Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-01-12
LIFE IN DEATH.
.LrerNp OF THE RHINE.

THE iegcn0 an auOut W Aoi1s0 u"toa
hack to the period when the Castle Of
Scharfenstein was in the possession Of
I.dy Shroeder, had been for long time in
Iaci;nine health. The Baron and his
;sdy had been long married, and their
.,,n;on had been as happy as is possible in
.h;s world. The latter was still young, she
had been beautiful; and during her malady
hsr husband had remained day and night
NJ her bedside. During the latter period
- her illness her suffeings were less acute,
hut her hinting fits became more frequent
and longer. Upon recovering from one OF
those she begged her husband to bring her
the gold chain and locket inclosing his
hair, which he had given her before their
marriage. This she hung round her neck,
and solaced her weary and painful hours
nv contemplating it. and, by force of the
association Of the ideas it excited, living
again in times gone by.
One evening she beckoned the Baron
Anton, who was sitting in her chamber, to
her side, and said: ~
aReach me your hand, dear husband. !
am growing much worse; l feel that l am
linking. and death appears to be lowering
about nv couch. If this be nothing more
than womanly timidity, bear with it, dear
est for nv sake, and give me courage by
stsvinp with me throughout this weary
nicbt Of pain and suffering"
IRE comforted, my love-" replied the
lord Of Scharfenstein, this weakness is
common enough. Cheer up; you will be
better in the morning; in the meantime !
will not stir from your side. You will
talk to me in a different manner when,
YOU the refreshing slumber, shall show
YOU the glorious sunlight stealing over the
distant hills. I see even now your eyes
are closing. Compose yourself, therefore,
and strive to sleep"
The chamber was hushed, and the pa
tent Law still and seemed in so profound re-
pose that her breathing was scarcely per
ceptible The curtains were drawn round
the bed of the invalid, and Baron Esel-
wicke, happy, and full of favorable omens
in the idea that his wife had, at length, a
remission of pain, took book, and fixed
as much attention on it as he possibly
could command, and the hours wore slow
ly away. Everything within and without
continued in deep stiffness, broken only
toward morning by the pleasant sounds of
awaking nature, which might be heard In
the silent sick chamber OF Schartenstein
the mathis of the feathered sengsters, the
wheeling hum of myriads OF bees in the
garden below, and the leaves of the vines
dallying with the morning breeze. These,
together with the strong, white lines which
intersected the shutters, admonished the
Baron and the nurse of the time their pa
tent had slept The light was, therefore,
admitted into the room, and then both the
watchers cast troubled looks toward the
motionless and wan figure on the bed.
"She has not stirred" murmured the
Baron, in voice little above a whisper,
"she is in the same position, and can not
have moved hairs breadth since we saw
her last night "
The nurse heaved a deep sigh and wrung
her hands.
How now?" exclaimed her master.
What means this look of blank despair ~
ALAS, my lord" calculated the old
nurse, 81 fear the worst My mistress
sleeps, but it is the sleep of death"
The Baron made no answer, but at once
hastened to send off one of his retainers
for physician. The arrival Of the latter
confirmed the fears expressed by thenurse.
A feather was placed on the lips of the in
animate lady The Baron bent, with keen
eyes, over it, but failed to detect the slight
est motion in the feather. This, in the
days of which we are writing, was deemed
sufficient proof Of death in all cases.
Heaven be merciful!" said the Baron.
1.-THE gentle spirit has passed away. Vain
and delusive hope! Last night | was fe-
icitating myself upon the change that had
taken place, which has proved but a pre-
cursor Of dissolution.
She must have stirred during the
night" observed the nurse, though her
movement was so gentle as to be scarcely
perceptible. Poor lady! her hands are firm
Iy tlasped round the locket"
The Baron EselN icke was utterly pros
trated with grief when this touching in
stance Of his ladys love was made known
to him. He brooded over it night and day.
He saw in her action the wish she had not
the power to utter in words; and deter
mining it should not be violated, he gave
directions that she should be placed in
her coffin without disturbing the locket in
her hand.
1t will be readily imagined that so affect
ing circumstance could not escape COM
ment; and as, in these cases, no particulars
are ever omitted, the value of the trinket,
which was set round with very fine
brilliants, found place in the story. The
husband Of the Inflated lady determined
upon paying the greatest respect to the
stIldiH5 vi DtIONCd WIG. Ilt
her body to be conveyed to Cologne, where
it was to be inferred with great pomp
The principal Church of the town is the
Cathedral of ST. Peter, which is one of the
finest monuments of German architecture.
The interior is divided into four rows of
massive and lofty pillars, and is somewhat
larger than that of the Strasbourg Ca
thedral In the Church of st. Peter is the
famous altar-piece of the crucifixion Of
that Saint with his head downward, by
the great master, Rubens, who presented
it to the Church in which he was bap-
tiled eRgg. r9}S
The fount in which Rubens was bap-
tized still exists in this church, and here it
was that the obsequies Of the Lady Shroe-
der were performed according to the Gus,
tom Of that age, when death inspired feel
ings of piety and confidence rather than of
terror. The body of the deceased was
dressed in white silk, covered with flow
.ers. A coronet was placed on her head,
and her thin, white fingers were adorned
with the same rings she had worn during
her lifetime She was put in coffin lined
with looking glass, and laid in q little
chapel built in vault beneath the choir.
Il L. II III Il.