her grave, but that's a story for another time.
**An update! The Graveyard no longer exists. Due to construction, the church moved the graves to another cemetery. Now there is nothing but a wall.**
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