Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1849-12-19


longer heard. Men spoke to one another s.wiit
atated breath - inquired who was dead, and who
dying; and some old acquaintance was but few
minutes behind his usual time, they sat gazing ON
MS vacant chair in silence, perchance one ven
'ured 10 Inquire In a whisper ii he had been seen
'hat night Many shook hands at the tavern doors.
went nome, and never met again. -Four in tine
morning was dreadful hour, and numbers no doubt
died through fright, who were attacked in the faint
dawring OF The day, for they believed that time To
he fatal. In some streets five or SIX shops that
stood together were closed -inany were moi opened
again for several days. You saw the windows
standing open day and night but not a living
soul stirred within those walls Many who died
were removed during the night; sometimes twenty
were buried in one grave.
| Ihe<-he cry arose that the church yards were
too uii,-'hat there was no longer any for the
dead. 81 must find room, or shall be ruined -
exclaimed the sexton sit cost me all had in the
world TO get elected" The gravedigger threw
down his spade, wiped the Precipitation from his
brow, and said, 'Our occupaiiuns gone" The
cry lncreased-and then the ncesSant telling of the
bell ceased for an order issued that the dead
should no longer route out the dead or their sleep
he broken almost before the features had been ef-
faced by Slow decay. Then Death had ceased To
become lis own avenger for when he found that
the secrets of his dark doinnons were no more to
he iad bare To The open eye oi day, he no lunger
smoe those who irod TeverenIially ON the verge Of
his territories The streets were no longer dark
ened with funerals; you no longer saw men run
n'ng IN every direction, with collins their heads
Knocking al doors, aud delivering them with no
more ceremony or feeling than the postman dev-
ers his letters The solemn hearse and dark mourn
ing coach now moved slowly along and the dead
were borne away TO green and peaceful cemeteries
lar removed from the dwellings of the living. Nu-
sances were remOved-sewcrs were cleansed--the
abodes Of the poor purified, and al last rendered
habiable; and then 1.-The plague was STAYED"
IL seemed as n The winds of Heaven, which had
been driven away for want of breathing room came
back again, and Tapped their ''hcang Wings a
bove the homes of mankind, as they were weary
OF wandering the houseless sea, gladly return
ed to sweep through the lofty streets and open
squares, from which they had been driven by the
poison traps which were set everywhere To destroy
Them. The sun again gladdened the day. and the
round moon walked up the starry steep of Heaven
while The sky barred lis blue bosom, and showed that
the svery clouds still slumbered there as tranquil
~ as n the Destroying Angel had never thrown his
shadow 6etwixt earth and heaven.
Alas! the sun rose upon 4 shore strewn with
wrecks, and blackened with the bodies of the dead
LII the eye aghled upon the living, it every where
settled upon group of mourners. Death had gone
like cleaner through the land and taken an ear
from every field. Where before had stood bed of
flowers, one resting upon and supporting another,
bare and open gap WAS found and, too oiien the
latest, around which the rest chung, had withered
ana fallen, and died. The place they had once
known ''would know them no more forever" The
young bride, before the honeymoon had waned,
came forth in her widowed weeds. The first-born
child came too late into the world Ia lnnL on tho
face of its father. Sometimes The young mother
fel! before her irtant had the light the open
ing and the unfoded bud pershed together
Respectable families fell from state of comfort to
almost naked destutlun in a single night leaving
no mark on the steps of the ladder of time, by which
men rise or fall, but plungng headlong 10 the foot
OF it in a moment. Some had passed many years
in faithful servtude. and at last attained the long
coveted promotion. The larger house, so often talk
ed Of, was taken they entered. and so did Death
the father fell, and with him all their hopes forever
persisted. Since that day the garden-rol has new
er been moved, and where the spade was thrust in
10 the ground, when the Improvements first com
menced, there it rests; perchance the robin may
alight upon the handle, and there chant his mourn
full anthemj but one branch is from the over
hanging tree that darkened the Drawing Room win
dow all the rest remain untouched, for the work
men have departed. The merry Christmas so Of
ten talked about, will he a mournfuI meeting with
IN those walls. What at another period would have
formed little history of trial, patient endurance,
slow change, and long coming misfortune, was now
accomplished almost as soon as one could say at
lightens"
HE BOTTLE TRICK BEFORE THE OUEEN-