Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-11-12

hold OF Benson, who told me to take off
Gssleals :. s,-.>;yzS..d$a - zsdt
- agains5 my back, &c began fixing
eoid arms about my neck-bidding me
Jake hold of them, and draw them well
over, and keep them concealed, and be
sure and not let go Of them, on any condi-
tion whatever, as | valued my life
All the torturing horror experienced,
as mechanically followed his directions |!
Tongue could not describe it!
At length, having adjusted the corpse
SO that | might bear it off with compare
tive ease, he threw my long black cloak
over 1t, and over my arms, and fastened it
with chord about my neck, and then IN
quired
/ Now Morris do you think you can find
the way to your room?'
'l-do-do-don' know / gasped, feeling
as if | should sink to the earth at the first
step.
Well, you cannot lose your way if you
go straight ahead he replied. Keep in
the middle of the road, and it will take
you to College Green, and then you are all
right Come, push on, before your bur-
den grows too heavy; the distance is only
good half mile =
/ set forward, with trembling nerves,
expecting to sink to the ground at every
step; but gradually my terror, instead of
weakening, gave me strength and | was
soon on the run-splashing through mud
and water-with the storm bowling about
me to fury, and the cold corpse, as fan
cied, chnging to me like hideous vam-
pire.
How reached my room, do not know.
but probably by sort of instinct; for on
ly remember of my brain being in a wild,
feverish whirl, with ghostly phantoms all a
bout me, one sometimes sees them in a
dyspetic dream
Bat reach nv room did, with my dead
burden on my back; and | was afterwards
) told that made wonderful time for Benson
and bis fellow stadent, fearing the loss of
= their suhject-which- on account of the diff
fealtg Of getting bodies, was very valuable,
; followed close behind me, and were obliged
to run at the top of their speed to keep me
3 within hailing distance
The first | remember distinctly, after get
: ting to Dy room, was the finding myself a
f wake in bed, with a dim consciousness of
+, something horrible having happened, though
: : what, for some minutes, could not for the
life Of me recollect. Gradually, however the
3 truth dawned upon me and then [ felt a
e cold perspiration start from every pore, at
d the thought that perhaps was occupying a
Y room alone with corpse. The room was not
dark there were few embers in the CRATE
: which threw out a ruddy light; and fearful
! ly raising my head, glanced quickly and
timidly around.
), And there-there on the floor, against
+ the right hand wall but a few feet from me.
d there, sure enough lay the cold still corpse
robed in its white shroud, with gleam of
d freight resting upon its CHASTITY face, which
. to my excited fancy seemed to move. Did
: it move? was gazing upon it thrilled and
/, 4 fascinated with an undesirable terror,
l. when, as sure as see you now, | saw the
y lids of it's eyes unclosc, and saw its breast
d heave and heard low stfed moan.
n Great Godv | shrieked, and fell back in
Il to a swoon.
How long / lay unconscious l do not
:, know, but when | came to myself again, it
e is a marvel to me th.t In my excited state,
| did not lose my senses altogether, and be-
e, come the tenant Of a mad house for there
ID right before me-standing up in its white
ID shroud-with its eyes wide open and staring
a upon me with its features thin, hollow, and
=, death-hued-was the corpse l had brought
- from the cemetery
~ In Gods name. avauntv gasped. &c
v back to your grave, and lest in peace!
will never disturb you again.
ry The large, hollow eyes looked more wild
T ly upon me-the head moved-the lips par
:, ted-and a voice in somewhat sepulchra
- , tone, said:
Id Where amIP Where am L? Who ar,
you? Which world am in Am iivina
v OF deads
a. You were dead,' gasped, sitting up il
ed bed and feeling as if my brain would burs
I'll with pressure Of unspeakable horror yol
were dead and buried, and was one of tn
guilty wretches who this night disturbed 20,
m in your peaceful rest. But go back poo
no ghost, in Heavens name and no morta
th power shall ever induce me to come mig
10 you again ?
nv oh! !! feel faint ? said the corpse, grad
&c ually sinking down upon the floor with
Gu groan. Where am /. Oh where am |
"a Great God! ! shouted, as the startin
on truth suddenly flashed upon me perhap
i? this poor girl was luried alive, and is no
~ living
ba ! bounded from the bed and grasped
III hand of the prostratcd body. 1t was n,
VII warm-but it was not cold. put my tren
le, bling fingers upon the pulse. Did it beat
he or was it the pulse in my fingers? | thru
ght my hand upon the heart. 1t was warm
the there was life there. The breast hcayet
If she breathed. but the eyes were now close
"a and the features had the look of death ST
- it was living body-or else | myself W
l IL insane.
the .I. ~ H. -. :,
5h' shouted for help
Fen Quick! quickp cried I: The dead is
live the dead is alivep
the Several of the students, sleeping in a
lied Ijoining rooms, camehurrying to mine, thin
rri- ing had gone mad with terror, as some
them had heard my voice before. and Z
knew to what fearful ordeal had be-
aiu, subjected.
and .poor f.r,ow sxol.;med one in a tone
om, sympathy L predicted this
If :. It is too bad said another, it was I
/ as much for his nervous system