Year: 1865

Tor what would 1T avail me II could
come back TO life, in my narrow prison
house? | could not escape there
from; and to regain the use of my
limbs would only add to the horror Of
my situation. M


Upon these reflections / became
comparatively calm; and then / tho't
and speculated upon how long could
remain in this situation before l should
indeed be dead. had no difficulty
in my respirations, though the air
that i inhaled was damp and musty,
and very disagreeable. The end must
come soon, L thought; and calmly l
awaited its coming. fhfa


How long i remained in this situa-
ton / then had no means of determin-
ing, for the day and the night were
alike to me; but all at once sound
disturbed the silence of the tomb. l
listened intently. Could il be possible
that human being was again near
me? Again a dull sound broke upon
my ear and heard footsteps outside
the iron door that stood between me
and the world. Another sound-that
of the grating of the key in the rusty
lock- and then l knew that the door
was open by the fresh air that rushed
in, and the sound of low voices that
fell upon my ear.


AT first, / thought they were body
snatchers. 1t would seem probable
that some medical man, hearing of
my sudden demise, had desired my
corpse for the cause of science, and
this was the reason why the sanctuary
of the dead was broken in upon.


"What / wish to do can be done
here, have no desire to remove the
body from the tomb" said voice
which to my JOY recognized as that
Of DIR. Willowly's.


The hope of escape again filed my
heart If he had come in the cause
of science, / did not fear his knife
The first touch might be the means of
bringing me back to life.


Remember, Doctor, if ever this
comes out, that i am not to blame
The gentleman is nicely buried, and
it is great shame to disturb him."
said another voice, that / at once rec
ognized as the sex toms.


"I will hold you blameless," said
the Doctor "Close the door of the
tomb, and then hold this candle, while
l remove the lid of the coffin"


I heard the door swing to, and a
moment afterward the Doctor was at
work upon the coffin. In short time
the top was removed, and the light of
the candle / could family see through
my closed eyeIids, as he held it above
me, and then down close to my face.


"No signs of decay" he said.-
"Jessie's presentiment may be correct.
Heaven grant that it may, and he be
saved from horrible death / can
soon determine if there is any thing
in the faint hope that has crept into
my heart, planted there by the words
| Of Jessie, who knows almost as much
about my books as do myself"


This was said more to himself than
to his companion; and next he took
from his pocket a small mirror, and
held it close to my mouth and nostrils.
Then he quickly placed it between his
gaze and the candle, and / heard the
exclamation


Great heavens, he lives! Quick,
sexton-that bottle Of brandy gave
you"


The man produced it, and the Doc
tor, forcing apart my lips, poured a
quantity of the fiery beverage down
my throat, and then bade his COM
panion briskly rub my chest while he
supported my head


I felt the brandy coursing through
my veins, and a genial warmth began
to pervade my frame. / felt the bonds
that had bound me so long were being
loosoned, and knew that l was saved,
when the Doctor again opened my
lips, and sent the contents of a small
vial after the brandy. Like fire il
went through my entire being, and !
gavo sigh that told them / was fast
coming to myself.


Then they carried me into the sex
tons house that was close by the
church, and by morning l was well
enough to 60 on. Then l learned il
was to Jessie that / owed my life, as
/ partly suspected from what i had
heard in the tomb. She had read OF
cases how people had been buried
alive, and she could not rest until she
had prevailed upon her father to visit
the tomb, while she waited at the
sexton's house, where all that night
she cared for me, assisted by Mrs Bell
who had been sent for, and who came
full of Joy and wonderment at seeing
me alive again.


Jessie is my wife now, and we have
a son--a fact which completely takes
the wind out of the sails of Cousin
John as regards the heirship. i have
not dined with him since; his dinner
so disagreed with mel