The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-11
A THRILLING SKETCH.

One of my fathers brothers, residing in Bos-
ton at the time when the yellow fever prevail
ed to such trighttul extent became victim
to the pestilence. When the first symptoms
appeared, his wife sent the children 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 no benefit to him; for he would soon
be too i'll to know who attended upon him.
/ hese arguments made no impression on her
atfc tlonate heart. She felt that it would be a
long ie of satisfaction to her to know who at
tended him, if he did not She accordingly
stayed, and watched 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 WIS
tied the chamber, and seen that the end was
near. They now came to take the body. HIS
wife refused to let it 60 She told me that she
never knew how to account for it but though
he was perfectly cold and rigid and to every
appearance quite dead, there was powerful
impression on her mind that life was not ex-
tlnct. The men were overborne by the strength
OF her conviction, though their own reason was
opposed to it,
The halt hour again came round and again
was heard the solemn words Bring out your
dead" The wife again resisted their lmpor-
tunities: but this time the men were more reso-
lutte. They said the duty assigned to them
was painful one, but the health Of the town
required punctual obedience to the orders they
received if they ever expected the pestilence
TO abate, it must be by prompt removal OF
the dead, and immediate fumigation of the in
fected apartments.
She pleaded and pleaded, and even knelt to
them in an agony of tears, continually saying
II am sure he is not dead" The men repre-
sented the utter absurdity Of such an idea but
finally overcome by her tears, again departed
With trembling haste, she renewed her efforts
to restore him. She raised his head, rolled his
limbs in hot flannel, and placed hot onions on
his feet The dreaded hall-hour again came
round and found him as cold and rigid as ever
She renewed her entreaties so desperately that
the messengers began to think a little gentle
force would be necessary. They accordingly
attempted to remove the body against her will.
but she threw herself upon it, and chung to it
with such frantic strength, that they could not
easily loosen her grasp. Impressed by the re-
markable energy of her will, they relaxed their
efforts. To all their circumstances she answer
ed If you bury him, you shall bury me with
him. At last by dlnt of reasoning on the ne
cessity of the case, they obtained from her a
promise that, if lie showed no signs of life be-
fore they again came round, she would make
no further opposition to the removal.
Having gained this respite, she hung the
watch upon the bed -post, and renewed her eff
forts with redoubed zeal. She kept kegs of
hot water about him, forced hot brandy between
his teeth, and breathed into his nostrils and
held hartshorn to his nose but still the body
lay motionless and cold She looked anxiOusly
at the watch, and in five minutes the promised
halfhour would expire, and those dreadful
voices would be heard passing through the
street. Hopelessness came over her-she drop
ped the head she had been sustaining-her
hand trembled violently-and the hartshorn
she had been holding was spilled on the palld
face. Accidentally, the position Of the head
had become slightly tipped backward, and the
powerful liquid flowed into his nostrils. In
stantly there was Il short, quick gasp-a strug-
gle-his eyes opened and when the deathmen
came again, they found him sitting up in the
bed He is still alive, and has enjoyed unusu-
ally good heath.-MrS. l.. NJ Child