I found the paperbacks and was wandering a bit. I made a turn from Route 20 East in Marlborough on to Stevens Street. Boom right there was a cemetery. I rarely take this street. From first glance it seemed to have a tempting variety of stones and levels (for some reason completely flat cemeteries kind of bore me). I pulled in and rolled along very slowly until I saw some truly nasty graffiti on a beautiful stone. It looked as though someone had attempted to rub off some of the letters but apparently gave up.
It was the stone of Joseph I. and Nellie F. Tayntor at the Rocklawn Cemetery in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Near as I can tell from googling him, he was a graduate of both Yale College (1878) and Yale University (1905). There is a Tayntor Street. And a Hollis Tayntor (graduate of Marlborough High School in 1905) laid out some of the streets in the Prospect Hill area when the population in the town boomed in the early 1900's. Not at all deserving of this disrespectful graffiti.
I know vandalism goes on. I just don't see it very often. And while over all, this cemetery seemed in fairly good shape, it was clearly old and no longer accepting new interments. But there were many sunken headstones, many tipped over, a large quantity of broken beer bottles and other evidence of loitering without the best of intention.
It is located amidst a quiet residential area of both older and newer homes on all sides. I suppose this makes it not only a place where there would be enough traffic to prevent vandalism but also handy for it. One stone in particular, a large monument said on it "Perpetual Care". It towered over two smaller stones that had been knocked from their foundations near the broken bottles.
I understand that the concept of Perpetual Care isn't really realistic. Space, money, staffing - all in short supply. Population out of control. Still this is sad to see at the hands of the living. Sometimes I tell myself it was rough weather.
I will go back with a bag and pick up trash.
