The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-11-28
"A Thrilling Sketch.

One Of my fathers brothers., says
Mrs. Child, residing in Boston at the
time when the yellow feaver prevailed
to such a frightful extent, became a
victim of the pestilence. When the
first symptoms appeared, the wife
sent the children into the country,
and she remained to tend upon him.
Fer friends warned her against such
rashness. They told her it would be
death to her and no benefit to him.
These arguments made no impression
upon her affectionate heart. She ac-
cordingly stayed and watched with
unremitting care. This. however, did
not avail to save him; he grew worse
and worse, and finally died
Those who went round with the
death carts had visited the chamber
and seen that the cad was near. They
now came to tax the body. His wife
refused to let it go. She said she new
er knew how to account for it, but
though he was perfectly cold and rig
id, and to every appearance quite dead
there was powerful impression on
her mind that lite was not extinct.
The men were overborne by the
strength of her conviction, though
their own reason was opposed to it.
The half hour came round, and again
was heard the solemn words Bring
out your dead" The wife again re-
sisted their opportunities but this
time the men were more resolute.
They said the duty assigned to them
was painful one, but the health of
the town required punctual obedience
to the orders they received if they
ever expected the pestilence to abate,
it must be by prompt removal of the
dead, and an immediate fumigation Of
the infected apartments.
She pleaded and pleaded and even
knelt to them in an agony of tears,
continually saying
II am sure he is not dead" The
men represented the utter absurdity of
such an idea but finally overcome by
her tears, again departed With trem-
bling haste she renewed her efforts to
restore him. She raised his head,
rolled his limbs 10 hot flannel, and
placed hot onions on his feet. The
dreadful half hour came round, and
found him as cold and rigid as ever.
She renewed her entreaties so despa-
rately that the messenger thought a
little gentle force would be necessary.
They accordingly attempted to remove
the body against her will, but she threw
herself upon it, and chung to it with
such frantic strength that they
could not easily loosen her grasp. I'm
pressd by the remarkable energy of
her will, they relaxed their Efforts
To all their responsiveness she answer
ed-".If you bury him, you shall bury
me with him."
At last by dint of reasoning on the
case, they obtained from her a promise
that if he showed no signs of life be-
fore they again came around, she
would make no opposition to the re-
moval
Having gained the respite, she hung
the watch upon the bed post, and re-
newed her efforts with redoubled zeal.
She kept kegs of hot water about
him, forced hot brandy into his teeth,
breathed into his nostrils and held
heartshorne to his nose but still the
body lay motionless and cold She
looked anxiously at the watch and in
five minutes the promised half hour
would expire, and those dreadful vol
ces would be heard passing through
the street. Hopelessness came over
her-she dropped the head she had
been sustaining-her hand trembled
violently--and the hartshorn she had
been holding was spilled on the pallid
face. Accidentally, the position of
the head had been slightly tipped
backward, and the powerful liquid
flowed into his nostrils.
Instantly there was short, quick
gasp-a struggle-his eyes opened
and when the death men came again
they found him sitting up in bed
He recovered.
MIND Your LETTERS A singular
warning to our fashionable exquisites,
SO large a number of whom consider