Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-11-18
LOVE STRONGER THAN DEATH.

'IyclOpCula OF Meulcal fractlce, ''s
I as old as the human race in India. "
: From its birthplace at the mouth of the
Gauges and Brahmaputra it has march
ed forth with giant strides to the four
quarters of the habitable globe, leaving
desolation and sorrow in its track.
I The first worldwide epidemic started
! IN Jessora, India, in 1917, and having
slain over 600, 900 victims in that coun-
try alone, it marched slowly through
China, Persia and Arabia, through
Russia, Prussia and Germany, gaining
new territory each year, until 1881 it
crossed to England and overlapping
the sea appeared June. 1882, in Mon
treal and Quebec. Before the end of
the summer it was claiming its victims
b, hundreds in all the principal cities
of the eastern and middle states.
During the prevalence of the epidem-
ic in Boston occurred the incidents ]
am about to relate. all of which are
well known to persons now living, the
the only change being in the names of
the principal actors, the circumstances
being personally known 10 me. James
zimmerman was junior partner in
weIl-known Boston dry-goods firm.
| He was IS with a wife but no children.
! Each of his partners had families of
three children, and when, in the first
few weeks of the epidemic, all who
possessed the means fled from the
plague-Stricken city, he felt it was but
his duty to urge his partners to leave
with their families, while he remained
a week or two to attend to the closing
up of business.
He tried to induce his wife to accom-
pany them, or 90 to her home away
among the New Hampshire hills, but
she pcrsistently refused to go.
when You can 90, James, l am
ready" was her firm answer to all his
pcrsuasions, "but not until then" So
they remained a week or more after
their friends had left.
The death-rate increased rapidly,
and on the tenth day the cholera flag
waved its dread signal from the house
opposite James zimmerman
Pack everything necessary for our
Journey he said to his wife the morn
ing after the flag appeared. Il will
close up business to-day, and tomorrow
morning we will take the first train
tor New Hampshire"
All of Mrs Ammerman's servants,
except her chamber girl had fled at
the first approach Of the dread disease,
but faithful Katy Sullivan was bound
to her mistress by strong ties of affec-
ton and would only leave when the
family did
AN sure its meself she said, las
will stay with We until ye're out O. the
city sure.
BY night everything was packed, the
upholstered furniture covered and all |
in READINGS, for the journey in the
early morning.
Mr.. zimmerman returned at o'clock
as usual, but the quick eye of his wife
detected a change in his appearance.
81 have not been feeling well all
day, he admitted, in answer to her
anxious questioning. "Someway l feel
weak and stupid and little chilly. It's
nothing r1oIs,' he added rcassuring-
". IN c down for awhile and |
presume | shall soon feel better"
Mrs. zimmerman fastened him to
bed, made hot applications and adm n
lStercd warm stimulants, but the chill
ness increased and soon sharp, agoniz-
ING cramps seized him.
Katie was hastily dispatched for the
family physician, who was soon by the
sick mans bedside.
He made his examination with n
grave face. but one that BETRAYED no
emoti IN of hope or fears to the anxious
wife.
rs it cholera?" she asked at last,
pronouncing the dread word with
shudJer and waiting in an agony of sus-
pense for the doctors reply
~ may w ohiS cHOIcIInc, was the
guarded answer, as DIR. Tyler dealt out
his medicine. Give him this every
half hour and will call again in an
hour or two"
When he made his next visit at 10
O'Clock there remained no longer a
doubt Of the nature of the disease.
The wife needed only the evidence of
her own senses to convince her that
the dreaded foe had entered her-house-
hold.
All through the long hours of that
sad night she watched hes de her hus-
band, fighting the advance of the de-
stroyer with every means at her COM
mand; Katie, in her faithful devotion,
standing ready to second her every
wish.
But Notwithstanding their united eff
forts the work of death went on slow
ly, As the morning began to dawn his
hands grew icy cold. the pulse became
weak, thready and hardly perceptible
at times, his breath short, confined and
incomplete, the reSpiratlons increased
to over thirty minute.
Occasionally when she could raise
him for an instant from his semi-con-
scious condition, he answered her in
CURES in voice so weak and hoarse
that she hardly recognized it.
The icy chill spread gradually over the
face, body and limbs, and when DR.. Tyler
came at Z o'clock he found h patient
lying with collapsed features, hollow
cheeks, deeply sunken and closed eyes,
giving no evidence of consciousness
save groan from time to time as the
sharp spasms seized him. The doctors
quick eyes detected the signs of speedy
dissolut on and he gently broke the
dread intelligence to the anxious wife.
'But 1 will never give him up until