Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-09-19
HEROES.

The~heaIlny art is not without its he
Toes. Madame dc Genis relates the sto.
ry Of one who, to save his native city
from the ravages of the plague, volunta-
| nly surrendered himself a sacrifice. The
incident is as follows: The plague ragged
violently in MarseilIcs. Every link OF af-
fection was. broken the father turned
from the child, tho child from the father ;
ingratitude Mo longer excitod Indignation
Misery is ut its height when it thus de-
stroys every generous feeling, thus dis
solves every tie-of humanity! The city
became desert; grass grew in the streets,
y funeral met you at every step. The
physicians assembled in body at the
the Hotel de Vile, to hold consultation
on the fearful disease, for which no RENE
dy has yet been discovered. After a
long deliberation, they decided unani-
m0usly that the mnlady had a peculiar
and mysterious character, which opening
corpse alone might develop-an opera
tion it was impossible to attempt, since
the operator must infallihly become vic
tim in a few hours. beyond the power Of
human art to save him, as the violence OF
the attack would preclude their admins.
tering the customary remedies. A dead
pause succeeded this fatal declaration
Suddenly surgeon named Guyon, in the
prime OF life, and Of great celebrity in his
profession, rose, and said firmly, " Be it
so: devote myself for the safety Of my
country. Before this numerous assem-.
| bly, | swear, in the name of humanity
and religion, that o>morrow at the break
of day, | will dissect corpse, and write
down what I observe" He. left the as.
sembIy instantly, They admire him, IA.
ment his fate, aud doubt whether he will
persist 10 his design. The intrepid and
pious Guyon, animated by the sublime
| energy religion can inspire, acted up to
his words. He; had never married, he
Immediately made will, dictated by jus
tice and piety; he confessed, and in the
middle of the night received the sacra-
ments. A man had died of. the plague
in his house within four and twenty
hours Guyou, at day break, shut him-
self up in the same room !; he took with
him an inkstsnd; paper, and little cruel
hx.- Full of enthusiasm, never had he
felt more firm or more collected: kneel-
ing before the corpse he wrote," Moul.
derIng remains of an-immortal soul: not
only can L gaze on, thee Without horror. but
even with JOY and gratitude: Thoa
wilt open to me the gates, OF glorious
eternity. In discovering to me the secret
cause of che terrible disease which DESTROYS
my native city. thou wilt enable me. to
point. out some ,salutary -remedy-thou
wilt render my sacrifice useful. Z Oh,
bGod / thou wilt bless the action:thou hast
thyselfinspired.' He began-he finished
the dreadful operation. and recorded in
detail his'surgtcal observations. He then
lett the room, threw the paper into case
of vinegar, and afterwards sought the Ia,
zaretto, where he died in twelve hours
. a death ten thousand times more, gloriou,
than the Warriors, wh6, to save his coun.
Itry, rushes on the snemy's ranks, since
i he advances with hope-at least. sustain,
-Eed, admired, and seconded. by a whole
Earmy.',
This was an instance Of heroic self de
"