Ourreaderswillhavefollowedwithpainfulinterest,theaccountswehavefromtimetotimepublishedoftheterribleepidemicwhichhas,duringthelasttwomonths,carriedoffmostoftheinhabitantsofthelittlefishing-harbouradjoiningthevillageofElveston.
Thelastsurvivors,numberingtwenty-threeonly,outofapopulationwhich,threeshortmonthsagoexceededonehundredandtwenty,wereremovedonWednesdaylast,undertheauthorityoftheLocalBoard,andsafelylodgedintheCountyHospital:andtheplaceisnowveritably“acityofthedead”,withoutasinglehumanvoicetobreakitssilence.
Therescuingpartyconsistedofsixsturdyfellows—fishermenfromtheneighbourhood—directedbytheresidentPhysicianoftheHospital,whocameoverforthatpurpose,headingatrainofhospital-ambulances.
Thesixmenhadbeenselected—fromamuchlargernumberwhohadvolunteeredforthispeaceful“forlornhope”—fortheirstrengthandrobusthealth,astheexpeditionwasconsideredtobe,evennow,whenthemaladyhasexpendeditschiefforce,notunattendedwithdanger.
Everyprecautionthatsciencecouldsuggest,againsttheriskofinfection,wasadopted:andthesufferersweretenderlycarriedonlitters,onebyone,upthesteephill,andplacedintheambulanceswhich,eachprovidedwithahospitalnurse,werewaitingonthelevelroad.
Thefifteenmiles,totheHospital,weredoneatawalking-pace,assomeofthepatientswereintooprostrateaconditiontobearjolting,andthejourneyoccupiedthewholeafternoon.
Ithasnotbeenfoundpossibletoidentifythemall,assomeofthechildren—leftwithnosurvivingrelatives—areinfants:andtwomenandonewomanarenotyetabletomakerationalreplies,thebrain-powersbeingentirelyinabeyance.
Amongamorewell-to-dorace,therewouldnodoubthavebeennamesmarkedontheclothes;butherenosuchevidenceisforthcoming.
Besidesthepoorfishermenandtheirfamilies,therewerebutfivepersonstobeaccountedfor:anditwasascertained,beyondadoubt,thatallfivearenumberedwiththedead.
Itisamelancholypleasuretoplaceonrecordthenamesofthesegenuinemartyrs—thanwhomnone,surely,aremoreworthytobeenteredontheglory-rollofEngland’sheroes!Theyareasfollows:
NexttotheirswewillplacethehonourednameofDr.ArthurForester,who,onthedeathofthelocalphysician,noblyfacedtheimminentperilofdeath,ratherthanleavethesepoorfolkuncaredforintheirlastextremity.
Norecordofhisname,orofthedateofhisdeath,wasfound:butthecorpsewaseasilyidentified,althoughdressedintheordinaryfisherman’ssuit(whichhewasknowntohaveadoptedwhenhewentdownthere),byacopyoftheNewTestament,thegiftofhiswife,whichwasfound,placednexthisheart,withhishandscrossedoverit.
Itwasnotthoughtprudenttoremovethebody,forburialelsewhere:andaccordinglyitwasatoncecommittedtotheground,alongwithfourothersfoundindifferenthouses,withallduereverence.
Hiswife,whosemaidennamewasLadyMurielOrme,hadbeenmarriedtohimontheverymorningonwhichheundertookhisself-sacrificingmission.
Hisdeathisbelievedtohavetakenplacetwoorthreeweeksago,asthewords“DiedOctober5”werefoundwrittenonthewalloftheroomwhichheisknowntohaveoccupied—thehousebeingshutup,andapparentlynothavingbeenenteredforsometime.
Last—thoughnotawhitbehindtheotherfouringloriousself-denialanddevotiontoduty—letusrecordthenameofFatherFrancis,ayoungJesuitPriestwhohadbeenonlyafewmonthsintheplace.
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