The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-10-14
THE DEAD.BELI,
BY MRS. $. A. WEISS ass.

II is a strange story, that which ii
told the stranger by the grey haired
Keeper OF the eastern cemetery o
FRANKFORT, when the former is tempted
TO stroll within the cypress shadowe6
walls OF that solemn enclosure-"God III
Acre" as they callit.
In the remotest corner of the grounds
nearly hidden by the dark trees over
hanging it, stands low, gloomy-look-
ing stone structure, called the Dead.
House. Here Borrowing relatives depos
certain period before burial, in
order that It may be watched, and
any return oflife-a thing of frequent
occurrence In cases of suspended ami.
nation resembling death-be observed
ana taken advantage of, The person
! appointed TO this task is called the dead
watchman; and this person is the white.
haired old man Just mentioned, who
tells to the listening strRnger,the follow.
Ing story connected with the gloomy
building inquestion: 50
Some ten years since there resided In
the Alien Strasse of the old town stu
dent of the pane of Karl Gessner; fine
young fellow, tall, handsome, and
clever-but poor. This latter, a bad
thing in all cases, was peculiarly SO in
that OF Karl Gessner, inasmuch as he
had seen fit to fall in love with the
| only daughter of one of the richest
burgomeisters of the new town-a man
as proud OF his family as of his wealth,
and of stern and overbearing dispo-
sition.
Perhaps the young student might not
have presumed to lift his eyes to the
Fraulein Van Amberg had not hen
eyes been occasionally lifted to his
when they CHANGED to meet In that
shaded walk known as the Linden
Strasse, and by which she daily pur-
sued herway to and from the academy.
She was only sixteen, and was pretty
and modest, with something more than
beauty in her face-something wistful
and earnest, which more than ought be-
side attracted the attention of the
dreamy and poetic young student The
hrst time their eyes met, In one ofthese
encounters, 1t was with mutual linger-
ing, inquiring gaze, as IL therein soul
and soul had recognized each other.
And though a soft blush mantled the
girls cheek and the hot blood rushed
Into the pale face of the young man as
they silently passed each other, yet in
the hearts of each was that sweet
delicious consciousness, the awakening
ofa new life therein, which can come
but once in a lifetime. We, who have
o1tgrown our first youth, can recall
such a moment, and sympaIhise with
these two young lovers. ff
It would have been well had the Herr
Won Amberg also sympathized with
them. But the Herr WAS, as we have
said, proud of his wealth and of his old
name, and had also fully resolved In
his own mind on "suiLAblsn match
for his daughter. So when, by acct
dent, in entering the cRthsa raj one day
with the pretty Gertrude on his arm he
intercepted glance between her and
the handsome, intellectual. looking,
shabbily-dressedy youth standing With
in the doorway, he was not only aston
Ished, but seriously displeased. And
this displeasure waXed into exceeding
wrath upon subsequently receiving in
formation that Gertrude had received
flowers from the young man in ques-
tion-yea, even note, and had actually
been detected in replying to the same.
Whereupon the young girl was sum-
moned to the presence OF her Indignant
father, to whom, upon being imperious-
ly questioned, she, with tears and pain
full blushes, admitted the truth of the
accusation, and that she loved the
young student, to whom, however, she
had never yet spoken. And thence
forth a watch was Kept upon her, so
that she might never have an opportu-
nifty of SO doing.
Karl Gessner, with the quick instinct
of a lover, saw and understood all this,
and, as usual, it had the effect of ten
lp1u LAo R4SEAOhs ~ ~
ordinary everyday "falling In love"
with thesetwoyonngp people, but onthe
part of both as an instructive spiritual
attraction, in which soul as we'll as
heart seemed to spring into mutual
sympathy and union. And of all love
this is most intense and perfect.
So, for the space of three years, the
Young pair remained true to each other
their life but q passionate, yearning
dream oflove, the more intense, prob
ably, from its very hopelessness. And
in ali this time they had never spoken
which are, after all, the most eloquent
Interpreters of deep feeling. -
And it,cams TO pass, at length, that
Herr Won Amberg, weariedI of hts
daughters persistent refusal of all her
suitors, fixed, upon one amongst them,
the hansomest and richest OF all, as her
| future husband. And, despite her tears
and 'protestations and entreaties, day
was appointed for.the marriage, and the
wedding-guests invited.
| 1t was a grand festival, as every body
said; and bright and gay enough, until
the moment came for the appearance
| of the bride. Her door was locked, the
bridesmaids said; and when, alarmed
at receiving no reply to the repeated
isummons, It was finally broken open
they all stood aghast atwhat they be
lheld. She was there; in her white vel
\ and bridal robes, kneeling before a cru
| cifix, with her fair head resting on the
| cushion, and her white hands crossed
The struggle had been to0grest, and a
the feet of the Christ of whom she hRt
| implored strength her heart had broken
Ihey bore her dressed as she was IL
her bridal robes, to that silent and aw'
| fol chamber in the old cemetery-thert
Ito be watched for three days before be
| ing inferred In the family vault. Il
WIS the custom of the Van AmbecG
/ family, and one which the present Herr
would have regarded as almost sacrt
Ilege to break through.
4 IL was ON q dark and stormy nighl
i In October when old Etto, the Dead
| Waterman, sat in the entrance cham
Der of that-iow stone building, oroueh'
ing over the fire, and listening now e
the low signing of the wind Without
and again bending his ear toward the
door on the left, leading to the apart
4 ment where lay the dead. Occasions
ally, too, he would glance upward at
row OF bells which hung on the wal
opposite, To each of those bells was
attached a string, the other end o
(which, being looped to the finger o
one OF those silent forms Within Woulc
annonnce the return to life of the seem
lfHRlY dead. Many time IN the Ionel9
Dead-Watch had the old man, mai
dosing over his IRE, been startled INT
wakefulness by this CHASTITY SUMMONS
Sometimes the life would be herep.
saved; but most frequently IL was pu
the last effort of Suspended lie oeior
a lapse into real death.
Suddenly, on the silence came
; faint knock ON the outer door, and q
Etto slowly drew back the iron boil
J fhaFa Rfannad over the threshold th