The weekly Butte record., 1861-07-13
A Thrilling Sketch.


residing in Boston at the time when the yellow
fever prevailed to such frightful extent, be
came victim to the pestilence. When the
first symptoms appeared, the wife sent the
children to the country, and she remained tc
tend upon him. Her friends warned hel
against such rashness. They told her it would
be death to her, and no benefit to him. These
arguments made no impression upon her affec
tionate heart, and she accordingly remained
and watched with unremitting care. This
however, did not avail him. as he grew worse
and worse, and finally, to all appearance, died
Those who went around with the death-carts
had visited the chamber and seen that the end
was near. In short time they came to take
the body, but the wife refused to let it CO.
She told me that she never knew how to ac
count for it, for though he was cold and rigid
and TO every appearance dead, there was a
powerful impression on her mind that life was
not extinct. The men were overborne by the
strength of her conviction, though their OWL
reason was opposed to it.
The half hour again came round and again
was heard the solemn words, bring out your
dead !" The wife again resisted the importu-
mites; but this time the men were more reso-
lutte. They said the duty assigned to them
was painful one, but the health of the town
required q punctual obedience to the orders
they received if they expected the pestilence
to abate, it must be by a prompt removal Of
the dead, and an immediate fumigation of the
apartments that were infected.
She pleaded and pleaded, and even knelt to
them in agony of tears continually saying, " l
am sure he is not dead p
The men represented the utter absurdity of
such an idea; but finally overcome by her
tears, again departed.
With trembling haste she renewed her efforts
to restore him. She raised his head, rolled
his limbs in hot flannel, and placed hot onions
to lis feet. The dreaded halfhour again came
round, and found him as cold and rigid as ever.
She renewed her entreaties so desperately that
the men began TO think that little gentle
force would be necessary. They accordingly
attempted to remove the body against her will
but she threw herself upon it, and clung to it
with such frantic strength that they could not
easily loosen her grasp. Impressed by the re-
markable energy of her will, they desisted in
their efforts To all their remonstrances she
answered, If you bury him, you shall bury
me with him.
At last, by dint of reasoning in the case,
they obtained from her promise that if he
showed no signs of life before they again came
around, she would make no opposition to the
removal of the body.
Having gained this respite, she hung the
watch upon the bed post, ard renewed her
efforts with redoubled zeal. She kept kegs ol
hot water about him, forced hot brandy be-
tween his teeth, breathed into his nostrils and
held hartshorn to his nose but still the body
lay motionless and cold. She looked anXously
at the watch and in five minutes the promised
half nour would expire, and those dreadful
voices 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 bartshorn she
had been holding was spilled on the pallid face
Accdently the position of the head had been
slightly tipped backward, and the powerful
liquid flowed into bis 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 is still alive and enjoying unusually
good health.