Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-10-23
A Romance of Real Life.

Mrs. Chld's letters from New York, which have
lately been published by Wiley g. Putnam contain
some very interesting "reminiscences, among which
is the following curious incident which occurred in
the family of the authoress, while the yellow fever
was raging in that city =
''One of my fathers brothers, residing in Boston
at the time, became victim to the pestience. When
the first symptoms appeared his vile sent the chill
dren into the country, and herself remained TO attend
upon him. Her friends warned her against such
rashness. They told her it would be death to her,
and benefit to him for he would be too i'll to
know who attended upon him. These arguments
made no impression upon her afectonate heart. She
felt that it would be life long satisfaction to her to
know who attended upon him, if he did not. She
cordingly staid and watched him with unremitting
care. This, however, did not avail to save him. He
grew worse and worse, and finally died.
Those who went round with the death carts had
visited the chamber, and that the end near.
They now came to take the body. His wife refused
to let it CO. She told them that she never knew how
to account for it but tho lie perfectly cold and
rigid, and to every appearance quite Dead there was
powerful impression on her mind that life not
extinct. The men overborne by her conviction,
though their own reason opposed to It. The
haf.hour again came round and again was heard the
solemn words "Bring out your dead" The wife
again resisted their opportunities; but this time the
men resolute. They said the duty as
signed to them painful one but the health of
the city required punctual obedience to the orders they
received if they expected the pesence to abate,
it must be by prompt removal of the dead, and i'm
mediate fumigation Of the infected apartments She
pleaded and pleaded and knelt TO them in agony
of tears, continually saying, 81 lie is not
dead" The men represented the utter absurdity of
such an idea; but finally, overcome by her tears,
again departed.
With trembling haste she renewed her efforts to re-
store life. She raised his head rolled his limbs in
hot flannel, and placed hot onions on his feet. The
dreadful half-hour again came round, and found him
as cold and rigid as ever. She renewed her entrea-
ties desperately that the messenger began think
little gentle force would be necessary. They &C.
cordngly attempted to remove the body against her
will but she threw herself upon it, and chung to il
with such frantic strength that they could not easily
loosen her grasp Impressed by the remarkable en-
ergy of her will, they relaxed their efforts. To all
remOnstrances she answered, eff you bury him, you
shall bury with him." At last, by dint of rea-
soning the necessity of the case, they obtained
from her promise, that if he showed no signs Of
life before they again came around she would make
no opposition to the removal.
Having gained this respite, she hung the watch up
on the bed post and renewed her efforts with redou.
bled zeal. She placed kegs of hot water about him
forced brandy between his teeth breathed into his
nosrils and held hartshorn to his nose but still the
body lay motionless and cold She looked anxiously
at the watch in five minutes the promised half-houl
would expire, and these dreadful voices would BE-
heard passing through the street. Hopelessness
over hers she dropped the head she had been sustain
ing her hand trembled violently; and the hartsborr
she had been holding was spilled on the pallid face
Accidentally, the position of the head had become
slightly tipped backwards, and the powerful lquiC
flowed into his nostrils Instantly, there a sharI
quick gasp-a struggle--his eyes opened and wher
the death-men came again, they found him sitting VI
in the bed
He is still alive, and has enjoyed unusually gool
health.