The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-05-11
DEATH IN A BALL ROOM.


One beautiful but kccnly cold evening
in January, n young gentleman entered
DR.. &C office, with whom was
spending vacasion) and hurricdly inquired
where he should DO able to lind tho doc
tor.
Not being able to inform him, he request
cd me to accompany him down street 70
H. hotel. as there was young LAD,
in the ball room, very ILL.,
Surprising il 10 be fainting fit, clap
ned bottle Of hartshcrn, together with
lancet 10 my pocket, and accompanied
him.
On the wav he informed mr., as already
knew, that ball was in progress ut the
hall, and had been interrupted by the i'll
ness Of one Of the bellies Of tho evening.
Arriving nj tho hotel VIC were somewhat
surprised by the rapid filing and driving
away Of the carriages nj the door.
We caught now and then an exclomn-
ton, which betokened extreme terror, but
heard nothing sufficiently distinct to I'd
mi, offormiug conclusion, Us to tho cause
Of the apparent confusion.
Passing up the stairs we encountered
numbers Of young ladies, with checks us
palc, aud lips as bloodicss Us though them
selves were tho subjects for whom hid was
summoned.
They wero hurryng away as from con-
Examination, the hilari,y Of the occasion
having been exchanged for mute terror.
Hurrying through tho crowd VIC enter
cd the ball room. Il was very spacious
and brilliantly lighted, but deserted Of It's
occupants. save q group in the centre, who
seemed horror-strickcn by the sight human
ity compelled them 10 witness.
On sofa, which had been drawn from
the side Of the room, sat a Young lady, 10
q STOPPING posture, hs though in the net oil
rising, with one hand stretched out TO tnkc
that Of her partner, who was to have Led
her to the dance.
With the smile upon her lip and eyes
bcaming with excitement, death had sciz-
cd her, The smile oil joy was transformed
to hidcous grin; the beaming eye now
seemed but glazed mass protruding from
the socket.
The carmne added to give Lriliancy to
her complexion. now contrusied strangcl,
with the sallow hue her skin had assumed
whlo the gorgeous trnppings, in which fash
ion had deckcd her, seemed but knocking
oithe hsbilimcnts Of the grave.
Death under such circumstances was
horrible. No wonder the pale mother as
she knclt beside her child, groanca out,
Not here! not here! Let her dio ut
homen
We had arrived too late to render aid.
The spirit had fled, and oil that could be
done WINS to remove the body, and strip j,
ofits sensclcss parapherna!a. This hor
rible catastrophe wns one Of those striking
acts Of providence by which we are FL
wnrned that death claims all seasons for
his own. When the young md beautiful
surrounded by the consoiulions of religion,
depart in the ,rinmphs Off christian fifth.
wc bow ourselves TO the stroke, and believe
that scraph has passed from among us,
10 minglc with the pure above.
But sudden dispcnsaiion like tho orc
above, leaves shadow upon tho hearts If
survivors, no after scene eau Gescrhe D.
they mingle with the merry dancers? In
the midst oftheir ies,sity comes the aw-
iul phantom the past.
Ia the silence Of their own caumhers,
they weep for the departed, and seek in
vain, in mcmory's siore.houFc, for some
fond message whispered isam the bloodless
lips IS the spiri, sighed itself away
Not heren not here let her die II
homen would be the exclamation Of any
mother, were she to stand thus, BY her en-
~ child: while tho only response vouch.
safed would he found in the sonl-harrowinn
exclamation Of those around. .dead! dead!
and in o ball .'--Norshern Budget.