The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-19

"Ni4AlaNr AA lilH Erle4AM y pc Win AstA X
eyes, heavy lashes rich. wavy black
hair, and such complexion as IS 10 be
found nowhere beyond the country OF the
Circas slams or the Georgians. She was a
christian woman. learned in many things
and unusually learned IN some, and she
mad been real helpmate for her husband
one told her story as we imagine the fable
story tellers who entertained HarOun al
Raschid once DID
She had occasion once TO take a night
ride over the mountains Of Northern Per
STA. from place In the interior to a sea-
port town. When she entered the convey
ance. which was really night mail coach,
she noticed that she had two fellow pas
sengers. one was a woman who seemed
10 be very III. for her eyes were shut and
she was leaning against the rear supports
oI the framework or the coach, nor did
she stir when this narrator entered and
took a seat beside her. The other pas
senger was a military gentleman. though
Of what nationality she could not say. He
was Instantly, cOldly pOllte, ana ne sat
upon the seat facing that which she took.
and soon after the stage started curled
himself up as though preparing to get
such rest as was possible.
The Persian driver and his attendant sat
upon a seat level with those which the
occupants of the stage had. Not long af-
ter they started the swift darkness-in
which there is no twilight-of the semi
tropical night came upon them. The Per
sian woman spoke once or twice to her
companion and received no reply. She ask
ed her II she was III; still no reply. II
seemed to her as though this woman must
be uncomfortable. so rigid and unyielding
was her posture. Her body jOstled unus-
ually with the motions of the stage, as
though there was no resistance in il. At
last more severe Jolt than any that had
occurred threw this woman from her posi-
ton, so that she fell over upon the Shout
ders or the narrator, where she stayed.
Very gently trying TO relieve herself
from this burden she touched the Woman's
hand. II was a cold damp, unresisting
piece OF flesh. Then she raised her own
hand and put il upon the silent wOmans
brow, and then perceived that this COM
panion was not sleeping, but dead. She
experienced, Of course, that shudder,
that shock, which causes the flesh to
creep, which the sudden contact with
death brings to every one, and had 1t not
been for her Christian training she would
nave fed in terror from the coach.
As II was, however, she summoned her
courage, tenderly placed the dead woman
back In her corner, and then nerved her
sell Tor an all night ride through noun
tain Businesses with a corpse as her seat
mate. At midnight, when they were in
the widest and lOneliest territory, where
skillful drivers were necessary, and where
II would be a peril for any one unfamiliar
with that narrow path to drive the stage
came TO a stop, the drivers evidently de-
string to rest their horses, perhaps to
water them. One Of them came around to
the side of the stage and spoke to the dead
woman. Receiving no answer he spoke
again. and, there coming no reply, he put
tOrth his hand and touched her. thinking
she was asleep. Instantly. with cry Of
terror, he ran like one frightened, calling
back to his attendant, and telling him
That the woman in the coach was dead
Ihat one, too, dismounted, and the Per
sian woman heard their quick steps as
they ran affrighted down that lonely
mountain path
The military gentleman awoke and asked
the occasion for the disturbance and the
Persian woman replied: The drivers have
discovered that our companion no longer
lives and they are of the caste that would
race death itself her thar he in the n
pany of one already dead. We are alone
IN these mountain passes, and you and 1
must get along as best we can"
To her surprise and indignation the mil
ttary gentleman revealed that terror of
companionship with death Is not confined
to Persian caste. He dismounted from the
coach nor could he even be persuaded to
sit upon the drivers seat Waiting for a
little while In the hope that some one
would come who would help them, this
Persian and Christian woman at last per-
celved that she must be a help unto her
self. Arranging the body of the dead wo-
man so that 1t could not be thrown from
the seat, she took her own place upon the
driver seat, gathered up the reins and
started forward in the darkness, having
no more idea Of the road than any of her
listeners of the other evening.
The military gentleman showed that he
had no fear of anything but the presence
of corpse. He walked on ahead, care
fully feeling his way, for the night was
pttchy dark, and with this officer as a
guide, a dead woman as a companion,
this brave woman drove for four hours,
not realizing until they told her afterward
that in many places less than six inches
of roadway was between her and death, so
great was the precipitous height The
dawn came suddenly, just as they were
approaching a country town where a
change of horses would be made, and
there they listened in amazement and ter
rOr to the story of this woman that she
had driven down the mountain road, not
knowing 81, and with no other companions
than an officer, who preceded her horses,
and corpse, who was then I'm the coach.
Afterward It was learned that this wo-
man had been placed in a dying condition
in the coach. and very likely was already
dead when the journey was begun. In all
Persia that exploit would have been re-
garded as a piece of heroism unmatched
i'm the traditions of that country To this
Christian Persian it seemed no more than
the doing of her duty in the time of great
emergency.