Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-12-29
MISCELLANY.
From the Rochester Craftsman.
THE PESTILENCE.

In my mind, the urn-burial of the an
clients has always been sacred and pleas
antly associated. The clean white mar
BILE, containing the purified remains of
all we have loved, is an object around
which affection loves to linger; but the
damp, dark grave with its silent, loath-
some work Of corruption, is a revolving
subject of contemplation, even where
love is stronger than death. Then there
is fear Of being buried before the vital
spark is extinct, and Of returning to con-
sciousness with the weight of the earth
upon you, and the fresh air of heaven
shut out forever! To me this idea is so
terrible distinct, that it is the spectre Of
my waking hours, and the night mare of
my dreams. Death itself has no horrors
for me, though well content with life,
and bound to it by the strongest ties, |
think | could calm close my eyes be-
meath its oblivious touch; but human ma
ture shrinks at the thought ofbeing buried
alive! Perhaps the vividness of this i'm
preston is owing to the rema k | frequent
ly heard from an aged relative, while l was
yet very small child that "hundreds and
hundreds were buried before they were
dead, when the yellow fever ragged so
terribly in Boston," That period is we'll
remembered by our fathers, where the
pestilence walked abroad at noon day,
and the hearth stone was silent and drea-
ry as the tomb. The death carts went
their continued rounds through every
hour Of the day and night, and unshrou-
ded and uncoffined, the newly dead were
hurried to their last home know a
man, who during this time Of peril, was
snatched from the grave merely by the
persevering affection Of his wife. OF
the correctness of the story there is no
doubt: for have often heard it repeated
by both the parties concerned. The
awful visitation Of God came upon them
when they were newly married; when
existence was happiness, and separation
wors than death. The young husband
became a victim to that disease which
was breathing destruction over the city.
The friends of his wife urged her to seek
refuge in the country and not to risk her
own life in useless attempt to save his.
But no persuasion could induce her to
leave him; night and day she was by his
bedside; and in the anguish Of her heart
she prayed that the pestilence might
likewise rest on her. But her prayer
was not nswered-surely and rapidly it
did its work upon all her heart held dear;
but to her death would not come though
she prayed for it, and sought it with tears.
She had inhaled the breath of her dying
husband, but to her il was harmless; and
in the madness of despair she repined at
the merciful DEGREES of Heaven.
No one was with her in the house
she was alone with the dead. Suddenly
the silence Of the deserted streets was
interrupted by the rumbling of the death
carts; and she knew they had come to
take HIM away from her sight forever;
and with the thought il suddenly flashed
into her mind that life might still be in
him!-Her intre aties excited compassion
and she was permitted to keep the corpse
one half hour longer. The impression
made upon her mind had the strength Of
inspiration: and though every restoI alive
which ingenuity could devise had failed
to produce effect, she would not relin-
quish hope. Again the carts came a
round, and the solemn sound, "Bring out
lhe dead" disturbed the fearful stiffness.
Again the young wife entreated, wept,
and screamed-the hearts Of the men,