282 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 



sulphur, and besmeared his nose and lips with tar, to 

 protect him in inhaling the tainted atmosphere ; and 

 whilst he exposed his poultry for sale, kept continually 

 burning about his stall aromatic herbs, such as penny- 

 royal, sage and tansy, to aj^pease or appal the dread in- 

 tent of Azrael. 



It was with a bounding heart, that late in September 

 I learned that I was well enough to be removed beyond 

 the sound of the church bell, whose daily tolling an- 

 nounced to me, as I lay prostrate, the death of some 

 schoolmate, whose merry laugh would never more be 

 heard upon the bowling-green ; or the demise of some 

 ancient crone or new comer, whose gossip or whose en- 

 terprise was the pastime of the youth, or the theme of 

 speculation amongst the fathers of the city. The luxu- 

 riant forests had just assumed the russet garb of autumn, 

 as I once more found myself without the city, and right 

 speedily did the bracing country air and association with 

 people whose hearth-stone had not been visited by pesti- 

 lence, exert their influence in restoring me both to cheer- 

 fulness and strength. 



My destination was Shelby county, in the neighbor- 

 hood of the village of that name, where I remained un- 

 til November. It was during the latter part of Octo- 

 ber that the events transpired that will form the subject 

 of this brief history, and the character of the incident 

 will probably excuse the digression with which it is be- 

 gun ; for, as will be presently seen, the epidemic had a 



