The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-04-27

Extraordinary Coincidsnes--- Spectral Hnsioas--
On her desthhed, Mrs Msithsws called her husband
and the present Mrs. Matthews iogsiher and entreated
them marry sef her decosse q which both reeoIled
bot the event dad sctusy take place Of no great dis
lance Of Time and attended by remarkable romance,
thus described by tho author Of the Memoirs Of Charles
Msnhses: Although prepared. II expectation Of the
loss Of those lose bs called prepsrstion for
this monrnfuI event, Mr.. Matthews felt il he had
never contemplated the result Of his sifes illness The
fits TO which he had long occasionally been subject
a..siIed him with redoubled violence; and when he
ayau sppssred amongst seemed almost Ill as his
suffering wife had looked the day OF distressing
Interview When her death was announced to me ny
q mutual friend. simost repfoach@d myself that had
not sacrificed my own ineinaloDs to her dying request
Az il was the recollection Of produced almost cold
ness between the sad wdower and myself Tor some
time ser though in few months both seemed to have
recovered from il aud easy friendship was resumed
Al the close Of the summer very remarkable Instance
occurred of idence o! dreams biailng Mr Mat
thsws and myself; circumstance which am induced
10 relate since il was sties,ed BY witnesses who seve-
rally aud apart informed Of IL. before the dfeamers
had power to comm with each other or their mu-
tua friends Mr. Matthews' account OF his impression
follows lie had gons 10 rest alter very late
nights performance the theatre, finding himself 100
fatgued TO up his usual hour TO read but alter
he was in he'd, he discovered--ss will happen when
persons attempt To sleep before their accustomed time
that 10 close his eyes was ar impossibify he hsd
no light, nor the means Of getting one, all me family
being in bed; but the night was not absolutely dark
it only too dark for the purpose oil reading; m
deed every object was visible STILL he endeavored 10
Sleep but his eyes refused to close, sDd in this state Of
restessess he remained. when suddenly slight rust
Ing ss if hasiy approach of something. induced hun
TO turn his head that side Of the bed whence the
noise seemed to proceed and there he clearly beheId
the figure Of his late wife, 10 her habit as she lived,
Who, smlng sweetly upon him. put forth her hand as
If m take hiS "a ahe heut This all he
could relate; for ia shrinking from the contact with the
figure he hehed. he threw himself ont Of bed upon tbs
floor. where (ihe fl having alarmed his landlord) he
found 10 Of those dreadful fits TO which have
alluded On his recovery from IT, he related the cause
Of the accident and the whole Of the folio wing day he
remained extremely III. aud unable TO quit his
There 10 nothing surprising 10 all this for. admitting
To be dream but Of those called night
mare, frequently experienced (whcn the sufferer be-
iieyes himself under real iAlences) il was not case
excite aslobshinent. The circumstances which
dered il remarkable that at the hour when
this scene taking place at remote distance,
vision Of the same kind caused me 10 bs discovered
precisely in the same situation The same sleepless
effect. the OF terror. had occasoned to
seize the bellrope, 10 order summon the people Of
the house, which, giving way at the moment. fell
the ground. My impressions Of this visitation (as
sisted il was) were exactly similar those Of Mr. Mat
thews. The parties with whom resided at the time
were perfect strangers 10 each other. and living widely
apart and they recounted se,eslly those ab1ut them
The extraordinary dream for such must call il, though
my entire belief will he shaken that per-
fec, awake at this moment These persons repeat
ed the story TO many before they requested to
meet together aud compare accounts there could
scquenty be doubt the facts, aud the circumstance
became matter Of genetal interest amongst all those
who knew u.s. That the scene at the bedside Of the
dying simultaneously required to the dreamers
when awake was natural enough, and after wards
confessed. How Ear, the facts which ! have related
tended TO continued intimacy will not determine
but certain that neither Of regarded i'm
pedinent a future period. inst reason why
should last fulfil the desire Of her whose wishes
were made known to at time when it would have
been discredtable both had supposed ourselves
able TO comply with it at any future period Of our
lives"