Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-08-30

| power ana magnetic force to compe
the locked jaws to open, at las
succeeded. My Joy was great, but
alasl quickly faded away. After TIL,
tooth was removed and the convul
sion disappeared, the tongue was
found to be so swollen at the root
and the throat in in such a condition
that nothing could save our beloved
young friend from deaths relentless
grasp, no power could prevent hel
from choking without the operation
of tracheotomy, to which the doctors
would not resort. The delay had
been fatal 1t was exceedingly pain.
full to watch the struggle and know
that though i'll the full enjoyment OF
health the dear girl would be lost to
us through the miserable mistake OF
the wise doctors who had insisted
that the lockjaw was not induced by
the false tooth.
cat the close, strange to say, after
the last CONFUSION was over, An
tonia spoke in a clear voice, | was
supporting her in sitting posture
when all at once she uplifted both
arms and her beautiful dark lustrous
eyes, at that moment filed with o
wonderful light.
Gazing into space, she apparent
ly addressed beings unseen by us:
Yes, yes, am coming. Wait, wait
a momentp This she repeated sew
eral times not only in Spanish, her
mother tongue, but also in English
and again in French, as if she we're
being urged to join throng of peo-
pie who addressed her in various
languages. Her gaze was rapt.
Gradually her hands sank lower, and
her voice grew fainter and fainter,
dying away in n whisper, when the
lovely tapering fingers at last touched
the bed. At the same moment her
head dropped upon my breast; light
He'd from the eyes and | closed their
white lids.
81 cannot dwell on the scene that
followed; it was heart rending. But
one thing | wish to mention before
passing on. From the moment that
Antonio uplilted her arms she was
to all things earthly. A
priest came and spoke to her but it
was quite plain that she was utterly
unconscious of his presence, and |
babe him hold his peace and respect
the mystery and beauty of death. |
went so TAR as to say; Silence! or
leave the room. She speaks with
those who are far above your
~ gnnn n IL hnoa ma
Antonio had passed away, the many
that had rejoiced in her friendship
her departure and brought
so many sweet flowers that we hard
|y knew how to place them all in her
room.
1.-The morrow would have been her
twenty-frst birthday, that day she
had looked forward to as the begin
ng OF II new era in her life, when
she should depart to a wider field
md perfect herself in the art that
lad claimed her best energies. On
that day laid her mortal remains in
I bed of flowers for | lined the casket
with them and spread others over
her, leaving exposed only the beloved |
ace with its beautiful smile. Gentle.
men, will you undertake to affirm
hat her birthday did not open to
1er a wider, happier field? For my
1art | would otdare to assert any |
hing of that sort after witnessing
ler-l suppose must say death. for
want of a better term,
well, we carried her, after ten
} clock at night, that being the law
here. to the church, attached to the
convent of san Francisco, and on
he following morning went up to
perform the last sad duty. There
vas service in the church, of course,
md the edifice was crowded with
grief stricken friends and sorrowino
Imagine what con
formation spread among them.
what a peculiar revulson of feeling
vas created when, just as the priest
vas raising the host'-always n mo-
nent OF protund silence, wren des-
ended from the vaulted roof
lighted upon the head of the casket
ND commenced singing at the top
II its voice, only ceasing when tho
'riest faced the congregation, when
spread its wing and flew upward.
Loving hands bore the body of
lntonia from the church to it's last
esting place, When we entered the
urlal grounds. n most lovely gar
en-, a number Of birds came in Il
ody and lowering above the casket.
ang in chorus, keeping their posi-
ion until we came to a small chapel.
here they disappeared, we having
0 pass through the building; but
hen we emerged through the on
oslte door they joined us, and, con
nued their joyful strains up to the
lace of inteiment.
The casket was put in its niche.
eyeral gentlemen spoke in memory
I Antonio and her noble qualities;
leanwhlle there was not u dry eve .
mong us. Then the mason began
} wall up the niche. There fiuttered
he birds; during the speeches they
nd not ceased to MARBLE and they
ept on while the mnsons worked.
My when the last brick was in. and
le mourners turned away, did they
Ike fight"
Here thenarrator was Interrupted
Y the suggestion, from one OF his
'arers, that the birds were possibly
ltracted by the perfume of the !
any flowers in the casket. F.,
81 will not insist that it was not ,
!, replied he, Though fresh flow /
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