The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-05-18


the church in which he was baptized
The fount in which Rubens was hap
TIED still exists in the church, ano
here it was that the obsequies Of tht
Lady Shredder were performed accord
ing to the custom of that age, whe,
death inspired feelings of piety anG
confidence rather than of terror. The
body of the deceased was dressed il
white silk, covered with flowers.
coronet was placed on her head, an(
her thin, white fingers were adorned
with the same rings she had worn dur
ing her lifetime. She was put in {
coffin lined with looking glass, and lait
in little chapel built in a vault be
meath the choir. Several of her ances
tors had preceded her thither. He
name and title, together with the date O
her birth and death, were engraved OF
the plate in the lid of the coffin. The
inscription concluded with these SO
laclng words: ''She is not dead, but
sleepeth.' y
Baron Eselwickle followed her to hel
last home. The enormous bell, weigh
ing ten tons, placed in the steeple OF
the cathedral, had made the great cit,
resound will it's funer,l knell. Pale
and lifeless the Lady Shredder reposed
i'll her coffin, the devout monks had
chanted her requiem, and the immense
clock-whlch is only wound up once &
year and which points out the hours OF
the day and the course of the stars
was the sole object that moved under
the solitary and silent vault. The mo
notonous noise of its pendulum re
sounded above the mute tombs and i'm
ages of saints discolored by time.
1t was at the close of the evening OF
day III the month of December, the
weather being cherries and gloomy
that Heintz Wherart, sexton of the
Church of st Peter, returned home
after this splendid funeral; but he
could not rest. His mind was absorb
ed with but one Idea-he yearned tc
possess himself of the Jewels which
had glittered SO temptingly before his
avaricious eyes. Wherart had always
been esteemed plain dealing, honest
sort of fellow, one who was incapable O
committing theft. He was q charita
BILE, well meaning man enough, but hi
could not comprehend or appreciat,
the sentiment which ordained those
love tokens to lie in peaceful immova
bility on a hailowed breast. In hi,
opinion 1t was silly waste OF treas
ure, and he argued that no harm coul5
come OF his appropriating it and he
therefore determined upon returning
to the church for the purpose opening
the coffin, that he might possess him
self of the jewels.
Upon his entering the sacred edifc,
on his guilty errand, he tre1nbled like
an aspen leaf. The hand in which he
held the lantern was agitated by so VIC
lent and convulsive q movement that
he WAS more than once afraid the lieht
would go ont and leave him in ute,
darkness but the nature Of his office
had given HIM famiharit, with tn.
building, every obscure corner of which
he was very well acquainted with. He
was not however, dead to a sense of its
sacredness. IL the sight of a temple in.
spires every pious fear, what must moi
be felt at that time of the night by on,
who came to trouble its silence and sol
ltnde with the intention of committing
an odlous sacrileGe?
AS he took his way along the gloom,
aisles, the tombstones "a the waIis
Siared as 1T were reproachfuily upon
hlm, one by one, and his perturbation
was increased by the dart Of a bat close
to his face. a thousand marvellous
tales returned TO his memory as he
passed INTO the Lady Shrocder's Sc.
pulchre. He revived his heart as best
he could, laid down his lamp on a niche
, III the wall, and proceeded with his in.
struments to take off the lid of the cof
tn which contained the body of he,
who had been consigned TO her last rest.
ing place on the morning of that day.
HeIntz Wherart took off the lid
then the sight of the corpse lying there
by that dim light i'll the heavy stiffness
of death, with its white and placid
conntenance, made his heart beat vio-
lently, and his nerves tremble. The
sublimity Of the sight made him feel
the meanness of his action with double
force. Heavy drops OF perspiration
bedewed his forehead and temples: he
felt faint, and returned into the BODY
of the church The GOODNESS of the
ar refreshed him, and he made up his
mind to abandon his wicked project :
but upon recollecting that the lid of
collin should be replaced, he mustered
an ar OF 1ntrepidity to his brow, and
went again into the vault to replace the
lid.
But the sight of the corpse was not
nearly SO awful to him as it had been
before, and his original intention seem
ed to suddenly move him to action.
ny quick effort he lifted the BODY,
drew the chain over the head, olsen
gagged the locket from under the hand.
and then lowered the CORPSE into it's
place. As he did this, the arm. which
before lay upon her breast, fell with a
strange t1exibility over the side of the
coffin, and a faint sigh came from the
body.
AT TINS moment he thought he heard
the pendulum of the great clock move
quicker and more noisily. Had a
thunder clap broken in upon the ST.
lence, he could not have been more
staggered than he was at this awful
moment. He ruhsed hastily forth-fear
hnds It's way In the dark-and needless
OF his lantern, which he lett in the
niche, he passed out of the vault, and
crossed the cloisters and choir with the
swiftness of a hunted hare. He opened
the church door to go ont, when, as if
to increase his bewilderment, the first
thing that met his eyes was the great
moon. hitting itself in undated lustre
over the edge of the horizon. 1t shone
right opposite, and seemed looking at
ana coming to expose him He did
not dare to lift his eyes again; bnt
without stopping to lock up the church