The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-06-14

+ The door by which we entered led
into tiny chapel. II was here that
the relatives Of the deceased looked
their last upon the pale, set faces OF
their departed friends. The body about
to be visited was wheeled on a light
trolly into the chapel, which was kept
very clean, and daily redecked with
white flowers.
As we entered the porter stepped
| outside to do something to the lamp,
which did not burn properly, while
went forward with the women and
gently turned back the sheet from the
poor dead face.
The two women were too much abb
sorbed-the one with her grief and the
other with her sympathetic take any
notice of me; so l, remembering poor
little wait who had died in my arms
day or two before, and thinking /
should like to see him again, for had
grown to love the little mOtherless
creature, picked up the lantern from
the floor and went in search of my lit
tie patient. 1t was some time before l
found him, and, after imprinting kiss
on the small pitiful face, went to
look at the new post-mortem room,
which had lately been finished and
which had not seen. ! was walking
around, the light of the lantern CLEAN
ing weirdly on the white tiles which
lined the walls and floor, when 1 sud
denly heard door bang. Without
knowing exactly what had happened,
shivered with apprehension and my
flesh crept uneasily. In moment
had flown through the mortuary and
into the chapel. Too late! The door |
III moment knew what had hap
pened: the porter supposing that had |
gone and left the visitors to him, had |
turned out the gas, locked the door,
and gone away with them. Oh, it was
too horrible beat on the door with
both my fists! l raised my voice in
fearful scream, but that was worse
than the awful silence, for the hollow
walls took up the sound, and the mock
ing echo came back to me, as if the
lead were shrieking in their places!
sank on my knees on the damp stones
md covered my face with my hands.
The building stood far away from
my other; the clustering wind would
prevent my voice being heard even had
the courage to shout again. which
lad not; no one would be in the grounds
n such weather as this; l should not
Ne missed. In the ward / should be
opposed, being off duty, to be in my
wn room. Nurse Flemming, missing
ne from the supper-table, would i'm
CINE that | had gone to bed, and
would probably retire without, as she
bought, disturbing me- What should
do? What could I do? To remain |
here all night seemed impossible, yet (
ow much more impossible to get ,
way. | had always been accounted {
mong my fellow-nurses as the most I
and | fear | had been won't
} boast that nothing could Brighten |
lie, but had never dreamed of any t
ling like this. To sit among friendly G
Ices in the daylight, or beside CHEEKY
re, was one thing. TO be forced to !
bend night alone with the dead was
mother.
At length gathered sufficient cour-
ge to turn round and try to realize E
" position. Oh, how envied those =
,rtunate mortals who, in moments OF :
anger and dread, can quietly faint /
way into calm unconsciousness, to re- !
over their senses only when the horror +
past. If | could only lie down on
lat cold floor and sleep Aye! even a
it was the sleep that knows no walk 4
Ig, how gladly would have done so.
nything rather than remain terror |;
ricken with these dreadful com
anions. ! glanced at the lantern:
DIV long would it burn? Could i de- a
End on its light lasting till dawn? / :
oked at the trolly. with its cold. still 4
Irden, then, with a mighty effort, ! a
ossed the chapel, ana. Selling the q
I'd of the CHASTITY carriage, whirled it =
lickly into the large mortuary. With :
.@N