Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-05-22
THE DOCTORS BRIDE.

physician, with whom / was on terms Of init
macy
81 have often thought, :" replied, &C that the
secret history of some of your profession, if
written out in detail, would make a work of
thrilling interest"
4" do not know that l exactly agree with
you in regard to detail,' rejoined my friend,
" for we medical men, like every one else meet
with great deal that is common place, and
therefore not worthy of being recorded but
grant Us the privilege Of you novelists, to select
our characters and scenes, and work them into
a kind Of plot, with a deWOUement and /
doubt not, many of US could give you a TO-
nance in real life, comprising only what we
have seen, which would equal, if not surpass,
anything You ever met in the way Of fiction
Bys-the-bye, believe never told you of tho
most strange and romantic adventure of my
life !''
You never told me of any of your adven-
lures, Doctor, / replied - but if you have a
story to tell you will find me eager listener -
Very well, then, as L have a few minutes
mantle, more incredibly remarkable, if 1 may
so speak, than you probably ever found in a
work of fiction.
81 am all attention.
twenty-five years ago." pursued the Doc
tor. 9 L entered the medical college at F.,
as o student l was then quite young, mex
perIenced, and inclined to be timid and senti-
mental; and well do / remember the horror
experienced, when one of the senior students
under pretence of showing mo the beauties of
the institution, suddenly thrust me into the
dlssectlng roOm among several dead bodies
and closed the door upon me-; nor do L forget
how my screcches of terror, and prayers Of re-
lease from that awful place, made me the laug Oh
ing stock of my older companions.
hidlcule Is hard thing to bear; the cow
ard becomes brave to escape it, and the brave
man fears 1T more than he would belching
cannon L suffered from it till could bear it
no more; and wrought up to pitch of despera-
tion, l demanded to know what might do to
redeem my character, and gain an honorable
footing among my fellow students
g will tell YOU" said one his eyes spark-
ling with mischief; Z" if you will 60 at the mid
night hour, and dig up subject, and take it
To your room, and remain alone with it till
morning, we will let you of, and never say an
other word about your womanly fright"
shuddered. 1T was fearful alternative
but it seemed less terrible to suffer all the hor-
rors that might be concentrated into a single
night than to bear, day after day, the jeers of
my companions.
Where shall go? and wheno" was nv
timid inquiry; and the very thought Of such
an adventure made my blood run cold
- To the Eastern Cemetery, at twelve O'Clock
tonight, replied my tormenter, fixing his keen
black eyes upon me, and allowing his thin lips
TO curl with smile of contempt. "But what
perform such manly feat?" he added deri-
dinghy.
His words stung me to the quick; and with
out further reflection, and scarcely aware Of
what was saying, rejoined boldly:
81 am no coward, sir, as L will prove TO you
by performing what you call a manly feat y
You will go ~ he asked quickly
Il will"
"Bravely said, my lad ~ he rejoined, in
tone of approval, and exchanging his expres-
sion of contempt for one of surprise and adni-
ration . Do this Morris, and the first man
that insults you afterward makes an enemy of
me 2''
Again felt a cold shudder pass through nv
frame, at the thought Of what was before me :;
but had accepted his challenge in the pre- =
ence OF many wltnesses-for this conversation
occurred rs we were leaving the hall, after list
ening to an evening lecture-and L was re-
solved to make my word good, should it even
cost my life; in tact, L knew l could not do
otherwise now, without the risk of being driven
In disgrace from the college.
L should here observe, that in those DAYS
there were few professional resurrectionists
and as 1t was absolutely necessary to have sub
Jeets tor dissection, the unpleasant business of
procuring them dcvolyed upon the students
who, In consequence, watched every funeral
eagerly, and calculated the chances of cheat
ing the sexton Of his charge aud the grave of
its victim.
There hal been a funeral, that day, of q
poor orphan girl, who had been followed to the
grave by very few friends; and this was con-
sldered favorable chance for the party whose
turn it was to procure 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
trlhlng risk to attempt to exhume the bodies
OF the poorest and humblest-for not unfre-
quently persons were found on the watch even
fha hafo
don't, while at his midnight work. had been
mOriaily wounded by rife ball and another,
month or two subsequently, had been rem
dcred cripple for life by the same means
All this was explained to me by a party of
six or eight, who accompanied me to my rooms
which wasia building belonging to the college;
and rented by apartments 10 such of the student
as preferred bacheiOrs hall TO regular boarding
and they took caro- to add several terrifying
stories OF ghosts and hobgoblins, by way Of
calming my excited nerves; but as I have be-
fore observed old women stand around a weak
feverlsh patsent. and croak out their expert
encs in seeing awful suferings and fatal termi-
nations of just such malsdies as the one with
which their helpless victim was then afflicted
:. Is II expected that L should 20 alone,'' | in
quired. In tone that trembled in spite of me
while my knees almost knocked together, and
felt ne il my very lips were white
"Well, no, replied Benson. my most dread
ed tormentOr; ii would be hardly fair to send
you alone, for one individual could not succeed
In getting the body from the grave quick
enough; and you, mere youth, without expe-
rience, would be sure 10 fail altogether. No,
We wIli 90 with you, some three or four of us,
and help you to dig up the corpse; but then you
must take II on your back, bring it up to your
room here, and spend the night alone with it.''
LIE was some relief to me to find was to
have company during the first part of my awful
undertaking; but siIl felt far from agreeable
/ assure you; and CHANGING to look into a mir
Ior, as the time drew near for setting out.
fairly started at behOlding the CHASTITY object |
saw reflected therein
Come, boys, said Benson who was alwa vs..
by general consent, the leader of whatever
frOlic, expedition, or undertaking he was to
have hand in" Come boys, 1t is time to be
on the move. A glorious night for us ~ he
added, throwing up the window and letting in
fierce gust Of wind and rain :" the devil
himself would hardly venture out in such a
Storm