Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-11-28
M 7 s. q Is u IA a 81 Y o
DESERTED VILLAGE SAD PICTURE.

II will be remembered that the Village of
Woodvllle, Miss, was visited by the yellow
fever during the past summer, and that death
and desolation followed in its train. The
WoodvilIe Republican of the 2Sih alt. gives
the following touching and pathetic descrip-
ton of the desolation produced by the cpl
demic.
Our heart is heavy and almost desolate, our
spirits die within us,a we sit down and think
oil the scenes Of the last few weeks We
nave gust crawled from the brink of the grave.
ana pauslng IN feebleness and exhaustion not
lar from Its doorway, we look around for the
void familiar faces, ''--but we see them not
ahe eyes that beam ed upon us in joyful well
come, will look upon as no more. The vol
ces eloquent and harmonious, 10 which we
loved TO listen, are still, and the hands that
spoke the warm hearts friendship in their
). manly pressure, stiff and cold, are crossed up-
on those faithful bosoms whence we have
oecn accustomed TO derive counsel and en-
couragement, now as still and unieeling as the
clods that lie above them
ave call, but they answer not again,' and
friendship and love in their anguish seem con-
strained to inquire:
"Go they love us Vets
Bat the question falls without an echo, and
no answer comes back from that shore where
our friends that SO lately walked these streets
with us, have gone. We look around U.S.
1onGer heap beside heap, i'll many row, lie
gathered into one neighborhood the old and
the young-the rich and the poor-all the
cares and anxieties of life forgotten, and the
tenements that held those fiery spirits are as
quiet now as ii they bad never been aught
save part and parcel of that dust with which
they now mingle.
fhe terrible disease has robbed us of manv
> OF the very best citizens of which we could
boast With the grasp of an invisible Hercu-
les, lis almighty hand came down upon the
nearts OF men, crushing out the very spark of
ine' ere people were we'll aware that their
friends were in danger. Then came the sound
anu sight cf woe, such as our little village
never conceived of before The anvil ceased
to echo forth its ciang, the sledge was unfit
Ell, the bellows breathed not. the fire of The
furnace burned out. The saw, the plane, and
the hammer grew still. Merchants shut up
thelr stores and walked home to die-no
sound came upon the ear, save the clink of
tne hammer or the grating of the saw as the
undertaken hastily threw together the last mar
row Withdrawing room Of poor mortality
linen there was suffering. Disease and death
soon mad great majority, and The very few
that remained to take care of the many sick.
hooked more like the ghosts of those that
nag dietf, than living men and women.
TeoPie lied their homes in fright and con-
s.efna'ion. Every thing seemed to partake
OF the general terror. The foliage of the
Hees turned yellow, the sky was of pale
sicAiy green, and for six weeks the hollow
".hu came from north and east incessantly,
with deathliness in its touch enouoh n
of fbo
were deserted. The grass bid fair to snr;no
up where merry feet had so recently gone
down. Yet there was one road in which no
grass grew IL led to the graveyard. A.
long that track the hearse constantly Journey
cd with its gloomy rumble, followed by few
friends oil those within ii, and obliged to slack
us pace again and again 10 let the lettering in
Vaiids, that struggled hard TO follow, come up
poor haif-sick creatures, expanding their
last srehglh IN this last office of friendship, a
ueeo soon TO be performed FOR many of them,
by others as feeble as themselves.
Out the disease has nearly ceased its rava-
ee'-onS because there are no more subjects
70 aC' upon. IL has swept us like fire and
whlrlwind. Had it been in New YORK c;tv
with its teeming thousands, and proven ne e.
tai IN proportion as it has with us. il ,vouId
nave swept off .fffy thousand ,ersons. And
.he Danger is no; yet past. We warn all
mose who can keep away from Woodyilie, 70
uo so as they value their lives There is
uea'i, III the atmosphere. TrGe not with life
"'iie not with death. in this matter Ciscre.
non Is not only The 'betler part but the uho1e
part OF Vaior. We have lost enough already
The good old citizen ConneIl-ihe voons,
promising and pious Beacl-Sims. with he
warm Irish heart--the gendemany. amiabIs.
Pure-minded Walker-aiasi alasr we carne,;
supply their places-let us then guard the
lives Of those that are yet Ief. us.