Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-01-05
LIFE IN DEATH.
A Legend of the Rhine.

| castle OF .ScnarlenSIeln WAS In tne
possession of Baron Anton Esel-
wicke. His wife. the Lady Shroe-
der, had been for long time in de-
clining health The Baron and his
lady had been long married, and
their union had been as happy as is
possible in this world. The latter
was still young; she had been beau
tiful; and during her malady her
husband had remained day and
night by her bedside. During the
latter reriod of her illness her suffer-
ings were less acute. but her faint
ing 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
By contemplating it, and, by force
of the association of the ideas 1t
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 /:
Reach me your hand, dear hus-
ban3. l am growing much worse;
teel that | am sinking, and death
appears to be lowering about my
couch. II this be nothing more
than womanly timidity, bear with it,
dearest, for my sake, and give me
courage by staying with me through,
out this weary night of pain ard
suffering"
"Be comforted, my love- replied
| the Lord OF Schartenstein !; this
weakness is common enough. Cheer
up; you will be better in the morn
ing; in the meantime l will not stir
from your side. You will talk to
me in different manner when, after
q refreshing slumber, l shall show
you the glorious sunlight stealing
over the distant hills. see even
now your eyes are closing. Com
pose yourself, therefore. and strife
to sleep"
The chamber was hushed, and the
patient lay still and seemed in such
profound repose that her breathing
was scarcely perceptible. The cur
tains were drawn round the bed of
the invalid. and Baron Eselwicke,
happy, and full of favorable omens
in the idea that his wife had, at
length, remission Of pain. took
book, and fixed as much attention
on it as he possibly could command,
and the hours wore slowly away.
EVERYTHING within and without con-
tinued in deep stiffness, broken only
toward morning by the pleasant
sounds OF awakening nature, which
might be heard in the silent sick
chamber Of Scharfensteln the ms
tins of the feathered songsterS, the
wheeling hum of .nyriads 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 intersect-
ed the shutters, admonished the
Baron and the nurse of the time
their patient had slept. The light
was, therefore, admitted irto the
room, and then both of the watchers
cast troubled looks toward the mo-
tionless ard wan figure ON the bed.
s'She has not stirred" murmured
the Baron, in voice little above
whisper; "she is in the same po
sition, and can not have moved a
hairs breadth since we saw her last
night
The nurse heaved deep sigh and
wrung her hands.
"How now p exclaimed her mas
ter. "What means this look of blank
despair p ....
ALIAS, my lord" calculated the
old nurse, Il fear the worst! My
mistress sleeps, but it is the sleep of
DEATH
The Baron made no answer, but
at once fastened to send off one of
his retainers for physician The
arrival of the latter confirmed the
fears expressed by the nurse. A
featqer.was placed on the lips of the
inanimate lady. The Baron bent,
with keen eyes, over it, but failed to
detect the slightest motion in the
feather. This, in the days Of which
we are writing, was deemed sutfi
cient proof Of ocsth in all cases.
''Heaven be merciful!" said the
Baron. "The gentle spirit has pass
away. Vain and delusive hope!
Last night 1 was felicitating myself
upon the Change that had taken
place, which has proved but pre-
cursor of dissolution"
She must have stirred during
the night observed the nurse,
Though her movement was so gen
tie as to be scarcely perceptible.
Poor lady! her hands firmly clasped
round the locket'' as
The Baron Eselwicke was utterly
prostlated with grief when this
touching instance of his lady's 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 determining it should not be
violated, he gave direction that she
should be placed in her coffin with
out disturbing the locket in her
| hand.
1t will be readily imagined that
so affecting circumstance could
not escape comment; and as, in
these cases, no particulars are ever
omitted, the value of the trinket,
which was set round with very fine
brillian.s, found place in the story.
The husband of the 'illfated lady de-
termined upon paying the greatest
Irespect to the remains of his beloved
. wife. He caused her body to be
convey Ito Cologne, where it was to
be inferred with great pomp. a}J
The principal Church of the town
| is the Cathedral of ST. Peter. which