Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-11-13
THE SCOCRGE.
A Sad Yellow Fever Scene.

Mrs. Mary Jane held, WHO OF ReV.
S. L Reid, of Herando, Miss, and
sister of Rev. Aaron Williams, d. D.,
died Of yellow fever at Horn Lake,
Miss, October 4th- Her husband
nursed her alone to the last. Two
days after, he wrote thus: Il got q
bucket and washed the black vomit
away as well Is 1 could, and then put
on the body only one of her DIR esses
and buttoned it But tho bed was
saturated, and 1 could do no more.
l wrapped sheet and my blanket
around her and covered her with a
quilt On, it was terrible-alone with
my dead, no words of sympathy, no
flowers; nothing but yellow fever. L
took al our clothing from the room,
and with my satchel went to the
woods. I there made big fire, and
smoked every garment, occupying
myself till morning, it having been
about three o'clock when 1 left the
house. could not persuade any one
to go to Memphis Tor a coffin, the
fever being SO bad up there, bat a
couple of young men went to the
railroad station and there made a
box coffin of rough boards. 1t was
the best l could do. Dear brother,
it was most distressing to me to have
my dear wife so badly dressed, and
put in SO rough casket. 1t almost
broke my heart, but l tried to take
comfort in the knowledge that her
spirit WAS clad in white robes, and
carried by angels to the bright world
beyond One night as 1 knelt by
her bed, and prayed for her, she laid
her fevered hand upon my head and
said that I'VE travelled life's pathway
together so happily, but now We
might be parted Shenever thought
of such parting as this. The Doc
tor came, with his big heart and
helping hand, accompanied by q
young man whom he had persuaded
to assist, and together we put her in
the coffin. To show you how fear
full every one is, l may tell you that
when this young man came into the
room he scattered lime all over the
floor, pulled off his wooled garments.
and lighting a pipe, filed the room
with smoke. But for all that we were
glad enough to have his help. No
one could be got to drive tho spring
wagon with the coffin SO 1 got horse
to ride and led the horse hitched to
the wagon. Some friends had dug
the grave at Edmiston church yard.
Three men accompanied me; the
young man who helped at the house,
the Doctor and brother Hutchinson.
the good old man 1 have told you of.
and he is 7S years old He told me
that he had often thought of me in
my trouble, and on the night she
died, at midnight, he got up from
his bed and prayed for my wife. /
remember that this was the hour
when she grew easier, and breathed
more freely. After the funeral, my
dear brother came to the struggle.
Friends who had been SO kind, and
had invited us so warmly when we
first came were all afraid of me now.
7 thought 1 must go mad. I did not
want to expose any of my friends,
- course / could not go back to Her
nanJo, for that was almost certain
death; almost wished l, too, had
died, and gone with her Ny cloth
ing was yet out of doors, and 1 gath
cred them up and spent the night in
a corn crib. After a prayer for my
darling little motheriess Willie, sleep
came to my relief, AMI I did not
awake till good DR.. Shaw came and
bade me 60 to his house. 1 slept
that night in his parlor, and was about
to 60 away in the morning, I knew
not where, but the Doctors wife said
no. / should not be turned out ike
that, ] should stay with them. So
they took most of the things out of
the parlor and took the carpet up. 1
made bed out of some old clothes,
and they told me to stay there until
it would develope i'll were to be sick !;
if / got sick they would send to Mem
phis and get me a nurse. Are these
not noble hearts! So here i am lin
stead Of at church) to-day, in this
room feel as / have imagined a
man must feel who is condemned, but
knows not the hour of his execution.
L have written you in broken sen
tences, but family expressing my
great grief. Pray for me, my dear
brother. These may be my last
words to you"
Owen Clark, of Columbia, was ar
rested last Friday morning on the
charge of sending forged election
dispatches from Lancaster. 1t ap-
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