The native American., 1838-12-29
ThE DEAD-HOUsE Or PARIS.
From Chambers Gdiabwgh Journal.


the left bank of tie Seine which lies betw cen the
city quay and that of OrIevres. The object of
the establishment as its name partly implies, is
to receive the bodies of all those who have come
to violent end, by land or water, and either to
retain them till they are claimed by friends, or to
bury them if they remain unknown. 1t is strange
how the existence Of this building influences the
district III its immediate vicinity. La Morgue is
the centrc-point of attraction the source of news
and novelty. The neghbors lher, talk not of po-
!it!cs Or revolutions. "A fine corpse was that
brought III this morning" ''He was fair, was mt
he.' Did you see the girl to-tiav?' "What
long black hair she had! 1t tr.i'el on the ground
as she passed on the hurdle!'' Such is the gene
raj nature oflhe gossip in the neighborhood of the
Eead- House.
IvisitcA ia Morsue twice. On the first ocra-
sion, Francois, the receiver Of the bodies. could
no show the establishment 10 me in the sbsence
Of recorder, NJ. Perrin. These two persons
dwell with their families on the upper floor Of
'',ls house IT <'a,, and have the sole charge of it,
Francois, with whom became somewhat fami-
lar, desired me to return al certain time, and
should see the whole. Accordingly, went again
to la Moroue.
'Av, you are there' said Francois, rising to
receive me, and introducing me to his wife and
40 her person who was present. ''This is
neighbor, continued Francois, alluding to the lat
ter individual, who comes, out Of sheer friend
ship. to help me when require assistance, and
on this morning his services have been much re-
quircd. Your visit has been timed most luckily,
sir We have to-day woman who hanged her
sell with her gar,ers; a man who has been four
hours Ill the water; and third, little female
child, an infant, who was sufocatel last night by
la,,t L..
or packet, and crushed her. Poor thing. how
lovely she is'
'Ah said the wife Of Francois. perhaps she
had mother, who waited anxiously for her re-
urn from the couniry BY the bye, Francois
where did you lay her. On the dissection la
lblc!
mo, no; why. what use cond there be in open
ing her! Who could link of that dear little child
having been poisoned! Go and look at her; she
is as clean as if she had come out of bath. And
hen the young nurse, who brought her here in
her apron, wept as if the little one had been her
>wn. She told me that she had been returning
from her native village in Normandy, whittier she
! had gone 10 nurse the child and that the stage
coach, in which she was, so full of people
that she was COMPELLED to put her little nursing
between her knees. She was then much (atigned
having slept none for two days. When night
came, she fell asleep. The child slipped from
her grasp: she slept STILL The child moved, and
perhaps cried, but the rattle Of the coach stined
The sound; and the nurse slept In the morn
ny when she awoke, she found that she had but
the body of her babe! is this all, Francois!'
said his wife.
The rest may be conceived On reaching Pa
ris, where the mother lives, the nurse durst not
60 TO the house, and thus she thought of bringing
the body here for internen,. But she would
scarcely part with the child. She kissed its cold
brow, she kissed its hands, she kissed It's should
ers, its feet, saying all the while, 'Oh can it be
true that she is dead, sir?' Then she gave the
body to me, took it back again, shook it, called it
by its name, and srove with her fingers to open
! its eyes. oh! do you know no way to open its
SO round, SO blue! Its eyes! Ny girl had blue
ewes like her m, t,er-oh, she will kill me, that
mother! | will tell her the child died from its
tee',ing; bu, all village will say it is not true
will say they took her from me in the coach; but
the Goa h nam will say it is not trle. No, no.;
ill tell nothing | will go beck to my village,
and wait till her parents come t, see the child
Perhaps they may not come for three-Eor six
neutrality-suspicious. no, for whole year! But all
can never 90 back to my Vi ilage-never more,
! if have not my infant, my tie Lconore!''
Here Francois interrupted his account of the
poor nurses exclanalions, to tell his wife TO note
the name Leonore. Remember, wife, TO repeat
Int to Monsieur Perrin, that he may nscribe it in
his register Francois then resumed the nurses
Isnlilnquizng.
'Ah, cannot return 10 my village in Norman
dy Every body there was so fond of my Leo
nore Sugar-phms and cakes were showered
upon her. Monsieur the Curate was distracted
about my girl On! sir could we not bleed her
and bring her back! or put her feet into warm
wafer! All, you know many cases Of children
being restorcd-don't you, now! All, You do!
No! Oh, tell me-tel me what to do! Her mo-
lIer will kill me yes, certainly she will kill me-!
Or, if 90 home to my village, they will stone
me-,hey will throw dirt upon me like toad!
Oh, sir. bring my Leonore back TO me, and | will
yes, II will give her to you!'
| Francois paused, and then continued in his own
words: when it was absolutely necessary to de-
part, the nurse again kissed the infants cheeks,
and besought leave from me to take away with
her the cap and kerchief that were upon it. l.
is not our custom to permit this, but was always
too sofi-hearted. bade her take them, aud, after
snatching them up, the poor wcman threw her
apron over the babes features, and ran out of the
/ L.>n,, 'rb;s ,y,, al Er,ncnS had tn ,hou