Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-06


pressed him to her bosom. The mourn
full assemblage was turned into one OF
joyful congratulation. The woman
would never speak of the means she
used to restore the boy to consciousness;
indeed, although she Became from that
hour resident in the family, and a
trusted and valued friend, she forebore
ever referring to the incident in which
she played so important part She
lived to see the rescued child married
and with family of his own around
him.
"The heroine of the second anecdote
was first cousin to the above rescued
child "a young lady of Is or II years
old. After somewhat protracted ILL
ness, she, to all appearance, died. The
mother literally refused to believe it,
although the doctors and the other in
mates of the house saw no reason to
doubt the fact. The funeral was ar
ranged, the grave made, and the speci-
fed three days had come to an end.
The mother had never left her daugh-
ter's body; she had tried every availa-
bic means to restore her, but to no
avail. As the hour approached for the
ceremony to take place, she became
more and more distracted and more
desperate in her efforts to convince her
self that life still fingered. As a
last resource, she went for some
strong elixir, and taking out
of her pocket fruit-Rnife with
two blades-one blade of gold, the 9TH
or of silver-proceeded by continual
working to force the gold blade between
the teeth; when inserted, she poured o
drop of the elixir on the blade, then
another and another, and tried to 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 few on
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 slight spasm in the throat,
and, on closer examination, she became
aware that the liquid was no longer re-
turning as it did at first. She contin-
ued the application, every moment feel
ing more excited and more ioyfully
hopeful. Presently the action of swal-
lowing became more decided: she felt a
feeble futter at the heart, and, before
long, the eyes gradually opened and
closed again; but the breathing be-
came quietly regular, and the mother
was satisfied that now no one would dis
pute the fact; so she called her house
hold round her, and proved to them the
joyful fact that her child was restored
to her, and that no funeral procession
would leave the house that day. Be-
fore long the child fully recovered.
The fruit-knife, with it's two blades, is
to this day the most precious heirloom
in the family possessions.
"The recovered one lived to form q
deep attachment for her cousin (the
rescued boy of the first story, possibly
from the fact of the strange similarity
in their early history; but his affections
were already engaged by the young
lady whose story we are now going to
relate, the facts of which resemble some
what those already told. This young
person was no longer a child when
death seemed to claim her, but had
reached the age of Is or 10. She had
been suffering from an infectious and
dangerous fever, and when the crisis ar
rived, instead of rallying, she, to all APP
pearance, died. It was the custom in
the district in which she lived to dress
manageable girls as brides after death,
and to bury them in their bridal cos
tune. The young lady in question was
therefore laid out as bride, in white
dress, orange-fower wreath and veil.
" The day before the funeral, the
most intimate friend of the deceased
who had been on visit at distance
came home, and insisted with foods Of
tears that she should be allowed to see
her. The mother most decidedly re-
fused, explaining that her daughter had
been the victim of an infectious fever
and that she could not allow the
daughter of friend to run the risk Of
catching it. The young lady persisted
and would not leave the house; but the
mother, much as it panied her. was firm
in her refusal. However, in the evening
the young friend, being on the watch
saw the paid watcher leave the room t.
go down to her supper, leaving the doc:
unlocked. She Immediately entered
and, having reverently kissed he:
friends pale face, knelt down by thu
side of the bed to pray. There wer,
candles at each side of the bed at it
head, and two placed on table at it
foot.
"The poor girl was deep in her pray
ers, when suddenly, without any move
ment or warning, the dead girl sat vi
and said, in sharp tone of voice
'Q1Le fait tn la ?'-(What are you dc
ing thereO Startled and Mortified t
the last degree, her friend sprung fror
her knees, and, in trying to rush out c
the room, upset the table on which tn
candles were placed, and became wedge
between it and the bed, her head dow1
most. Inextricably entangled, sh
shrieked loudly for help. The suppose
dead girl had keen sense of the rider
lous, and, being weakened from Hines
she went off into a hysterical fit {
laughter and the more her poor frien
kicked and screamed, the more sh
kept up the duet by peals of laughte
The mother and household, hearing tl
noise, rushed up as quickly as possibl
The mother was the first to enter Il
room, and, being quick-witted woma
at once comprehended the situation
She few to her daughter, and, angri
ordering her to be quiet and not laue
at her friends misfortune, she presse
her to her bosom, and, hastily tea
ing off wreath and veil, droppt
them on the floor and kicked the
under the bed; then, calling assistant
! she carried the girl into anoth
room, and put her to bed. The doctc
who had been at once sent for, orders
her to be taken from home without d
lay, and they started as soon as W
| Che -ono~1a,.aI h,