River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-01-09
NEARLY BURIED ALIVE.

The scene was in Italy; the facts wer
related to me by the daughter of two o
the parties concerned, and shall tell the
tale as nearly as possible as she told it t.
me.
''You will scarcely WONDER" she said,
at my horror of being buried alive, whel
I tell you that peculiar fate seems Il
pursue our family, or at least did pursue
it in the last generation. Ny father wa.
an only son, and having been born sever
al years after his parents marriage, wa'
an object of especial devotion. Hii
mother was unable to nurse him herself
and country woman was procured froa
a village at some distance from the cha
teau where his parents resiued, who was
not only we'll calculated to replace the
mother as q nurse, but was of so affec.
tionate a disposition that she seemed tC
throw her whole soul into her care fol
the well being of the child and lavished
as much affection on him as did the real
mother. When the age came for wean-
ing him, it was found impossible to &C.
| complish it while the nurse remained
with him; and so, after many terrible
scenes and the most heart breaking sor-
row on her part, she had to go. The boy
! throve very well until he was about
three years old, when he was attacked by
some chi dish malady and to all appear
ances died.
at is unnecessary to dwell on the dis
| tracted grief of the parents. The mother
could scarcely be induced to leave the
! body, and even though all life was ex-
tinct, grudged every moment as it flew
! toward the time when even what was left
of her darling would have to be removed
! forever. (Tne time that was allowed by
/ the Government for bodies to remain I'M
/ buried was three days. The father had
given strict orders that the child's nurse
/ should not be informed of the death of
| her foster son until after the funeral, as
he felt convinced she would at once
come to see HIM, and he dreaded the Ell
| feet the sight of her grief might have on
his already broken-hearted wife. How
ever, the order was i'll kept, and on the
morning of the funeral, after all the
guests had arrived, and were grouped
around the coffin taking their last farewell
of the lovely boy, in rushed the nurse,
her hair down, her dress all torn and
travel-staned, her boots nearly worn off
her feet. On hearing the news, she had
started off without waiting for extra
clothing, without word or look to any one,
and had run the whole night, IN order to
be in time to see her boy. AS she en-
tered the room she pushed past serv-
ants and guests. and on reaching the
coflin seized the child, and before any
one was aware of her intention, or had
4 20 bar uf, ho1
vanished with him in her arms. 1t was
found she had carried him off to the
qFeaier, or garnet, and had locked and
barricaded the door. She paid no atten-
ton to threats Of entreatieS, aud all at
tempts at forcing the door were equally
fWltless. The guests waited patiently,
hoping that she would before long return
to her senses and bring back the child's
body for burial.
AT the end of an hour or more they
heard the heavy furniture rolled away and
the door opened. The nurse appeared,
but with no dead child in her arms the
little things arms were clasped lovingly
round her Mt ok as she pressed him to her
| bosom The murntul assemblage was
turned into one of joyful congratulation.
The woman would never speak of the
means she used TO restore the boy to life
indeed, although she became from that
hour resident in the family and trusted
ana valued friend, she steadily forbore
ever referring to the incident in which she
| played so important a part. She lived to
see the rescued child married and with a
family OF his own around him.
"rhe heroine of the second anecdote
was a first cousin of the above rescued
chiid'-a young lady of thirteen or four
teen wears old. After somewhat pro-
| tractcd illness, she, 10 ali appearance,
died. The mother literally refused to be-
/ lieve it, although the doctors and the
/ other inmates of the house saw no reason
to doubt the fact. The funeral was ar
ranged, the grave made, and the specified
| three DAYS had come to an end. The
mother had never left her daughters body,
she had tried every available meansAGo
restore her, but TO no avail. As the hour
| approached for the ceremony 10 take place,
! she became more and more desperate IN
| her efforts TO convince herself that life still
! fingered AS a last resource, she went
for some strong elixir, and taking
out of hei pocket fruit
1
the other of silver-proceeded by contin-
ual working to force the gold blade be-
tween the teeth. When inserted, she
poured drop of elixir on the blade
then another and another, and tried tc
make it enter the mouth. but it seemed
only to trickle back again and down the
chin. Still she persevered, becoming
more desperate as the moments flew or
TO the hour, now so near, when her child
was to be taken from her. At the very
last, when she was beginning to dread
the very worst, she thought she detected
a slight spasm in the throat: and on
closer examination she became aware
that the liquid was no longer returning
as it did at first. She continued the ap
plicaiion, every moment feeling more
excited and more ioyfully hopeful. Pres
emily the action of swallowing became
more decided; she felt a feeble fiutter a
the heart and before long the eyes grad
uallv opened, and closed again; but tht
breathing became quietly regular, anc
the mother was satisfied that now no one
would dispute the fact; SO she called hel
household around her, and proved tt
them the joyful fact that her child wa
/ TGSIUFEQ 10 NSI. 0utA that AZ AAASt "a VIZ
cession would leave the house that day
Before long the child fully recovered
The fruit knife with its two blades is Il
this day the most precious heirloom II
the family possession.
.eThe recovered one lived to form |
deep attachment Is her cousin Che res
| eued boy of the first story, possibly from
the fact Of the strange similarity in thei
early history; but his affections wero al
ready engaged by the young lady who's
story we are now going II relate, the fact
| of which resemble somewhat those al
ready told. This young person was "a
, longer child when death seemed t
| claim her, but had reached the age Q
eighteen or nineteen. She had been SUI
I lering from an infectious and dangeroI
: fever, and when the crisis arrived, instea'
of rallying, she, to all appearance, died
IT was the custom Of the district in whiel
she lived, to dress Rss-riageable girls a
brides afte. death. and TO bury them u
their bridal costume The young lsSsy i
question was therefore laid out as bride
/ in a white dress, oTange-tioweT wreat
/ and veif The day before the funeral
: the most intimate friend of the deceased
E who had been on visit al distance
. came home, and insisted with floods g
tears that she should be allowed to Sc
i her. The mother most decidedly refused