The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-08-24
The Devoted Wife.


y great many years ago, during the
prevalence Of that terrible Southern pesti
lencc, the yellow fever, in the city of Bos-
ton-when thousands, becoming frantic
with fear, We're desertlng their homes and
leaving their stricken friends in the hands
Of strangers-when the heavy rumble of
the death carts, with the solemn and ap-
pallinS cry of Bring out your dead =
were almost the only sound that broke
the dismal stiffness OF the streets-at that
time, we say, Il man in the prime of life.
surrounded by his wife and little ones, was
smitten by the devastating scourge.
Upon the first appearance of the fearful
symptoms, the wife Immediately gave her
children into the care Of her friends. with
a request that they should be forthwith
taken from the city to the country.
And you must 90 with them"
No" she replied; 1.-THE place OF the
wife is by the side of her husband--espec-
tally in his darkest hour Of need"
''Hut he will die, and you become Il
| victim also
AS God wills" she piously rejoined.
But why remain, and thus expose
yourself and make your children orphans ?"
Would you have me leave my husband
in the hands of strangers?'
"But he will soon become deirious,
and know not who attends upon him.
But shall know - returned the devo-
ted wife 'and should | survive, it will
| ever be Il cons olation to me to remember
did my day"
No remonstrance, no persuasion, could
induce that heroic woman to depart. TAX
ing leave OF her beloved little ones with
maternal enderness-perhaps for the last
time-she resigned them 20 heavens care
and her friends, and went back to the
gloomy dwelling, which had till late been
Il bright and happy home Already the
dreadful sign was upon 1.-THE sign which
told the passers-by there was another vie
tim of the pestilence within, and would
probably soon be another burden for those
whose duty it was to bear the remains Of
the departed to the common sepulchre;
but with the heroism of n martyr that
angel wife crossed the threshold to per-
lsh or to save.
We viii not dwell with Il physicians
minuteness upon the alarming symptoms
and progress of the disease. Suffice it to
say, that the sick man became delrious,
raved like a maniac, and in spite Of the
best medical attendance which could be
procured and the most careful and devoted
nursing Of that devoted wife, gradually
sunk, grew weaker and more weak, and
at last lay still and became rigid and cold
in death.
In that solemn moment, when the fond
wife, kneeling beside the corpse of him
she loved, his cold hand clasped in hers,
was pouring out her loving and agonized
soul in prayer to heaven for strength and
resignation to bear the earthly separation,
in that dread moment, when not a living
Thing stirred in all the house except her
selt-and the night lamp burned dim--and
the clock, with its steady tick, as it meas
ured time to her, but not to him, made the
only sound besides her sohs that broke the
dreary stlllness-in that awful moment,
we say, there came a low distant rumble,
the noise gradually increasing; and then
the appalling words, 'Bring out your
dead !" rcsounded along the almost desert
ed street. striking a fearful chill to many
a tear-tevered eye that rested mourntuly
upon the beloved that must soon by the
living be beheld no more forever
There were two or three ominous pauscs
of this dread sem-hourly visitor-two or
three repetitions of the dismal cry-and
then it seemed to pause under the very
windows Of that death chamber, and the
awful words, Bring out your dead -
seemed to pierce the very heart of that
poor, hOrror-strcken wife and mother.
"No dead heren she cried, with II
strange unaccountable impulse, starting
to her feet, clasping her temples with her
hands, and gazing wildly upon the ghast-
ly, withered form Of him she loved s'No
dead here lie is not dead lie still lives
He only sleeps Great Heaven, give me
power to wake him, ere he be torn from
me -
And rs these sentences were uttered
rapidly and wildly, heavy steps were
heard advancing along the hall, and as
ccnding the stairs with slow and measured
tread The next moment the door of the
death chamber was slowly opened, two
rough visages and figures were presented
deep, grutf voice said, ''Is it over. good
woman ?''
No, not is not over! My husband
still lives; he will soon recover"
Without making Il reply, the foremost
advanced, took up the light, walked to
the bed, held it close to the face of the
ghastly form that lay there, and quietly
observed: Hes as dead as he ever will
be-" Then turning to his companion, he
added, Lets take MIN down !"
mo, no y cried the startled wife throw
ing herself before them. II tell you he is
living and will soon be well. Go; he is
not Il subject for you! Come tomorrow,
ii you will, and witness the truth of my
words-but touch him not tonight ~
"She raves, poor woman!' said she
spokesman "but we've got to do our
duty
Back ~ screamed the almost frantic
wife You shall not touch him ! Back
and do no murder here, or the curse of
heaven will light upon you ?"
The two men whispered together few
| moments; and the spokesman rejoined,
well leave him be Il half hour, till we
come again; but if we was to leave him
to eternity, you'd find no life there
With this, they slowly withdrew; and
AS that selt-sacriticing wife heard their
heavy, descending steps. she threw her
self upon her knees, thanking heaven for
the brief respite, and prayed 1or strength
and power to deliver her companion from
the already yawning grave.
Strange prayer was this to follow the
other in which she had asked for strength
and resignation to bear the earthly part
ing Wherefore the change? Why did
she believe him living, who reason told
her was dead?
There he lay, ghostly and cold, without
motion, without breath, without life. One
half hour-one brief half hour-and they
whose duty it was to quickly consign the
dead to the dust, that the awful contagion
might not spread through mortal decay,
would again be there to claim that below
ed form.
There was not a moment to be lost. And
with an invocation to heaven for assist
ance. that trembling wife began the SEEM
ingly hopeless task of restoring her dear
partner to llie. She chaied his temples,
his body, his limbs, rolled him to and fro
on the bed, and called upon him in the
most endearing terms.
She was thus engaged, using almost
superhuman exertion, when again she