The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-10-16

L
the writer asked.
"NeYer,' Mr.. Sickies replied, with
a sigh of regret.
| AN EMPEROR,s LOST HEART.
At Plogastel, in Britanny, there is
living an English physician named
Thomas Cartwell, aged eighty-two
years, who tells travellers q strange
story, in which he figured as q princi-
pal actor.
On the 5th Of May, 1921, Napoleon
the Great died at Longwood, st. Hell
ena, after causing Sir Hudson Lowe
SO much unhappiness that he went
crazy, and, returning to England, lost
all his fortune in extravagant specula-
tions in stocks. The Emperor's last
companions, Bertrand, MOntholon,
Gourgaud and Las Cases, Immediately
made demand for physician expert
in the science of embalming. Sir Hud-
son Lowe, who shrank from no ex-
pense, sent q physician, an italian
named Antomarchi, who had attend
ed the Emperor when he was troubled
with a sty in the eye. The doctor
hastened to his work, but certain in
struments were needed. He required
at least two assistants, &c. Sir Hudson
Lowe made haste to supply all his de-
mands. He sent boat to an English
frigate, at anchor in the ofiing, with q
request for two naval surgeons, sup
piled with everything required for the
embalming process. ....
One of the two persons sent was a
youth Of twenty years, well educated
and full Of ambition, and he was re-
ceived on the island as Assistant Sur
geon Thomas Cartwell. He and his
comrade hastened to assist DIR. Anto-
marchi. About foar in the afternoon
of May 6, the work was begun. The
corpse of Napoleon I. was lifted from
the little bed where he had died and
placed on a long naarble-topped table,
which was still intact when, in 1858,
Napoleon III. bought, with GoveSn-
ment funds, the small house in which
bad died the man whom he persisted
in making the people believe to have
been his uncle. The process of en-.
balming was not finished when night
came aud interrupted it. -Antomarchi
and his assistants agreed that the COM
pletion of it must be postponed until
the next morning. They determined
to go to bed aud resume their work at
daybreak. First they covered the EN-
peror's body with q white cloth which
they sprinkled and satuated with GER
tain liquids to prevent putrefaction.
The various internal organs that had
been removed were placed in metal
cups on the operating table. Then the
three operators went to their rooms
and slept profoundly.
They had hardly been asleep an
hour when Marchand, the valet of the
dead Emperor, knocked at Cartwell's
door, calling out "Come down, sir,
quick! A great misfortune has just
happened" "What is it?" said the
young surgeon, appearing in his uni
form. g Oh, sir, the Emperor's heart
has been eaten up by rats!' It was
true. The island was infested with
rats. They were as thick as the Eng
lish., While Marchand was out of the
room soma rats rushed in, and, finding
the heart Of the conqueror of Auster-
litz in q basin, had made but a mouth
full Of IL. The valet, on returning to
the room, saw them scamper away,
and all he could do was to announce
the irreparable loss. fai
What was now to be done? The
physicians met and consulted. It was
impossible to conceal the absence of
the organ that had been eaten up, the
operation Of embalming having been
begun before witnesses who had seen
it. To confess the accident was to ex-
pose Marchand to severe rebuke, and
the poor fellow was already wretched
enough. "A happy thought occurred to
Cartwell. If we could only get a
sleeps heart" suggested to Antomar-|
chi with excessive caution. All the
four persons present looked at one Mn-
other nervously, hesitated. and began
to laugh together like four Roman au-
gurs. They understood one another.
Marchand ran to q neighboring farm,
killed . 4shsep and brought back its
heart still warm and palpitating.
On the next day, the 7th Of May,
Antomarchi and his assistants, in the
presence of Gen. Bertrand and M. de
Montholon, finished tho embalming
Of the Emperor, without any person
emong his suite in the least suspe citing
the extraordinary performance of the
night before. II the story is true of the
old retired English ex-surg, on of Plo-
gastel is not joker, the heart of the
sheepiof st. Helena has been resting
for thirty-three yeals under the dome
ofthe Invalides.-[ Philadelphia Even-
ing Bulletin. 3rT FSffFT a
I'm sitting on this .;le, Mary dI
He said, in accents sad,
Reno, ing from the rocking chs ir
The best silk hat he had. oi
And, while he view'd the shap'less mass
That frat mas fri m . I'D uoat Il