Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-05-01
THE SEXTON OF COLOGNE.

Adelaide, tnCn IN the prime OF ncr yOulh
and bcauty,f fell sick and died. They had
lived very happily together, and through
out her fatal illness, the doating husband
scarcely quilted her bedside for an in
slant. During the latter period of her
sickness she did not suffer greatly; but the
fainting fits grew more and more frequent
and of increasing duration, till at length
they became inccssant, and she finally
sank under them.
1t is well known that Cologne is city
which,as far as respects religion may COM
pare itself with Rome; on which account
it was called, even in the middle ages RO-
ma Cermanica, and sometimes the Sd
cred City. 1t seemed to me, as if, in
after-timcs, it wished to compensate by
piety the misfortune of having been the
birthplace of the abominable Agippina.
For many years nothing else was seen
but priests students, land mendicant monks;
while the bells were ringing and tolling
from morning till night.-Evcn now you
may count in it as many churches and
cloistcrs as the year has days.
The principal church is the cathedral
Of st. Pctcr--onc of the handsomest
buildings in all Germany, though still not
SO complete as il was probably intended
by the architect. The choir alone is
arched. The chief alter is single block
Of black marble, brought along the Rhine
to Colgnc, from Namur, upon the Mas.
In the sacristy an ivory rod is shown,
said to have belonged to the apostle Pc
ter; and in chapel stands u gilded cof
fin, with the names of the holy Three
Kings inscribed. Their skulls are visible
throug an opcning-two being white, as
belonging to Caspar and Baltesar-the
third black, for Mclchior.
1t was in this church that Adelaide was
buried with great splendor. In the spirit
of that age, which had more feeling for
the solid than real taste-more devotion
and confidence than unbelieving fear
she was dressed as bride in lowered
silk, motley garland upon her head,
and her pale fingers covered with costly
rings; in which state she was conveyed
to the vault of little chapel, directly
under the choir, in coffin with glass
windows. Many of her forctathcrs were
already resting here, all embalmed, and,
with their mummy forms, offered strange
contrast to the silver and gold with which
they were decorated, and teaching, in a
peculiar fashion, the difference between
the perishable and the impcrishable. The
custom of of embalmng was, in the pre-
sent instance, given up F; and, when
Adelaide was buried, it was settled tina
no one else should be laid there for the
future.
With a heavy heart had Adolph follow.
cd his wife to her final resting place. The
turct-bells, of two hundred and twenty
hundred weight, lifted up their deep vol
ccs, and spread the sounds of mournin!
through the wide city while the monks
carrying tapcrs and scattering incense
sang re1uicms from their huge vellum 70
lios, which were spread upon the music
desks in the choir. But the service wa
now over; the dead lay alone with tn
dead the immense clock, which is onl
wound up once year, and shcws tn
course ofthc planets, as wei! as the hour
Of the day, was the only thing that ha
sound or motion in the whole cathedra
Its monotonous ticking seemed to moe
the silent grave.
1t was stormy November evening
when Peter Bolt, the Sexton of s
Peters, was returning home after tn
splendid funeral. The poor man, VIII
had been married four years, had on
chIld, daughter, which his wife brougl
him in the second year of their marriag,
and was again expecting her confinement
1t was, therefore, with heavy hea
that he had left the church for his cottage
which lay damp and cold on the banl
| of a river, and which, at this dull season
looked more gloomy than ever. AT Il
door he was met by the little Maria, wi
$ called out with great delight, "You mu
| not go up stairs, father; the stork HI
5 been here, and brought Maria lit
. brother pa piece of information MOI
expected than agreeable, and which w
, soon after confirmed by the appcaran'
, of his sstcr-in-law, with a healthy infa
: in her arms. His wife, however, hi
y suffered much, and was in state II,
1 required assistance far beyond his inca
to supply. In this distress, he bethoug
c himself of the Jew, Isaac, who had late
o advanced him rifle on his old silv
Il watch; but now, unfortunately, he h;
d nothing more to pledge, and was force
d to ground all his hopes on the Jews col
o passion--a very unsafe anchorage. Wi
doubtful steps he sought the house of I
IT miser, and told his tale amidst tears a