Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-08-06
The Lazaretto-Keeper.
IN FOUR PARTs-PART II.

l
To him who lives inland, the yellow fever
only one of thousand diseases known merel,
| by name. Neither the traditions of his family
nor his own recollections can connect it witt
griefor fear; but among our seafaring popula
ton this word strikes like funeral knell
not only recalls the thought of danger encoun
tered, but it re-awakens sorrows-old or recent
In place where every family has one object o
love in some distant land, this terrible disease il
too well known by the sight of widows and or
phans it has made. Like the storm and the reef
it is one of the greatest enemies OF life. Tn,
sound of its name produces the same effect al
the wind when it whistles, or the waves whel
! they roar. When men hear it, they look at on,
another, and they think of the absent, perhap
| of the dead.
But Ropars now thought chiefly of the pres
| ent. In Truth, he had more cause to trembl,
| than others. Formerly, when in the midst of
raging yellow fever, he had seen the crews O
| ali the fleet cut down around him, and himsel
saved rs by mirele. The thoughts of thi.
| slaughter rs he called it, had remained i'm
pressed ON his mind; and he had too often spoken
of II to Geneiyieve for them not to feel theil
courage shaken. Neither of them feared for self
but each for those whose lives were dearer far
Matthews first thought rested on his wife and
children; Gencvieve's first movement was to
gather them within her arms crying out that they
making her understand that to leave the isle
even ifit had not been dishonorable for him, was
now impossible. The barge had sailed again fol
the frigate, and the yellow flag was hoisted on
the lazaretto flagstaff. Quarantine had begun
for all those who happened to be at Treberon-
not one of them coul henceforth pass its limits
and Ropars showed Genevieve the pinnace SEM
by the military authorities, which was just about
to moor at hafcable's distance from the isle and
to prevent all shipping from coming near it -
They were, therefore, shut in with the infection
and condemned TO run all risks to the end
However, Mathews uneasiness in which the
suddenness of the event had share, did not
| last long, The quarter-master soon recovered
! his old firmness-now softened a little by the
affectionatc habits of family life-and tried tC
calm the fears of Genevieve, by qualifying his
own words, and making light of the DANGER
After ali, they had not here the conditions which
| favored the pestilence elsewhere. They had
not to contend against the oppressive sun of the
| Havana or Brazil; they had not TO do with for
midable contagion which was gaining more ant
more upon them, like fire, and leaving only
the dead behind but with sickness on the decline
and from which, with few precautions, they
might easily escape.
/ The first and most indispensable of these wa:
/ to avoid the rooms occupied by the quarantiners
and never to remain to leeward of the lazaretto
Jeanette and Francne were warned immedi
atey. Genevieve explained to them at grea
! length all that must be done, now with threat
ening and aow with moving words. First, she
| told them that sickness, even death, would
"Q the punishment for tbs least dsobedience
when she saw them get pale with fear, she
then ICED them again by her kisses and endear
encOur.
ments. tel TO her advice something NOR,
distinct ana more ~ ond cord
marked out an enclo children for a sanitsr,
which was to serve tn, elton the GOAT her
line An additional preca '.sure where sh,
self was brought into the enc,
was tethercd, and fed on hay. ,orysn wild
The keeper left off his usual interC wonI,
the lazaretto servants and doctors lie .nt;
have been ignorant of the fate of the quai, =.
ners if, every evening, the sight OF two or thr.
men going down towards the sea-shore, ana the
sound of a hand bell which warned him ont o.
| the way had not told him that :hey were gong
to dig a grave, The gaps were, however, soof
! filed up by new sick men brought in the ing
ates's barge; for the fever did not seem to de
! crease or take a milder form. Nos convaleeeni
had vet appeared on the terrace of the lazaretto
I The pinnaee-boat belonging to the health othce
came in every morning, but without touching
the shore 1t landed the provisions or medicines
bv the pass-rope put up in the creek, received
the surgeons report at the end of boat-hook
and then set sal with rapidity which showe'
the fear excited by the contagion.
i However, after the first few days, the fears O
Ropars and Geneviove were little relieved
The blows which sth was striking aroun'
them were silent az unseen. and the sting
anxiety insensibly gr5.ss' Piunter. When the is
saw that life was pos fs.c in contact with tn
formidable disease, both OF them halt forgot tina
death was possible, tJo. &AEhat happens to III
I inhabitants Of Il beseiged town, who no longe
!, start at the report OF cannon, Happened TO them
the bell might sound every evening, and tn
Il barge bring new sick and dying every morning
7i-stiI the unbroken recurrence of the DANCE
accustomed them to it, and custom produces
sense of security. At times even, Geneviev
forgot it all. and would begin her songs again
hut at the sight OF the yellow flag. or at som
sudden thought which went through her hear
she w7nld stop abruptly, and the song ended i
la sigh
J R3pars had inquired for NJ. Gabriel on the al
, rival Of the first patients. The fever had thei
attacked hm but the interruption of all inter
course with the lazaretto servants and the boat
crew had prevented him renewing his inquiries
Several parties had landed, without his bein
1ble to inquire after the lieutenant, when {
las. he received a note cut through with scissor;
land soaked in vinegar. 1t only contained thes
\ w,,ras, written in pencil
Il ~ am here Ii live we shall meet agai,
e die take this letter to the captain OF "
Thetis. ano claim my large mahogany box, Il
i..,,,sI - GABRIEL.
/ The writing was almost illegihle, and betra,
e "a n hand shaking with fever Mathew, wi
was both crieved and shocked no" Iofgos esei
precaution, and ran 10 the lazareuo' ont Ihe oo
tor would not let him see the euieAahl' aoo'
whom he seemed to have serious uneas'ness--
! In the evening the fever became worse, Aila
! lowed but little hope; the next moment me
Il was no longer even that.
d Jeanette, who had been let in ignorance
e me name OF the frigate in which the fever WI
racing. did not suspect the danger Of her iflen
: NH she and her sister had not the less lost
sbrir mirih. Kept ike prisoners within the e
rloSure marked ont bp their father, both OF the
were sitting mournfnily near the tethered goo
which Law al their feet, and seemed to ossasln !
bav scattered beieFs her. Jeanette, WI
Francine leaned on her lap, had proposed
saccrssion all the games they kne" put
lehild hung her her head, and hAea neg sssS
the sea I,
Then what viii you do, Zinas' asked 81
ssddened by her sadness.
She did not answer. Her slider SISTER put
hand on her fair hair, and played Tor alothe
with the ringets
You want to go down there and see Mieha
= don't youl resumed she, STOPPING towards
little giI; but it is OF no use, for the cher
blossoms are over
Then do yen think the cherries are ripe no'
interrupted Franeine, turning her iaee-~hi
ore from lasSitude, was less rosy than nSnai-
- u ~t