Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-02-10
a Laughs bic story,

LaughabIe story,
The Count Hohenlo,he on his death bed. gave
banker whom the nfatuation of pleasure had
prevented him from seeing. lie made no use
of his bills of credit, as death had not gi-
ven him time to spend the ready money he had
brought with him. The poor young man ha-
wing given his last sigh, the musqueieer made
the necessary preparation, tor his funera--
While things were in this situation there ar
rived two English noblemen at the same house.
They were placed in chamber adjoining
that i'll which the dead body was laid out, and
could only allow one bed for them both, all
the others being engaged; but as the weather
was cold, and they were friends, thoy made
no difficulty in lying together.
In the middle of the night, one of the two
not being able to sleep, and growing weary of
his bed, arose in order to amuse himself in
the kitchen where he heard some people talk
ing He had diverted himself there sometime
when being willing to return whence he came,
he again went up stairs but instead of enter
ing his own chamber, went into that of the
deceased Count, over whose face they had only
thrown cloth. There is not so much ceremo-
ny used in France in the management Of their
dead, as in England and Germany for they
are there satisfied with showing their alfec-
ton for the living.
The Ems gli.h robleman having put out the
candle, laid down boldly by the deiunct ; when
creeping as close to him as possible in order
to warm himself and finding his bed fellow
colder than himself, he began 10 mutter:
"What the devils the matter, my friend
You are as cod as ice. | will laya wager, cold
as you are, you would have been warm enough
If you had seen what have, below stairs.
Come, you may take my word for it," add
cd he, "come, POUNDS stir While he
was holding this fine conversation, the dead,
who, detached from the things of this world,
did not even give himself the trouble of making
a reply, his chamber door was opened which
made hlm raise to see what was coming in
but Judge what must have been his surprise.
when he saw servant lighting in joiner, who
carried a coffin on his shoulder lie thought
at first he had been in dream; but on look
ing around him and seeing the v!sage over.
spread with mortal paleness, he made but one
jump from his bed to the middle of his cham
Der. The Joiner and the maid were immedi-
ately persuaded that it was the corpse, who
being unwilling TO be shut up in a coffin was
playing his eambols. Thei. legs were una
bic 10 move with a sw'tness propOrtioned to
their fears; and joiner, maid, coffin and can
dlestck rolled over one another from the top
o, the stairs down into the kitchen. "Zonnds.
what are you all about !" cried the landlord.
"What, is the devil flying away with the dead
man - MERCY on us - cried the maid 1T
is rather the dead man would run away with
US" II am the son of a. said inc
ioiner, "if that dead man has any more occa-
sion for a coffin than | have. Why he Just
GOT up in the middle Of the room. and he has
Just struck up hornppo."
The devil n has" cried the landlord" We
viii soon sce that"
NhIe all the family were trembling and
getting ready to follow the master Of The
house, the English noblcman who had again
found his chamber, had slipped into bed quite
out of breath, and his friend having asked him
where he had been, he answered "JostlnS
with Il dead body" 'S5looi dead body !:
1t Is perhaps the plague - cried he Jumping
in his turn out of bed. and running to the
door to call for a light
The landlord, tn, laniady, aud servants.
were passing though the gallery, and no 500
ner saw HIM than they imagined il was thn
dead man who nsd appeared again. Nhac
confusion, WAT shteks what chmor. The
Engl' .hma.i, terrified at the hidsons noise, ran
ln;r. his nom, and slipped into his bed to h''
! comFan,An, without the least iea' q catch
ing ,he plague.