The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-02-07

stay; she is dead lass" he said. But they
took her away, and she is dying now, and
we can't get her out of that place If VIC
want to-
"We would try, anyhow. Night came 81
LAST, aud the wheels stopped. Dead OF
alive, we would rescse her. Some of Us
would take her home. Who thought OF
tired body or aching eyes2 We had but
one thought, and that was for Nettie.
Think of i'll A day or two ago che was
with us, worked, ste, clssped hands with
us, and to-day she is in psuper's bed, and
will all ps1per's grave-if the pit where
dissected bodies are flung can be called q
grave-unless we her sisters demand her.
ave went for her. Quite useless trou-
ble,' they said; she is sinking rapidly.
And then, Dead; died st eleven o'clock in
the night
"How did she der how do people die in
such q placer They have strapped her TO
the bed to keep her from forever wander
ing TO her work, and one who sat by and
held her hand TO the lsst told US that in an
interval of consciousness she strove to tell
them something, bat vainly.
"Are you better, Nettiei'
Eyes in a whisper,
ado you know mel'
"'Oh yes.'
Do you know where you are, poor girl2"
And the deepening horror in her answering
eyes told them she did.
''She had such magnificent hair, now
tossed around in her delirium, and pain
lent such brightness to her eyes and cheeks,
that she looked far hsndsomer dying than
she ever did living. This woman said
the physician, is evidently assuming hys-
teria. If she does not make up her mind
to get better shortly, ! shall have her re-
moved to another ward, and shall use the
battery"
"With such face above her, and such
words sounding in Ter ears, with her stiff
fleming lounge shaping her protestation
against the cruel mistake, she passed again
into Inconsistencies, and so died. And il
Is all a. true IS it is that there 10 God in
heavenl
"Whst did he call it, then, when she had
in dying given him the lie, and been guilty
of the only discourteous act of her life7
Oh, ne said it was acute meningitis
"And now, how to get her away from
there in the thirty-six hours grace allowed
Us TO remove the body. Will you believe
it, Felicia, could have found dozen
homes open TO receive her amongst US, liv-
ing, but not one of US knew where to turn
to find her grave. Working like slaves
from dawn till dark, our greatest concern is
Life, not Death, and few of US know where
We shsll be buried.
"Some one suggests that we find the rich
lady who was NeGtie's friend. Alasl she is
in Europe. But her fami y are famously
aristOcrstic, and not difficult to fnd; we
will go to her sister, whom we delay Just as
she is about TO step into her carriage. Il
really have not time to attend to such a
matter she said, 'even if 1 knew exactly
hst to do. l do remember the person you
speak OF, but do no. think che had any
particular claim on my sister. At eli
events, there is no time to write and find
out. Size died, you say, in the slmshouse
do not see what better could be done than
to allow the authorities to bury her. /
have no doubt such burial would be-
I'VE are sorry to have troubled you need
lessly, madam. and will not further waste
your time. We are not so poor bu. that we
cen ind a grave for Nettie' And so, de
parting, We resolved to keep the sorrowful
business strictly in the hands Of the hum.
bier friends who had known her last.
"One among US heard of lady not rich.
who had twice given q resting place in her
lot at Mount Peace 10 friendless strangers.
She heard how we wished to save our CON-
panion from the coarse sack, the dissecting
table, and the 'dead-pit,' and her SOU
melted in pity. 'Whsteveris to pay we will
cheerfully make up from our wages, il i.
takes months to come; but we want grave
secure from those who, they tell US, would
steal her q: night and carry her back to the
slInshouse.'
"There wss nothing to pay; she freely
gave us permission to lay Nettie o. rest in
her ground.
'We never asked grstuitous help, but NJ
enc heard the story unmoved. Tell them,
said the old grave-digger, that 1 will dis
the grave for nothing And say for ms
that l will help him. said his comrade
Poor men, Felicia, with hands like horn, ba
hearts like silk.
"'You may have some difficulty in get
ting the body from the authorities; fol
though numbers Of women die there, thor
are OF a different class-old or bad, mostly
and the doctors do not get chance lik,
this very often. However, 1 will attend t,
the business for YOU said the undertaken
They shall not put noe of. And now
since the young lady seems to have no rela
tives, and you are all doing your part,
too will do mine The cofin you can hsv,
at cost, my labor for nothing, carriages yol
will not need, and / will arrange it so tina
you can hold the burial service in the offic
of the superintendent ct the cemetery; yol
cSn meet each other there
al too would like 10 help yo1,' said hi
wife. IL you will allow me, will max
her shroud, and dress her for the grave
We will give you our best. 1t shall all b.
Just as if she were lady; no doubt sb
was; poverty seems to have been the only
fault
"lmsgine, if you can, Felicis the miser,
of working all day with tears thick in you
eyes, and such q load on your hesrti W
Would lay her in the grave Saturday after
noon; but as all could not go, with wha
nervous haste the few appointed strove L
inish their task, that they might not b
missedl We slipped away one by one, an
almost ST sunset stood srom d the fin O
our companion. Il wss E,ster-eve, al,
Eugene had brought few q 'seTs, bough
with her dinner money, and laid then
gently between the slender fingers. The
had ROBBED her in black, and now, indeed
with hsnds crossed Pescsfully on her breast
she looked like some fair nun, with the surS
ole of bright hair like q halo around he
nesd. They bad spared that but the rim,
was gone. Protestant, Jewess, Catholic
sisters ell, with clssped hands and wet eye
lids we kneslt and said, 'Our Father al,
then they carried her 10 her resting-plsct