Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-12-17
1nterestlnp 5kettb.
a ROMANCE or LIMA,

Many years ago a young Euglishman,
medical student nahted Ashley, went 10
Lima. The love of adventure was strong
upon him, and all he met with in bis own
country was too tame to satisfy it. Proud
Of the profession for which he was study
ing, an6 trusting to it for subs stence,
strong and healthy in body aud In mind :,
he left England with bold heart, and
this was the life he led and what came of
it.
AT time when the difficulty of procur-
ing subjects for anatomical study was very
great, and when to procure them honestly
was impossible, as the prejudice against
dissection was so strong that 80 one was
willing to submit The body of any one con.
uccted with him to examination. 1t is we'll
known that there were men who made it
their business to obtain, at no small risk
bodies, generally those OF the newly bur
led, which they sold to surgeons, medical
students, or indeed to any one who stood
in need Of the ghastly comm ,dlty.
This class, known as "hody sna,chers''
and resurrection men, has died out
since there is happily now little prejudice
against what has been trumphan,ly prov.
ed to be necessary hraueh of scientific
study but at the time of our sketch their
hidsous work was a thriving and pro ftabc
one.
Richard A>t'cy, in common with the
rest Of the profession, awaited himself of
their services, and msny times in the
black night his door wa op' to those who
did not knock, but who we're exp cted and
waited for, and who, entering silently,
steallbily deposited dead burden upon
the table prepared or it. Feception Old
aud Young. womcn and children, all in
turn lay upon that grim table, and Ashley S
skilliIl Instruments cut th ir way to Sc.
crsts that were destined to benefit the iiv-
ing.
hough be was not hard hearted, it wa.
not unnatural that iu time he should grow
so much accus,om d 10 the sight of Iii:
"sub ccts' "a, to feel nothing but a mo-
mentary pity AS he put aside the cluster
ing curls of infancy, or uncey red the face
of man struck down in The z ory Of bis
years.
One night, as many nights before, the
steaIthy visit was paid, and Ashley took
his lamp to examine the new subject
Neither strong man nor tender child 'h''
time, but a young ard beautiful woman
/ The dead face was ~ lovely that it die
not seem possible that light in the cose'
eyes, and collar in the pale lips and check
could make il lovelicr. The fair hair hat
fallen back, and gave no shode to tn
white brow, aud tn. long fair la-hes lay il
thick fringe upon the violet liuted under
lids.
She was very tall and slender, and he
hunds-onc of which hung down as sh
lay upon the table wlrs lorg and pei
fectly shaped. As A,t'ey lifted the han
to lay it upoh her breast, be thought ho'
beautiful it must once have been, sine
now, when there was the fants,t ros
tint to relieve the deathly pallor of it,
} was 50 exquisite. She wore one Carmen
. long flannel shr, I'D, very Otraltly mad'
through which scanty drapery the outlir
of her slender limbs was distinctly visible
and below which her delicate feet wei
seen, bare to the ankle.
Ashley was troubled as lie bad new
heen before. The idea Of treating tn
beautiful corpse as he had done all othe
brough. to him in like manner was repu
: sive to him, and he recoiled from it
r from the thought of sscriege. But cou
= be rid himself of the lovely incubus 7
, was possible that the men who had brcug
a it might be bribed to take it back agai
4 and if they should refuse--but be was il
v capable Of distinct upon the subject, al
II could only determine that in any case Il
n beautiful think before him should be trea
II ed with reverence and respect. He ger
k " covered it from head to foot with lol
d white cloth, aud locking the door of col
9 munication between his bedroom and Il
4. room 10 which it lay, threw himself up
!. his bed without undressing, for the mig
was nearly gone.
y But his sleep was broken, and his drear
}. we're feverisb, and in some way all 60
is nected with what lay in the next room
d Now it seemed to him that it glided
tbr ough the locked door, with hands fol
t, ed on its breast, and eyes still fast cos'
,r and stood by his bedside; and now