Year: 1862

The Pes.iicmco.


In my mind. the urn-bural Of the ancients has
always been sacredly and pleasantly associated.
The clean, white marble, containing he purified
remains of all we have loved, is an object around
which affection loves to liAger but the damp,
dark grave with its silent loathsome work of
corruption, is revolving subject of contempla-
ton even where love is stronger than death
Then there is the fear of being buried before the
vital spark is extinct, and of returning to CON
seriousness with the weight of the earth upon you,
aud the fresh air of heaven shut out forever =
To me this idea is so terribly distinct, that it is
the spectre Of my waking hours, and the night,
mare of my dreams. Death himself has no hor-
rors for me 4; though well content with life, and
bound to il by the strongest ties, | think could
calmly close my eyes beneath its oblivious touch
but human nature shrinks at the thought Of be-
ing buried alive Perhaps the vividuess Of this
impression is owing to the remark | frequently
heard from an aged relative, while was yet
very small child; " that hundreds and hundreds
were buried before they were dead, when the yell
low fever ragged so terribly in Boston" That
period is we'll remembered 10y our fathers, when
the pesileuce walked abroad at MONDAY and
the hearth stone was silent and dreary as the
tomb. The death carts went their continued
round through every hour Of the day and night,
and unshrouded and unconined, the newly dead
were hurried to their home. | knew a man, who,
during this time of peril, was snatcbed from the
grave merely by the perseverng affection Of his
wife. OF the correctness of this there is no
doubt for | have often heard it repeated by
both parties concerned The awful visitation of
God came upon them when they were newly
married when existence was happiness and sep.
aration worse than death. The young husband
became Il victim to that disease which was
breathing destruction over the city. The friends
of his wife urged her to seek refuge in the coun
try, aud not risk her own life in useless attempt
to save his. No persuasion could induce her to
leave him night and day she was by bis bedside
and in the anguish of her heart she prayed that
the pestilence might likewise rest upon her But
her prayer was not answered-surely aud rapid
ly it did its work upon all her heart held dear
but to her, death would not come though she
prayed for it, and sought it with tears. She had
inhaled the breath of her dying husband but to
her it was harmless; and in the madness of
despair she repAed at the mcrclful decrecs Of
Heaven.


No one was with her in the house-she was
alone with the dead. Suddenly the silence of
the deserted streets was interrupted by the rum
bling of the death-cars and she knew they had
come to take him away from her sight forever;
and with the thought, it suddenly flashed into her
mind, that life might still be in him Her en-
treaties excited compassion, and she was permit
ted to keep the corpse one half hour longer





strength Of Inspiration and though every re-
storative which ingenuity could devise had failed
to produce effect, she would not relnquish hope
Again the carts came around, and the solemn
sound, Bring out the dead" disturbed the fear
lul stiffness. Again the young wife entreated
wept, and screamed-thc hearts Of the men.
whose dreadful employment accustomed them to
such scenes, were touched ; but they would not
yield They said % the safety of the city re-
qured them to be firm in the discharge Of their
duty that they had already disobeyed strict
orders and they dared not do it again that the
hope of restoring him was mere Insanity ; it was
evident he lad long been dead"


When she found they would not be moved by
her prayers, she threw her arms around the body
and clung to it with the strength of madness
declaring if they buried one they must bury
both. The men, after a few gentle attempts to
remove her, dashed the teaIs from their eyes
and saying, " We cannot separate themD left
her another half hour of hope The moments of
that interval had a value, Of which mortals un-
der ordinary circumstances, can form no concep-
ton. Restorative after restorative was applied
but all in vain. With sckening anxiety, she
fastened her eyes upon the watch, and then on
the stiff, cold form beside her. The halt hour
had nearly gone in live minutes they would
again come to claim the dead and she felt that
she must resist no longer She breathed into his
nostrils-she moved her hand upon his chest. TO
restore the actions Of the lungs-but no change
came his rigid features. She bathed his
temples and moistened his lips with sal voiatile-
the terrible rumbling of carts was heard in the
distance--and in the trembling eagerness Of the
moment ste spilled the contents of the vial into
his nostrls-a sudden CONFUSION passed over the
face of the dead short, quick gasp-and the
eyes heavily opened!


The men with the death carts we're startled by
loud, shril shrek, that sounded as if it tore
asunder the soul from which it came. When they
entered, they found the dead liyingyaud the
living senseless.


Both husband and wife were soon after restored
to health and became the parents of numerous
family ; and the husband long survived her
who with the strong arm of love, thus snatched
him from an early grave.