Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-04-12
NEw s.smgEs Vol. EMO. sses.

There are no suicides for Notre Dame; one
is drowned by accident. another killed by the
bursting Of gun, third has fallen from scat.
of the priest accepts it. That's enough
So, thought l. Notre Dame, which formerly
witnessed the execution at the stake Of sorcerers
aIchymists. and gpsies, on the Graude Place,
has now no word of reprobaton for the carcase
of the suicide, once allowed to rot on the ground,
or be devoured by birds. She asks not here
what was his faith. The priest saws, mildly
6 Peace be with you.'
We walked down, and Francois opened the
first room-that which contains the dresses: ha.
bits of all shapes, all dimensions, bideousIy jun
bled together; halters pinned to sleeve a shawl
shading the neck Of a coat; d resses of peasants,
wOrkmen, carriers and brewers frocks, women's
gowns, all faded, discoIored, shapeiess, flap
against each other IN the current Of ir which en-
tered through the windows There is something
here appalling in the sight and sound of these OBJ.
jects, soulless. bodyless, yet moving as if they
had life. and presenting the form without the
flesh. Your eye rests on handkerchief, the
property of some poor Iaborer, suddenly seized
with the idea of suicide, after some day that he
has wanted work.
Francois, who followed the direction of my
eyes to see what impression the picture produced
on me, sighed heavily.
docs it move you tooF said care you
disseminated with your lot?--unhappy?'
Not exactly. But, sir, formerly, you must
know the dresses, after being six months exhibit.
ed became perquislte Of ours; we. sold them.
Now they talk of taking the dresses from us.
treasured Francois, as to the intention of gov.
eminent. aud assured him there was no talk Of
taking away the dresses.
The second room, that which joins the exhibit
ton room, is appropriated for the dissection of
those, the mode Of whose death appears to the
police to be suspicious. Its only furniture is q
marble table, on which The dssections take place,
and shelf on which are placed several bottles
OF chloride This room Is Immediately above
the room Of NJ. Perrin. The dissecting table
above just answers to the girls piano below.
In this room (which crossed RAPIDLY, to avoid
much as possible the sight of BODY extended
on the pIane) saw the little girl who had been
stArd the night before in the diligence. She
was a lovely child. The other body was fright
fully disfgured; scarcely even would his mother
have recognized him.
There remained only the public room: it is
narrow, i'll aired. Ten or twelve black and sio.
ping stones receive the suicides, who are placed
on it almost in a state Of nudity; the places are
seldom all occupied, except perhaps during a
rtvoution;-then it is that the Morgue 10 re.
cruited. Two more days of glory and immor.
taity in July, and the plague had been in Paris.
1t is true, said M. Perrin, I'VE worked hard
during the three days, and we were allowed the
use OF two assistants. Corpses every where
within, without at the gate, on the bank
And your girlsi'
During these days they did not leave their
apartments nor look out to the street, nor to the
rver;--besides. you are mistaken il you think tha
spectacle would have terrified them. Brought
up here, they will walk at night without light
IN front Of the glass which divides the corpses
from the public, without trembling. We become
accustomed to any thing.
Methousht heard the poor children, SO fam.
liar with the idea Of death, so accustomed to
this domestic spectacle Of their existence ask.
ing innocentiy Of the strangers whom they visited
-as one would ask where is your garden, your
kitchen. your cabinet-wlere do you keep your
dead herel
These are all the facts could gather with re.
gard to the establishment. | was opening the
glass door to breathe the fresh air again,
when the entrance of the crowd drove ne back
into the interior; they were following a bier, on
which lay a body from which the water
dripped in long stream. From one of the hands
which were closely c!enched. the keeper detach.
ed a stripof coloured linen, and fragment Of
lace. 'Ah!' said he, let me look-'tis she!"
Who itl'
The nurse who was here this morning; the
nurse Of the little Norman girl Good! they
may be buried togetber.-and NJ. Perrin gut on
his spectacles. opened his register, and wrote in
his best current hand-uNKNowxl
Book Of the hundred and One.