Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-08-05
VI HOLE NO. 2I5I.

P, who had just gone to the Island
to board through the snmmer, aud who
was still quite stranger there, was
somewhat non plussed by a request that
he would go over to the house Of mourn
ing and make one OF the company OF
watchers. No other gentlemen could be
found-would he be kind enough to so?
P-had been promising himself
good nights rest after the cares Of busi-
ness in New Yoik; but nevertheless he
good naturedly waived his right 10 the
sweet restorer, and consented TO watch.
He was told that two young ladies. wh0
were not disagreeable, would be his COM
panions in this melancholy business: that
his only care would be to change once
every hour a cloth mOistenej with some
antiseotic, which lay on the face of the
corpse. and that during the rest Of the
long hours he mi ght smoke, read or
talk as the spirit moved him. So, about
l 4 O'Clock in the evening, be went his
way to the house OF mourning, and was
there duly introduced to the fair females
who were TO be his companions in vigil,
and the sonbre exercises commenced
Time wore on, when, Just as the clock
had struck the hour of midnight, the
very hour when graveyards yawn, the
party were srar'led By load noise pro-
ceeding from the next room, where the
corpse was laid. Whereupon one of The
young ladies tainted, or pretended to
faint, and was laid out on sofa. The
other, however, whom we will call Julia,
caught up a candle, and announced to
P, with quiet courage beaming from
her fine eyes, that she would accompa-
ny him, to ascertain, if possible, the
cause of the strange disturbance
Though somewhat nervous; he felt he
could go almost anywhere with such a
companion, and the two proceeded to the
chamber of death.
Imagine their feelings when they en-
tered the room and saw the venerable
corpse in the centre of the floor, leaning
upon the long ice box, in which it had
been packed. one end of the box having
fallen. Still Julia did not faint, but say
ing with womanly thoughtfuliness, that
it would be a pity to disturb the family.
who were exhausted by care and grief,
assisted P-to restore the body to th'
box, and the box to its place. A little
philosophical reasoning suggested that
the ice in one end of it had melted much
faster than in the other, and being care
lessly balanced on its props 1t had sud-
denly fallen and spilled out It's contents
in this sudden and startling manner.
The rest of the night wore away with
out any further alarm, but it may be
supposed that P-did not read much,
and was not obliged to smoke much to
keep himself awake. 1t is reasonable to
conjecture at he conversed somewhat
with the girl who impressed him as much
BY her calm courage and self control, as
she charmed him by her beauty and
good sense. Not having been present,
can give no fur ther account of that
evenings entertainment. Nevertheless
a "party" in this city, whom modesty
forbids me to mention, has lately receiv-
ed some cards whose cabalistic inscrip-
tions are meant to convey the idea that
this couple of young people. who obtain
cd an insight into each others characters
in "the house of mourning" f" are intend
ing TO become still more intimately ac-
quainted in "the house of fsasting."-
As Miss Mills was wont to say to David
"such is lile."