The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1879-07-09
LAdBERTvILLE, n. r., WEDNESDAY. JULYl9 1870.

day, and wrought at his easel only BY Che
softened gloom of the reflected light from an
ait.ial chandelier, suspended from the cell
ing. Night and day he wrought IN silence
solicitude and fasting--three days and three
nights necessarily, and nothing but water
passed his lips.
Bertha slept the same; there was no change
on cheek or brow, and yet she would be bur.
led no when the picture was fin.
ished. Her affanced came and watched the
progress of the work. He uttered no word,
but seemed satisfied with the copy. He com.
pared the two the silent sleeper and the shad-
ow on the canvas-with the keenness of a
connoiseur, and seemed as well satisfied with
the one as with the other He had grown IA
miliar with the repose of death.
went and came-now sitting in silent SYM
pathy with my uncle now kneeling and weep
ing by the bedside of Bertha.
She was to be buried on the morrow, and
still no change in form or feature.
- Twelve doctors have pronounced her
dead, nephew said my uncle " You prob
ably are not aware that she had an organic
disease of the heart, inherited from her poor
mother" 4s
bowed to superior wisdom, and slowly at
midnight entered the bridal chamber to keep
vigil over Bertha. Claude had left his easel ;
his picture was finished. He stood by the
couch, gazing upon the dead, one hand upon
her brow, one laid upon her breast, with his
face nearly touching hers. e,1 zsa
The'hot blood rushed through my veins
grasped his arm tightly to hurl him away.
Hush I" he said hoarsely.
Did see the lips of Bertha culver? Did
see her form move, or was it the unsteady
light of my eyes caused by the fever of nay
braina 4sgNg n - AK -
| No Bertha was dead !
| Claude stood erect and offered his hand.
al meant no harm, FRIEND" he said in a
whisper, " but one SO lovely should not die
in the vigor of youth. You are her relative +;
what was her diseases"
Irelated the account given me, and then to
relive my own bdfdened heart, confessed my
doubt of her Willingness TO marry, and the
faint suspicion that she was attached to my
self. q HtAAsaS -
Possibly" said Claude, yacantly his eyes
seemingly inverted. " But as see her spirit
it could not assimilate to the man chosen for
her, and her soul shrank SO far within itself
that she bears the semblanee of DEATH
"And you don't think her dead?" cried
eagerly. Claude recovered himself he awoke
as from dream. He had evidently from long
| r. :.kn III 81 .~A. -
numbed state Or trance. he staggered to .
chair and asked for water, and denied all
knowledge of She last three days and nights.
He breathed conyulsively, and walked with
difficulty to his easel
sit is finished,' he said. "'Dead at the
altar want rest show me to d ROOM
Claude slept until noon Bertha was In her
coffin. The last sad rites were about to take
place. AS he came down, he walked rs one
blind, holding out his hand before him to
ward off obstacles. His eyes were open, but
fixed and CLASSY. His face looked pallid and
haggard beyond expression. Bertha's affianc-
ed fastened to him, but Claude put him off
saying in hoarse whisper
at is finished Dead at the altar >"
He turned to where the coffin lay, looked
vacantly within. laid his hand moment on
her brow, and Immediately left the house.
The chief mourner, the aflianced of Bertha,
said in explanation
g Intense labor had slightly deranged the
artist he would soon recover"
Bertha was buried in the old family vault,
and became her successor in my uncles es-
timation, the child of his kindness, his heir
expectant.
A mad within seized me one day to look
within the couch of Bertha, to assure myself
that she was indeed dead.
Need describe the horrible fear that fell
upon me, when found her coffin empty?
Bertha, without a doubt--we decided--had
been exhimed for the dissecting knife. The
thought was terrible beyond endurance, and
as three months had elapsed since her burial,
there remained no longer clue to the discov-
cry of the corpse stealers. Large rewards
were offered for detection, and CONSERVATION
became universal My uncle was frantic with
grief and + scarcely less than insanes
Claude had returned to Italy, and Bettha's
duldOC6Q Wac kOuo Ou ~ Sobsfhohv"A DO"At
A year passed in vain search, and we sank
into hopeless despair. Not the most remote
clue had ever been found to our own dead
Bertha, but a copy of the picture taken in the
bridal chamber" Dead at the Altar "--came
from Claude In seeming compensation for our
terrible loss. Bertha was partially restored
by this, and a vague, restless desire seized me
to see the man again, who impressed me SO
singularly as he labored SO intensely to make
immortal the beauty of the dead bride
made my intention known To Claude
shortly followed the passage of my letter, and
arrived few days after It's receipt.
/ was received with open arms by Claude,
who called me brother" and gave me the
warmest welcome to his home on the banks of
one Of the sunniest rivers of the land Of art:
Sometimes we see by the minds eye," he
answered." the spiritual"
Eyes, remember added, gasing ipoii
him to,s glowing with health and beauty, "
remember how singularly this picture affected