The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-06-18

,ovselr from the close, dealhIy grasp which almoss
nressed the life out OF the body: ms ny ,ne,, |
spuJdenly heard birds gush song from me uee
hanea,L my window how joyousy II waioIed un
oemscious Of the agony near II and how my hearl
s;M,ened within me as heard A.
Soon nersons came and wrapped me up IN WITS
Imam and swathed my limbs aud made me horr,ole
r,narrI arrangements. Some one said, "How
ghas,ly his eyes look and Then genty Ptesscu
down the lids over the balls OF my eyes Nevel
mi that moment did dream that that accnrsed
.not ON which my gaze had been riylied Tor so
many hours, could become dear to mo- inc thougnt
thai we are viewing any object however mean,
far me Inst time, always rases its importance, ana
o;ves II FICTITIOUS charm and now this spot tome
was the straw to a drowning man, the shVer Ihe
of sunset in prisoners dungeon the last 'luN WIN
this visible earth. srove in vain 10 Keep open
The eve iids-sowIy they ,ielded To the pressure
or tbc fingers and gradualy the range OF vision be
came more and more confined, until all was utter.
Iy ont Never befurc had tho fear OF peing pu'io"
alive suggested itself, but no" II camo over INC
like n puIphing wave. / thought that should DC
laid down in the chaincl house among decaylnS
co,pses and s:ilcd from the pure bfoa'h OF heaven
fatnsh il indeed were not dead men az me
frghtuI stores of such occurrences tnai naa ever
read came to mind, and the nope oil uilihute To
covery grow feebler and fnebler
The night came, aud how dreary and unendinS
IL seemed One after another ! heard the hours
struck by The clock, until atfaS' rom pu'o oA"I"s
ton / lost my sensation. 1t must have oceh la'c
in the morning when returned 10 consciousness
1fe hands upon me-ihey were hung me iht !I
nv coffin! henrd them scrow amer screw uht''
the lid was fastened, and only tho narrow space
over The face remained open. felt the sides OF
the coffin Jar and rub against my arms, ana de,
SPARED thai should ever recover my power OF
motion. ,l,
Same one asked when l was to be buried "I'hs
aft ernoon," was the auswer,--''he mas peen now
dead two days" had then heen unconscious ior
the length Of whole day. Now the time instead
of dragging weary length, seemed to ny win
lightning like rapidly. The past seemeo e"u'ess
ly long the future was 1oresbortened 10 Dfeat"'a
moment. The clock licked faster ana ,as'er, u.u
time seemed TO pour itself away in rapid moments,
as rising thunder cloud empties Its herce, DeaVy
drops moro and more rapidly.
II was aftornoon-the company gathered-the
shutter crenkad beside me-, and the window was
opened. | felt the wa,m breath OF me spiing AR
steal ever my face like delicious odor. heard
the birds singing among the branches ana me gen
tie rustlng OF the swaying trees, as the whd sur
red among the leaves. thought OF all me giad
some earlh--ol the the blue sky--oi the ripping
brooks, half sunlight, half shadow-of the early
evening Clouds whose huos shit like the colors OF
a doves neck of the stars, OF the moon, OF .ne
swelling and heaving ocean, and chng 10 me mem
ory of them with mute despair, loving them Inc
more the nearer came to losing them
AT last the dun, whispering hum about The room
ceased-the clock licked loudly, and the clergy
mans voice repeated those first sentences in the
services for the dead 81 am the resurrection add
the life,' &c.
His voice ceased-I gave myself up 10 despair
tried to resign myself to the dreadful thought that
1 was to be buried alive. Some one lifted the lid
to screw il down ere should DO removed heard
a faint exclamation FROM some one bending over
me-"Good God he must be alive yet there are
drops of perspration now upon his forehead =
Bring mirror and place It TO his lips, no may
breathe yet" 1T seemed that the extremity oi my
agony had wrung out cold dew upon my skin
No sooner had the words been spoken than there
was wild hurry, and suppressed ordinations OF
fear, and doubt, and surprise about the room
What moment of agony was the next lho leai
full anticipation, lest, after all there should he no
sign of breath, was worse than all before. The
mirror was brought, and then knew by the sud
den and fearful ely, TINT my real state, tina! Of Cat
ochus, al last known
was bled instantly: between my lips lew
drops OF brandy forced, and my limbs and
head were fomened with heated cloths, with such
effect, that in two hours regained my power OF
motion and sat up, though weak from loss Of blood
and entirely exhausted by the dreadful suffering
through which had passed as through hery or
deal. Believe me, these pains would not suffer
again if the price should be the showering OF all the
wealth and glory the world can bestow. Such SUI
ferug does not leave man where il finds him.
arose from mi bed altered man with my NOR
al and mental constitution completely changed,
The main incident Of this story however improb
able it may saem, 10 founded upon fact. and has &C
cured within. the range of the writer's experience
Catochus IS only peculiar form OF Cata'epsy, In
which the patient retains the use OF his various sen
ses, while the POWER OF motion Is entirely suspen
,ded, and presents an appearance which may easily
be mistaken for death. In removing some bodies
from the vault Of church in neghboring city ,on
the erecting of new church, it discovered
that thu, zee bodies had assumed such situation as
could only be accounted for on the supposition OF
their having been buried in a state Of suspended
animation stupor, they having turned in
their collins upon the retarn of consciousness
The occurrence of such fact alone, together with
the known existence or diseases which assume
the resemblance OF death, should induce the exue
NEST caution, and make it matter Of duty to APP
nj hefo hntiaI auch test ne Iaaye No n W
Of doubt and room for mistake with regard &c
the actual fact of death. w. w. s.
nzlznzMzzzsMmnumnsGnnnnnxNnEMH
THE DORRIC HEGIRA