The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18
Romance in Real Life.

A little romance in real life is pleasant
thing, ecce Signum. About one year ago a
fine old lady, residing in one of the pleasant
est OF the many pleasant country seats on
Staten Island, departed this life so suddenly
that several members of her family were ab-
sent at the time of her decease. As it was
desirable to preserve the body until their re-
turn it was packed in ice and watched from
night to night in the customary fashion. On
one OF these evenings Mr.. p who had
just gone to the Island to board for the sum-
mer, and who was still quite stranger
there, was somewhat nonplused by request
that he would 60 over to the house of
mourning and make one of the company of
watchers. No other gentleman could be
found-would he be kind enough to 20 d?
P had been promising himself good
nights rest after the cares of business in New
York, but nevertheless he good naturedly
waived his right to the sweet restorer, and
consented to watch. He was told that two
young ladies, who were not disagreeable,
would be his companions in this melancholy
business-that his only care would be to
change once every hour cloth, moistened
with some antseptic, and laid on the face OF
the corpse, ard that during the rest of the
long hours he might read, smoke or talk, as
the spirit moved him. So about ii o'clock
of the evening he went his way to the house
OF mourning, was there duly introduced to
the fair females who were to be his compan-
ions in vigil, and the sombre exercises COM
menced. Time wore on, when, Just after the
clock shad struck midnight, at the very witch.
ing hour when graveyards yawn, the party
were startled by loud noise proceeding from
the next room, where the corpse was laid
1t was sound as of a rattle of bones, follow
ed by a dull blow. Whereupon one of the
young ladies tainted, or pretended to faint,
and was laid out on a sofa. The other, how.
ever, whom We will call Julia, caught up a
candle and announced to P with quiet
courage beaming from her fine eyes, that she
would accompany him, to ascertain, if posi-
BILE, the cause of the strange disturbance.
Though somewhat nervous, he felt that he
could 90 almost anywhere with such COM
panion, and the two proceeded to the cham
Der of death.
Imagine their feelings when they entered
the room and saw the venerable corpse in
the centre of the foOr 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 saying, with womanly thought
fulness, that it would be pity to disturb the
family who were exhausted by care and grief,
assisted P to restore the BODY to the
box and the box to its place. A little phil
osophical reasoning suggested that the Ice
had melted in one end fit much faster than
in in the other, and being carelessy balanced
on its props it had fallen and spilled out its
contents in this sudden and startling man.
ner.
The rest of the night wore away without
any further alarm, but it may be supposed
that P did not read much, and was not
obliged to smoke great deal to keep him
self awake. 1t is reasonable to conjecture,
that he conversed somewhat with the girl
who impressed him as much by her calm
courage and selfcontrol, as che charmed him
by her beauty and good sense. Not having
been present | can give no further account
OF that evenings entertainment. Neverthe-
less, party" in this city, whom modesty
forbids me mentioning, has lately received
some cards whose cabilistic inscriptions are
meant to convey the idea that this couple of
young people, who obtained an insight into
each Others characters in ''the house of mour-
ming are intending to become still more in
timately acquainted in the house of feasting.
As Miss Mills was wont to say to David Cop
perfeld, ''snch is life"