Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-12-19

devolved upon the students who in con-
sequence watched every funeral eagerly
and calculated the chances of cheating
the sexton of his charge and the grave
of its victim.
There had been a funeral that day Of
a poor orphan girl, who had been fol-
lowed to the grave by few friends =; and
this was considered a favorable chance
for the party whose turn it was to pro-
cure the next subject, as the graves of
the poor and friendless were never
watched with the same keen vigilance as
those of the rich and influential. Still
it was no trifing risk to attempt to ex-
hume the bodies of the poorest and hum
blest-for not unfrequently persons were
found on the watch even over these ; and
only the year before one student had
been mortally wounded by rife ball ;
and another a month or two subsequent
ly, had been rendered a cripple for life
by the same means.
All this was explained to me by par
ty of six or eight who accompanied me
to my room-which was in building
belonging to the college, and rented by
apartments to such of the students as
preferred bachelors TO regular board
ing; and they took care to add several
terrifying stories of CHESTS and hobgob-
Inns by way of calming my excited nerves
! lust as l have before now observed old
women stand around a weak, teverish
patient and croak out their experience
in seeing awful suferings and fatal ter
limitations of just such maladies as the one
with which their helpless victim was
then afflicted.
rs it expected that I shall go alone?
l inquired, in a tone that trembled in
spite of me, while my knees almost
knocked together and L felt as if my
very lips were whith.
well, nos replied Benson, my mos
dreaded tormentor : it would be hardly
fair to send you alone, for one individual
could not succeed in getting the body
from the grave quick enough; and yor
mere youth, without experience would
fail altogether. No, we will 60 with
you, some three or four of US and helE
you dig up the corpse; and then yol
must take it on your back and bring it VI
to your room here and spend the nigh
alone with itr
1t was some relief to me to find / wa
to have company during the first part o
my awful undertaking but still l felt fa
from agreeable I assure you; and chan C
ing to look into the mirror, as the tim,
drew near for setting out, l fairly start
ed at beholding the ghastly object saw
reflected therein.
Come boys, said Benson, who wa
always by general consent the leader 0
whatever frolic, expedition or undertak
ing he was to have a hand in: Com
t boys it is time to be on the move. 4
glorious night for us he added, throw
ing up the window and letting in ferc
gust of wind and rain: the very d
himself would hardly venture out in sue
r stormp
He lit dark lantern, threw on hi
long heavy cloak, took up spade an
led the way down stairs; and the rest c
t us, three besides myself, threw on GU
! cloaks also, took each a spade and fo-
lowed him.
!, We took roundabout course to avoi
+, being seen by any citizens that migt
d chance to be stirring, and in somethin
: less than half an hour we reached th
cemetery, scaled the wall without diff
Guilty and stealthily searched for th
grave till we found it in the pitch
d darkness-the wind and rain sweepin
J past US with dismal howls and moar
that to me, trembling with terror, SCENE
to be unearthly wailings of the spirits
E the damned.
a Here we are, whispered Benson
me as we at length stopped at a noun
of fresh earth over which one of our pa
ty had stumbled. Come feel round he1
d Morris and strike in your spade, and /
g US see if you will make as good har
: at exhuming dead body as you wi
IS some day at killing living one Wi
: physic.
did as directed, trembling in eyel
IS limb, but the first spade full threw up
At started back with a yell of horror, ths
ie on any other but howling, stormy nigt
: would have betrayed US. 1t appeart
re to me as if l had thrust my spade in
IN buried lake of fre-for the soft di
to was all aglow lie living Goals; and as
st had fancied the meanings of the storm Il
OF wailings of tormented spirits now "a