Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-08-04

stone was silent, and dresry ~ the
tomb. The death cart. went ,h.;r
continued round through ev.ry hour
ut the day and night, and Unattended
and uneofiined, the newly dead v.r.
hurried to their last home. Ikn.~
man, who, during this time Of peril.
was snatehed from the grave mereiy
6y the perseveriug affection Of his wife.
VI the correctness Of the story there
- no doubt. for have often heard il
repeated by both the parties concerned.
This awful visitation cf God came up.
on them when they were newly mar.
r'ed when existence was happiness.
and separation worse than death. The
youn: husband became victim to that
disease, which was breathing dsstruc
uon over the city. The friends of his
vile urged her to seek refuge in the
country, and not lose her own life in
useless attempt 60 save his. But
no persuasion could induce her TO
leave him night and day she was by
ms bed side; and in the anguish of her
heart, she prayed that the pes,ilence
might likewise rest upon her. But
her prayer was not auswereJ-.ur.Iv
and rapidly il did its work upon ali
her heart held dear but to her, death
would not come, though she PRAYED
Tor u, and sought il with tears. She
hAd inhaled the breath Of her diving
husband; but to her il was harmless
and IN the madness Of despair she re.
pined at the mercifui DEGREES Of Hs..
ven. No one was with her in the
nouse-she was alone with the dead.
Suddenly the silence Of the Je.c,t.d
streets was interrupted by the rum.
ohng OF The death carts; and she knew
they had come to take him from her
sight Tor ever: with the thought. il
suddenly flashed into her mind that
lie might be in him Her entreaties
excited compassion, and she was per.
m'tted to keep the corpse one half
hour longer. The impression made
upon her mind had the strength of in.
sp'rAt'on and though every restora-
tive. which ingenuity could devise,
had failed to produce effect, she would
not relinquish hope. Again the cart,
came round, and the solemn sound !:
Bring out the dead disturbed the
fearful stiffness. Again the young
wife intreated, wept and screamed
the hearts OF the men whose dreadful
employment accustomed them TO such
scenes, were touched but they would
not yield. They said the safety Of
the city required them TO be firm in
the discharge Of their duty; that they
had already disobeyed strict orders.
and they dared not to do il again |:
that the hope Of restoring him was
mere insanity; il was evident he had
long been dead
When she found they would not be
moved by her prayer. she thrcw h.r
arms around the body, and chung to it
with the strength of madness, decIa.
ring u they buried one. they should
bury both. The men after few gen.
tie attempts TO remove her. dashed the
tears from their eyes. and saying.
We cannot separate them left her
another half hour of hope.-The mo-
ments Of that interval had \ value.
OF which morta!s under ordinary cir.
eumstances can form no conception.
Restorative after restorative was an
Piled; but all in yain.-With sicken.
ing anxiety she fastened her eve UPON
the watch, and then on the stiff cold
form beside her. The half hour wa.
nearly gone; IN five minutes they
would again come to claim the dead ;
and she felt that she must resist no
longer. She breathed into his no,trils
she moved her hand upon his chest
TO restore the action Of the Iungs-but
no change came over his rigid features.
She bathed his temples aud moistened
his lips with sal voiafiic-the terrible
rumbling Of the carts was heard in the
disiance--and 10 the trembling eager.
ness OF the moment she spilled the con.
tents OF the vial into his no.trils-a
sudden eonvulsion passed over the face
OF the dead "a short, quick gasp
and the eyes heavily opened
The men with che death carts were
startled by loud shrill shrek, that
sounded rs if IL tore assunder the soul
from which il came. When thew en-.
tered, they found the dead living and
living seDseles~.
- Both husband and wife were
soon after restored to health. They
lived 10 be the parents Of a numerous
lamily; and the husband now survives
her. who. with the strong arm u love,
;hus sDatChed him from an early grave.
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