The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-02-23

/ loStCu HlcHLfpoN1Dou0U qutuISI vi al
| bour. The lights were now extin
guished, the raiurnluE OF many. voices
was heafdand the whole multitude
rushed out of the church aud hasten
ed noisily towards the sea-
The oldpastor upon. this hastened
back towards his village. He awak-
ened his friends and neighbors, and
related to them the strange and in
credible things which had just hap
| pened.. But so silent and peaceful
had been the previous course OF their
hives, that those simple men, instead
of believing their clergyman, were
seized with Il different kind of terror,
| for. they fancied that his intellect had
I given way. 1t WAS, therefore,. with
the utmost difficulty, and. more. be-
cause they were willing to crafty HIM
by humoring his p}0sed clprites;,, that
he at last pursuaded them toi Accom-
pany him to the church, and 10 pro-
vide themselves with slsovels and pick
axes. &,
Night had by this time disappeared
and the sun had already arisen, when
the pastor and his flock assembled the
hill towards the church. /.t.E boa.
They now perceived a ship-of-war in
full sail rapidly distancing the shore
and steering for the north A sight
so unexpected; rendered the inhabi-
tants of the village little dubious;
and they were quite prepared to be
lieve in the old mans words when
they found the side doors Of Their
church forciblv broken open. In
,brqathless4 expectation, therefore, they
entered; the pastor pointed; out to-
them the site, of the grave which he
had seen open the night before, and
they could plainly perceive that the
stone had been rolled away and after
wards replaced. They therefore, set
to work with pichaXeS, and Oh reopen
ing the grave found q new and richly
ornamented coffin. -5as4sg9 --rF'' !
3 The old man jumped down, the 9th
egs followed his example, and. the lid
was speedily removed. Alasl the
worthy pastor found his worst fears
realized; the coffin contained the corpse
Of the murdered bride, and the splen-
did diadem alone was wanting! She
must have died .nstantaneoliSly, for
the bail passed right through her
heart. The expression OF terror and
anguish formerly observable on her
countenance had disappeared, and in
its place heavenly paace illumed her
features; she lay in1her coffin placid
and calm as, an angel. The old man
knelt over her, lamenting bitterly
while silent astoniShment and horror
seized the beholders ''' ','' - 30 '-''-
The pastor thought it his duty to
the circumstance without
delay to the Bishop of Zealand, as be-
ing his ecclesiastical superior; and
mean while, until he should receive an
answer from Copenhagen, made his
simple parishioners take an oath Of Sc
crecy. The, grave was. closed UP,
and no one ventured to allude Ito the |
Suddenly there APP
peared in the little village a man Of
from the capital he made
the Inhabitants state minutely alr that
had taken place ;.eXamined the grave,
praised the silence hitherto observed;
and strictlYs enjoined them to continue
their secrecy, on pain Of being visited
with the most severe puilishmentk. "a
81 After The death of the old pastor, a
manuscript giving a:detailed account
2f the whole transaction E-aS. found,
written by his own hand, appended to |
the church books, Many believed they
could trace some connection between
the facts there.stated. and the mgsteri-l
ous events which took place in Russia
after the deaths Of Peter the Great !
and his Empress Catherine. But to
explain the whole mystery attendiHgf
the atrocious act would be difficult, II I
not Impossible ra'i