The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1845-08-23
A ROMANCE OF REAL LIFE

Mrs. Child, in her letters from Ne
. York; relates The following. Ii occu
f ed 10 the family Of The aulhoress whe
n The yellow fever ragged like pestilenC
d in Boston, many years ago:
4 'Oae Of our lsher's brothers, resdin
9 IN Boston al that time, became vclr
/ 10 the peslIence. Wnen the first symL
IONS appeared, his wI:e sent The chII
Idren INTO the country, and herself re
maiCed 10 attend upon him. H,I friend
warned her against such rashnesS. The
old her it would be death 10 her, ant
no benefit 10 him: for he would soon b.
90 I'll 10 know who attended TO him
These arguments made no impression
On her allecllonae heart. She felt lha
It would be life long satisfaction 10 heI
TO know who attended upon him, if h
did uo' She accordingly stad an,
watched him with uuremitting care
Tnis, however, did not avail TO save
MN. lie grew worse, and worse, ano
inaIly died. Those who wen. round
with The deslh-cars had visited the
chamber, and seen that the end was neal.
They now came 10 take the body. H..
wife refused TO let it 20. She told m,
that she never knew how 10 accoun; lo,
1T but thought he was perfectly cold and
rigid, and TO every appearance quite
dead, there was a powerful impression
on her mind that life was not exlInc,.
The men were overborne bythesrenglh
ii her conviction, though their own rea
son was opposed TO 1t. The hsIi.hour
again came round, and again was heard
The solemn words, Bring ou' your dead
The wife again resisted their imporu.
nltleS; but ibis time the men were more
reso'ule. They said the duty assigned
% them was painful one; but lke health
1t the clly, required punclual obedience
10 the orders they received; if they eX.
pec'ed the pesll'ence TO abale, it mus
ne by apiUmpl removal of The dead +,
md immediate tumgaIion Of the infect
ed aPaIlmfnl.s Sas pleaded and plead
d. and even knelt 10 them 10 agony oI
'ea's, codrinuSIIy saying, Il am sure h,
not dead The men representa- The
nlNcr absurdiry Of such an idea bat GnaI.
y overcome by her tears, again depart
d. With trembling haste she rene wed
ler efforts to restore life. She rtised
1is head, rolled his limbs in hot n4uneI, =,
,nd placed hol onions on his feet. The
Ireadful half hour again came rounC ;,
md found him as cold and rigid aS
ever. She renewed her en,rearies So
desperately, that The messengers began
to think a ll'e gen,le force would b.
necessary. They accordingly attempt
ed to remove he body against htl will; j
hut she threw herself npon it, and clnng
to 1t with such frantic strength, thai
hey could not easily loosen her grasp.
Impressed by the remarkable energy of
her will, they relaxed their edous. ToI
I'll their remonslrances she answered,
II you bury him, you shall bury me
with him. AT last, by dinl Of reason
ng on The necessity Of the case, they
obtained from her promise, that, if he
showed no signs Of life before they again
'ame round, she would make no furlher
opposition 10 the removal. Having
gained This respite she hung The watch
up on the beGpoSl, and renewed her ef-
orIs with Iedoubled zeal. She placed
kegs Of hot wafer about him, forced
brandy between his teeth, brealhed in
to his uoslrls, and held hart.horne to
MIS- nose; but still the body lay notion
|, SIS md colo. She looked auxiousl, |
Al the watch; in five minutes The prom
std hal(.hour would expire, and those
dreadful voices would be heard passing
through the street. Hopelessness came
D er hrr; she dropped the head she had
been susta ningj her hand uembled vio-
emily, and the harlshorne she had hold
og was spilled on the paIId face. Acct.
ieurslIy, the position Of the head had
becomes lightly tipped backward, snc
ne powerful lqud flowed into his nos.
rIls. Instantly there was short, quick
saSp--a srruggIe---hs eyes opened: snc
when the dealh-men came again, they
ound him sitting up in the bed. H. |
: sill alive, and has enjoyed unusually
,ood health