St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-01-03
The Dead Alive.
TALE PECULIARLY APPROPRIATE TO
THE TIMES.

OF Ireland, resides many families of dis
tlnctlOn. The head of one of these was
Mr.. Bell, young gentleman of 25. He
Inherited large estate from his Uncle,
ahd soon after removed from his former
abode to take possession of the family
mansion i'll Kilmare. He married the
only child OF wealthy East India mer-
chant residing in Liverpool, by whom
he had two children. In the fourth
year of their welded life Mrs. Bell was
taken suddenly ILL.,, and expired the
next day. The symptoms were of IL
peculiar nature, and the limbs so iu-
creased in size Immediately after death
that il magnificent diamond ring of
great value could not be removed from
the lady'S finger, and was buried with
her. OF course this fact was well
known among the inhabitants of Kill
mare, as Mis-. Bell was the wife of the
most considerable man thereabout, and
naturally, therefore, all concerning her
WAS matter of conversation and rumOr.
The old churchyard of kilmare stood
on the side of hill, and Immediately
in the rear of the church and adjoining
the chancel was the tomb of the Bel
family. Here, in accordance with i'm
memorial usage, the body of the de
ceased lady WAS to repose, and there il
was deposited on the third day after her
demise. After the ceremony the KEY
of the vault was put in its usual place
by the sexton, in the veStIy of the
church.
The day had been gloomy and as
night drew on Il thin rain fell, which in
creased at about midnight to il smart
shower. Mr.. Bell, who WAS about re-
tirins, went to an open window, and AS
he did so, tancied he SAW white figure
crossing the lawn in front of the house
The next moment it disappeared, and,
satisfying himself that he WAS the sub
ject of IL delusiom, he commenced to
undreSS. Suddenly the clear tones of
the door bell rang through the building.
Mr.. Bell paused and moved toward the
door of the apartment to listen. In Il
few seconds the sound again revrrtera-
ted through the house. and Mr.. Bell
opened the door aud stepped into the
corridor. At that moment, as he
glanced down the stairway, he saw the
housekeepeT moving toward the front
door. Then he heard her sci the small
lamp she carried on the table, and open
the lock aud bolts of the massive door.
Then IA dreadful and prolonged shrek
followed. and at the same moment Mr.
Bells butler ran along the hall towards
the front door. Mr.. Bell had reached
the head of the stairs ln.l wns in the
act of descending when the butler
reached the spot where the houSekecp-
cr lay on the floor apparantly in ii
swoon. What was Mr. Bells surprise
In, h.. l,i4il Ian. L
his gaze upon the door, and then sink
To the floor as though struck dead.
UulteIlN bcWideled and confouulcd
MIR. Bell hastencd down stairs. The
sight that met his gaze when he reached
the center of the hall almost trnze his
blood. There stood the figure of his
wife i'll her grave clothes, leaning
against the pillar of the door. with one
hard thrown across ner breast. For Il
moment Mr.. Bell WAS almost overcome
Then he remembered the white figure
which he saw crossing the lawn ii few
seconds before the bell rang, and an
other glance showed him that the gar
ments of the figure before him Were,
dripping with rain.
Julia, my darling, my wife, Mr.
Bell exclaimed, and stepped towards
the figure.
1t made il movement towards him,
and the next instant il was enfuldcd in
his arms. The scene that eusued baf-
fled ali description. 1t was indeed the
wife but that day buried, who WAS re-
stored to the arms of beloved husband
and children. The explanation which
she offered was very imperfect
and unsatisfactory. For Il SGort time
after her supposed death she WAS
aware of all that went on around her,
but before she was placed in the coffin
she lost all consciousness. She said the
first sensation of consciousness she had
was of pain. Then she saw an indiS-
tinct glimmer, and finally severe pang
shot through her frame. With Il pow
ertul effort she rose and saw IL woman
standing by her side. The woman
shrieked and fled, and then Mrs. Bell
discovered that she was lying in Il cof-
fin in the family vault. Fresh strength
came to her every moment, and releas-
ing herself from the shrOwd she stepped
to the ground and passed ont of the
vault, the door of which was wide
open. Down the church-yard path she
passed to the main street, along which
she walked for half mile, until she
reached her late home. Fortunately the
large gate to the park was unfastened,
and she FASTENED up the roadway to
the dwelling. She rapidly regained
her health, and lived to good old age. |
But who was the woman who stood |
by the side of the coffin when the corpse
suddenly arose and started her into |
sudden flight
Next day the lamp was found extin-
guished on the floor of the vault. 1t |
was identified lis one which usually |
stood in the vestry, and was used by |
the sexton. 1t had doubtless been re-
moved at the same time when the kew |
of the vault was taken. Beyond that |
all was mystery.
The object of the woman, however,
was easily discovered. AS already
stated, Mrs. Bell was buried with val
uable ring on her finger. The design
of the woman was to steal this from
the supposed corpse. Finding it I'M
possible to remove it, the daring thief
had raised the hand of the dead woman
to her mouth, and in her attempt TO
the ring, with her teeth had
caused the pang which went through
the frame of the evident victim of a
trance, and reused her to consciousness.
On the finger just below the ling, the
mark of teeth were discovered visible
for several days after Mrs. Bells resus-
citation.
Every effort was made to keep this
remarkable circumstance secret from
the gossip of the neighborhood never
theless, every exertion was used quiet
ly TO ascertain who the robber oil the
tomb was The general imnression !