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Hope you have a sweater to keep you warm. Relax if you can, and listen very, very carefully.


THE DEAD WALK AMONG US

Don't believe? Neither did I UNTIL that night.

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Great-grandad still shakes when he recalls the story of the time Bertie passed away.

The year was 1922. Sam and Bertie were sweethearts since grade school. Since times were rough, Sam left school to work in the coal mines when he was just thirteen years old. Bertie continued on until she was fifteen, then like Sam, she left to work in one of the local Silk Mills. On weekends when you saw one, you would always see the other. They were each other's breath of life.

Sam was nineteen years old and Bertie was seventeen, when the two finally wed and were joined as one. This was one wedding the whole town attended.

Life was hard for both Sam and Bertie, but they were one now and, that was all that mattered. Bertie loved Sam from the very depths of her soul. She was obsessed with this wonderful man. Bertie was ecstatic to learn she was in a family way. She felt like a complete woman, life was exactly the way she had pictured it as a girl.

Life isn't always the way we picture it though, now is it? Bertie was not the strong girl she thought she was. The pregnancy was hard. Bertie was sick most of the nine months that followed. Sam was always by her side, when he wasn't in the mines. He was at home holding Bertie's hand. He gave her the comfort that only a husband can give.

The summer had just set in when Bertie went into labor. Sam had a midwife on call for the last few weeks, he wasn't taking any chances where his beloved Bertie was concerned. Bertie finally gave birth to a fine baby girl, but fate wouldn't let Bertie see her first born. She died minutes after Sarah gave out her first cry.

Sam now had the task of not only burying his beloved, but finding a wet nurse to keep his little Sarah fed and cared for. That would be the job of the wet nurse.

Marge came into the household the very day that Bertie passed away. This was out of necessity and not choice.

The house was solemn. Neighbors came to offer condolences, and brought what they could to help the grieving husband and father. The first night as Sarah fed from Marge's breast, she was restless and fretful. Marge did her best, as she already felt love for this motherless infant. Only a week before, she had lost her own infant son. He had passed away only seconds after drawing in a weak breath. The second one never came. Marge was only too glad to nourish little Sarah when Sam asked...Her loss was as great as his...

The first two nights passed without incident. The third night was one of double grief and stress. Bertie was laid to rest. Marge had retired early with her small charge. Soon after feeding Sarah, Marge had her nestled safe, sound and fed in her cradle.

Marge soon awoke to Sarah's fretful cries. It was only an hour since her feeding, so she reached out from her bed and started to rock the cradle. The cradle was yanked from her hand. Pulling the cradle back, she gently started to rock the baby again. The cradle was again pulled from her grip. Marge jumped from the bed and turned on the lights. NOTHING! The cradle was now still. She checked the sleeping Sarah. All seemed well and both fell into sound sleep. Marge kept the night's occurance to herself. She must have been overtired and was sure she imagined the whole thing. image

The next night was the same thing all over again. After feeding Sarah and tucking her in, she got into bed and again reached out and started to rock the cradle. Again the cradle was snatched from her hand. Marge looked wide-eyed around the room. At the bottom of the cradle stood, Sarah's mother. The look of love and anguish on her face was one that threw Marge into a state of mixed emotions. She was frightened out of her wits, but was saddened by the loss she knew Bertie had to feel never having seen her first born. She gently picked baby Sarah from the cradle. Sarah's eyes were wide open. "did she also see something?" Marge turned the baby to face the other end of the cradle, where the spirit of Bertie stood. Bertie looked upon the baby with a love that seemed to light up the whole cradle. A long sigh was heard, and the apparition of Bertie dissipated.

Sam was both bewildered and relieved when Marge told him of the night's happenings. He had been unable to sleep, knowing that Bertie never got to see her child. Sam felt that his beloved could now rest in peace, having seen her baby.

Two years later Sam and Marge were married. She had lost her husband in a mine accident months before her baby was born and died. They went on to having three sons and two daughters of their own. Sarah, my grandmother was always Marge's favorite. She knew she had to have a little extra love. She made Bertie that silent promise, the night she came back to see her newborn.


Submitted by: Sarah
Background by: Nancy
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