A n afternoon walk past Morningside Cemetery showed the old black slate tombstones in a lovely light, although it washed out in the photo. I copied the epitaph from old Mr. Birge, presumably for whom Birge Street is named:

Think, gentle reader, of the fate of man
Nor live secure in health and spirits gay.
Think on the sudden change the awful span,
And live as if you thought to die to-day.

Fine advice.

Lee looked it up… Was this a quote or an original? Apparently an original. More important than that discovery was that someone has already transcribed lots if not all of the town’s epitaphs at http://brattleborohistory.com/cemeteries/epitaphs.html… Good stuff!