The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1861-08-01
gcrrnsburg aunrnal.
THE BEAD ALHvE.
pY EMERSON BENNETT.


the secret history of some of your protcs-
sion, if written out in detail, would make u
work of thrilling interest
L do not know that | exactly agree with
you in regard to detail, rejoincd my friend;
for we medical men, like every one else
meet with great deal that is commonplace,
and therefore not worthy of being recorded
but grant MS the privilege of your novel;
lists, to select our characters and scenes, and
work them into a kind of plot with
view to striking deaouemcHt aud doubt
not that many of us could give you rO-
nance in real life. comprising only what We
have seen, which would equal. if not sur
pass anything You ever met with in the way
of fiction, Ry-thc-by, believe lncver told
you of the most strange and romantic adj
venture of my lile?"
You never told me any of your 0dven,
lures" | replied but if you have story
to tell, you will find me an eager listener"
Very well then, as have Il few minutes
to spare. | will tell YOU one moro wildly ro-
mantle, more incredibly remarkable, if may
so speak, than You probably ever found in
worli-o fiction
Z" | am all attention."
&" Twenty-Five years ago pursued the
Doctor, " | entered the medical college at
r as a student. was then quite young,
inexperienced, and inclined to bc timid and
sentimental and well do remember the
horror | experienced, when one of the sen
ior students, under prctcnSC of showing me
the bCautc cs of the institution, quickly thrust
me into tn disB lctmg-rOom, among several
dead bodies, and closed the door upon me /;
nor do | forget how my screeches of terror,
and prayers for release from that awful
place, made me the laughing-stocli of my
older companions.
"Ridicule is Il hard thing to bear the
coward becomes brave to escape it, and the
brave man fears it more than he would Il
belChug cannon. | suffered from it till
could stand no more and wrought up to a
pitch of desperation, | demanded to know
what might do to redeem my character,
and gain an honorable footing among my
fellow students.
a. viii tell YOU said one, his eyes spark
ling with mischief If you will go at the
midnight hour and dig up subject and take
it to your room and remain alone with ii till
morning, we will let you off, and never say
another word about your womanly fright
Z" | shuddcrcd. 1t was u fearful alterna-
tive, but it seemed less terrible to suffer all
the horrors that might be concentrated into
a single night than to bear, day after day,
the .iccrs of my companions.
"' Where shall go and when ? was my
timid inquiry and the very thought of such
an adventure made my blood run cold.
"'ro the Eastern Cemetery Tonight, AT
twelve O'clock replied my tormentor, fixing
bis keen, black eyes upon me, and allowing
his thin lips to curl with a,smile of contempt.
But what is the use of asking such cow
ard as you to perform such manly feat
he added, derdingly.
His words stung me to the quick and
without further rolloction,and scarcelydware
Of what was saying. rejoined boldly:
"' am no coward sir, as | will prove to
you, by performing what you call Il manly
feat
So You will go he asked quickly.
80 will
"' BraveIy said, my lad 4! he rcioinod, in a
tone of approval, and exchanging his cX-
preston of contempt for one of surprise
and admiration. DO this, Morris, and the
first man that insults yQu aiterward makes
an Gremy OF me
Again felt cold ahuddorp pass through
my frame at the thought of what was before
me ; but had accepted his challenge in the
presence of many witncsscs-!or this con-
| VCrsation occurred as we were leaving the
| hall, after listening to an evening lecture
| and | was resolved to make my word good
should it even cost me my life in fact,
knew | could not do otherwise now, with.
out the risk of being driven in disgrace
| from the college.
II should here observe that in those days
| there were few professional resurrection-
lists and as it was absolutely necessary to
| have subjects for dissection, the unpleasant
business of procuring them deyolYed upon
| the students who, in consequence, watch
ed every funeral eagerly, and calculated the
chances of cheating the sexton OF his charge
and the grave of its victim.
"Thcre had been funeral that day of a
poor orphan girl, who had been followed to
| the grave by very few friends and this
was considered a favorable chance for the
party whose turn it was to procure the next
! subject as the grave of the poor and friend
less were never watched with the same keen
vigilance as those of the rich and influential
| Still, it was no trifing risk to eXhumc the
| bodies of the poorest and humbIest-!ol
not unlrequently persons were found on the
watch even over these and only the yeaI
! before, one student, while at his midnight
work, had been mortally wounded by "A rifle
| ball and another, a month or two silbse-
! quently, had been rendered cripple for life
] by the same means.
"All this was explained to me by party
Of six or eight, who accompanied me to my
room-which was in a building belonging
to the college, and rented by apartments tC
such Of the students as preferred bachelors
hall TO regular boarding and they took care
TO add several terrifying stories Of ghosts
and hobgoblins by way Of calming my eX'
cited nerves, Just as have before now oh
served old women stand around a weak, fe
verish patient and croak out their expert
ence in seeing awful suiterings and fatal ter
limitations of Just such maladies as the ono
with which their helpless victim was ther
afflicted.
"'Is it expected that | should go alone
inquired, in tone that tremblcd in spite
of me, while my knees almost knocked to
gethcr and | felt as if my very lips were
white.
"'Wel, no. replied Benson, my mos
dreaded tormentor it would hardly be tail
to send you alone for one individual could
not succeed in getting the body from the
grave quick enough and you mere youth
without experience, would be sure to iai
altogether. No, we will 90 with you, some
three or four of us, and help you dig up the
corpse but then ynu must take it on youl
back, bring ii up to your room here, anc
spend the night alone with it
:" 1t was some relief to me TO find / was
to have company during the first part Of my
undertaking, hut still lfelt far from agreea
BILE assure you and CHANGING to look into
a mirror as the time drew near for setting
out, | fairly started at beholding the ghastly
| object ! saw reflected therein,