Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-11-18
street. and the call of the dead-bearers:
s.Brinp ont vour deadp'

in her heart that life might not be quit,
extinct in her husband. Springing t,
her feet she rang the bell for Katie
who responded to her summons.
DO not let them in," she cried, ex
citedly. Tell them he is not dead
/ know he is still alive, and they shall
not take him. can revive him if they
will only give me time" ....
Katie looked from the cold, rigid
body of the husband to the white,
agonized face Of the wife, and feared
that grief had driven her mistress
insane, but she obeyed the request and
the death cart passed on its rounds.
Mrs. zimmerman had by this time be-
come thoroughly possessed of the idea
that life still fingered in the apparently
dead body of her husband, and the
thought of having him taken away for
burial was too terrible to contemplate.
If she could only gain time she felt sure
she could revive him, though why she
should so strongly hold to such belief
she could not have explained; but hope
she did, and proceeded to renew all
her efforts which had previously proved
in vain.
With the energy of despair she worked
on, and again the dead bearers entered
the room.
I'VE must take the body now. Mad
am" the man said who appeared to be
in authority. 1--WE can only hope to stay
the epidemic by the prompt removal Of
the dead and thorough disinfection OF
the houses"
But he is not dead" sir. she persist
ed, ''See!" holding hand mirror over
his lips, there is little moisture.
The man looked closely and shook
his head.
Your hopes deceive you," he said,
kindly; she is surely dead and we must
take his body"
With wild cry of agony she fell on
her knees, beseeching them with tears
to give her just one half hour more.
The men gently put her aside, trying
to reason with her on the necessity of
their own course, but she only pleaded
the more earnestly. At last, finding
reasoning in vain, they attempted to
lay hands upon the body, but thrusting
them aside she threw herself down be-
side her husband, and clasping him in
her arms declared with an agonizing
vehcmence that awed the men:
"lf you take him you shall bury me
with him. Twill not let him go"
As the men stepped back she renew
ed her pleadjngs.
Give me only one half hour. If
there are no signs of life then l will
ask no more"
Reluctantly the men yielded, and
left her alone once more to her hope
less task.
This time she saturated fannels
with hot mustard water and enveloped
both body and limbs; then commencing
with the purple nails she rubbed each
finger vigorously downward to start the
CONCEALED blood. Every few minutes she
put drop of brandy in his mouth,
and raising his head applied strong
hartshorn to his nostrils. Five-ten
Extraordinarily minutes passed. Only
ten NJ nutes more of that precious half
hour which meant life or death to her.
She rcdoubled her efforts. Another
five minutes paSsed-still no change,
the face seemed even mere death-l,ke,
the icv limbs more rigid. She raised
his head upon her arm and administer
ed more brandy, then applied the bottle
of hartshorn to his nostrls. She glanc-
ed anxiously at the clock--only two
minutes more. and far down the street
came the rumble of the death-cart, and
like death knell rang out the solemn
cry, Bring out your dead" She
raised her pallid face to Heaven with
an agonized cry.
go, my God. my God! Save him.
cannot give him up"
The head resting on her arm fell
backward-the bottle shook in her
trembling hand, and quantity of the
hartshorn was spilled on the deadly
face; portion of the fiery liquid pene-
trated the nostrils. There was a sud-
den sharp, convulsive movement of the
dead mans limbs, cry of pain. and as
the dead bearers entered the room he
sprang to sitting posture, gasping for
breath.
The wife turned to them a face trans
figured with joy. "See' she cried ex-
ultantly, stretching out her hand to-
ward her husband. Il have conquered
DEATH" and fell unconscious across the
bed"
The reaction in the sick mans case
was complete; speedy convalescence
followed and week later, with his de-
voted wife, he was safe among the
New Hampshire hills saved by love
stronger than death.-Jennie Porter
1rDoII