Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-07

she was before left In
he sea trip
81 suggested indisposition rs posi-
ole reason for her seeming negligence.
johnson thought the suggestion over
a moment, and replied:
"'No. tina. cannot be. Ethel is in
splendid health There is no reason for
for her surroundings are OF
the best-those in which she has been
brought up from her infancy. She lives
in a mountainous district, where the at
mosphere is charged with invigorating
ozone and that the natural drainage of
the country is such that malaria or fevers
of every character are all but unknown
"My friend chafed all the afternoon Mt
the seeming negligence of Miss Merline,
and he finally came to the determination
that on the morrow he would take the
cars northward and by seeing his be-
trothed end his surmises and apprehen-
sions.
at happened.on the night of john
sons return from the South that the class
to which we both belonged would have an
opportunity of assisting ut the dissection
of two cadavers which were lying cover
ed on the dissecting tables in the theatre
These bodies our resurrectionists, 1t was
rumored, had succeeded in bringing from
n distance in the interior, but from what
particular locality / am fully persuaded
every student and professor was igno-
rant.
II mentioned the fact of the presence
of the cadavers to Richard, and suggest
ed his being present, as it was Just. posi-
BILE we should not have another such treat
Mt least for weeks and months.
johnson at once assented, and when
the hour arrived for our departure for the
college and the scene of operations he
became as joyous ms of old. He was him
self again.
"i}y great mental effort he had put
away his depressed feeling, and, mcrcu-
ial-like, his spirits became quite exuber-
ant.
eve entered the theatre together. Up
on the marble slabs we saw covered with
large sheets the outlines OF two human
forms, one much shorter in stature than
the other
"Thc professors, surrounded by the
class, but so placed that all could see the
operation of cutting as il progressed, first
approached the smaller form. 1t was that
OF a light or mulatto boy child. An hour
was spent over this cadaver, the opera
tions being confined, leadiugly, to the
muscles and nerves of the face.
"When the anatomists had here closed
their present inquiries the body OF the
boy was again concealed from view, and
organizations were made to operate on the
vet concealed form of the second sub
ject.
johnson had momentarily left the
hall, intending to return i'll minute at
the furtherest, but something detained
him much longer.
SIN his absence the covering was re
moved. Before our eyes lay the body OF
n girl of apparently not more than IS.
Even in death her features were beautiful.
They were classical, and there was an ex-
preston of sweetness about the lips
which gave proof that when animated by
the soul that had inhabited the body they
were of most winning nature. l am
not qualified, gentlemen" the doctor con-
tinued, "to depicture by words of mine
the exceeding loneliness OF the subject
that was before us. AS corpse there
was nothing repulsive looking about it.
"While we stood grouped about the Ia
BILE ndmiring and commenting on the
youth and physical perfcctness OF the ca
daver the door opened and johnson en-
tered the hall
81 saw him MS he approached us.
"He looked for a moment wonder;ngly
over the shoulders of staiwart member
of the class who stood near the table.
then with low exclamation that sent n
thrill of surprise through my entire be-
ing, he pushed, quite rudely, the man
aside, and PLACED himself near the
corpse.
my God, what look Of horror filled
his eyes
"He had recognized the features.
"'Ethel my Ethel : he shrieked.
"Throwing his arms about the inani-
mate form, he sought to lift it from the
table.
"Some one grabbed his hands. He
fought desperately with halt-dozen attn
letic gentlemen to free himself and seize
the body.
ellis struggles made him wild, furious,
uncomfortable his eyes had an unsteady
look in them, and his shrieks were SO har-
rowing, at times so mournful, that more
than one face blanched, [and more than
one eye filed with tears.
"Poor johnson his reason was unseat-
ed, dethroned forever. He was raving
maniac. Efforts were made to calm him.
1t was loves labor lost. To-day he is as
violent as when first attacked on that ia
tai evening with madness. On this side
of the grave lie will die as he now lives,
n mere animal, in an asylum for the in
sane. On the other side-well, who
knows, who can declare that in the un-
known world he will be united to his idol
of this?
ETHEL Merline's body was respected.
No ruthless knife made incision in it. 1t
was returned to the earth, where undis-
turbed it will repose until the last atom
of it is disintegrated by the sure process
of nature
Gentlemen, my fifteen minutes are up.
What / have told you is reminisce nee
awakened in me by operating on a patient
to-day at the clinic who resembles the
beautiful cadaver OF nearly n quarter of n
centuay ago.
His listeners drew long breath when
he brought to close his story.
Without word or comment they went
their several ways but question If to
this day any of them has forgotten the
sad romance of Ethel Merlne.