St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-06-28

I posed tho great and noble, stately as
sembly of broken columns, snowy urns
and tall monuments. The tombs of
those lately dead were known ere you
came close enough to read the date OF
their inscriptions, by the fresh wreaths
of everlastings, which dear, loving
hands had hung there last All Souls
Day, and by the bright gardens that
| fiourished over their inmates quiet
breasts.
| The name of Winterwerb was we'll
nigh forgotten in Gottngen, SO that the
Rath did not dream of searching among
these for Jacobs grave. He hurried
on to where the seven old yew trees
stood in hoary array, and there. sure
enough, was the beautiful marble urn,
no longer white, but gray and yeneI-
able after the lapse of 8 century.
''Here it is" cried Rath Marquardsen,
in hoarse tone, that almost startled
himself. Jacob Winterwerb, who de-
parted this life June %, 1853, deeply
respected and regretted. )"
"Stay you there said the business
like professor, ''while / summon the
sexton"
'.Not l." said our friend. trying to
conceal shudder; 81 shall accompany
YOU"
The day was far advanced before the
sexton and his assistants had removed
the urn, and dug away the earth from
the colfin-ld. Several people,
attracted by what was going on,
came hurrying up just as the
coffin was raised and laid upon flat
tombstone Rath Marquardsen shiv-
cred, and would fain have retreated,
but shame kept him on the spot. He
was not prepared for the sight that met
his eyes when the lid was raised. The
professor rubbed his spectacles. and
bent over the coffin ca Imly speculative,
as he was wont to inspect q new curl.
osity in the museum.
He lifted the folds of the shroud,
which, to his intense. amazement, was
white and spotless as it was on the day
of Jacobs funeral, and beneath lay the
body undecayed, after hundred years
soiourn in the tomb. The Rath gave
one trembling glance and turned away
hastily, seized with a sudden fit OF
shiyering, while the spectators, pressing
round the coffin, shouted with horror
and wonder. Meanwhile, the professor
coolly proceeded with his examination.
He raised the long gray locks that
rested on a velvet pillow, AID stroked
the parchment-hke cheeks. ''We must
have this fellow in the museum!' cried
he delightedly; 'ta perfect mummy, pre-
served by miracle. shall write of to
Heidelberg and Munich, and get
Schulze and Helms here to examine it.
and then shall prepare paper for the
A!tertbunaer BEQtt. :"
"No, no, Won Schenk. Put him
hack in his grave; shall never forgive |
myself for the desecration of the tomb. /
[ wish [ had not read that confounded |
MS; then should not have had that
wild dream. nor brought you hear tn
disturb the dead. Replace him, pray
YOU
II shall place him. not replace him
He shall stand between our Theban
and our Mastodon giganteus,
in the left-hand corner of the great
saal. My dear sentimentalist,
the responsibility rests upon the Uni
yersity of Gottingen, not on you. Pray
set your mind at ease
The Rath turned away in real misery,
and walked home, pursued by the voice
Of Won Schenk, who called after him to
inquire whether he were willing to re-
sign all claim to the mummy, which
was his property by right of discovery.
It was long time before he prevailed
upon himself to visit the museum. At
length some ladies begged him to take
them over the college, and he could
hardly refuse. Old Jacob was leaning
against the wall in his corner between
,he geological animals and the ancient
Egyptian; he was dressed in his shroud,
md very grim and horrible he looked,
out he was surrounded by an admiring
crowd, to whom Prof. Won Scheuk was
'elating the true story of Jacobs
Curse; or the Mummy of Gottingen. ~
47gosy.
The Parasites OF Money.