Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-02-12

was generally agreed, must now take place
within a few minutes. | concluded, how
ever, to speak to him once more, and merely
repeated my previous question.
While spoke, there came marked
change over the countenance of the sleep
walker The eyes rolled themselves slowly
open, the pupils disappearing upwardly the
skin generally assumed cadaverous hue,
resembling not so much parchment as white
paper; and the circular, hectic spots which,
hitherto, had been strongly defined in the
centre of each cheek, aUent out at once.
use this expression, because the suddenness
of their departure put me in mind of no
thing so much as the extinguishment of a
candle by puff of the breath. The upper
lip, at the same time, writhed itself away
from the teeth, which it had previously
covered completely; while the lower jaw
fell with an audible jerk, leaving the mouth
widely extended, and disclosing in full view
the swollen and blackened tongue. | pre-
sumo that no member of the party then pre-
sent had been unaccustomed to death-bed
horrors; but so hideous beyond conception
was the appearance of nj. Valdemar at this
moment, that there was general shrinking
back from the region of the bed.
now feel that have reached point of
this narrative at which every reader will be
startled into positive disbelief. 1t is my
business, however, simply to proceed.
There was no longer the faintest sign OF
vitality in M. Valdemar; and concluding him
to be dead, we were consigning him to the
charge of the nurses, when strong vibra-
tory motion was observable in the tongue.
This continued for perhaps minute. At
the expiration of this period, there issued
from the dstended and motionless jaws a
voice-such as it would be madness in me
to attempt describing There are, indeed,
two or three epithets which might be con-
sidered as applicable in part: | might say,
for example, that the sound was harsh, and
broken, and hollow; but the hideous whole
is understandable, for the simple reason that
no similar sounds have ever jared upon the
ear of humanity There were two particu-
lars, nevertheless, which | thought then, and
still think, might fairly be stated as charac-
teristc of the intonation-as we'll adapted
to convey some idea of its unearthly pecu-
liarity. In the first place, the voice seemed
to reach our ears-at least mine-from
vast distance, or from some deep cavern
within the earth. In the second place, it
impressed me / fear, indeed, that 1t will be
impossible to make myself comprehended)
as gelatinous or glutinous matters. impress
the sense Of touch.
| have spoken both of "sound" and of
"voice." mean to say that the sound was
one of distinct-of even wonderfully, thrill
lingly distinct-syllabyi cation. M. VALDEZ
mar spoke-obviously in reply to the ques-
ton had propounded to him few minutes
before. had asked him, it will be remem-
bered, if he still slept. He now said:
"Yes;-no;-I haze been sleeping-and
now-now am dead"
No person present even affected to deny,
or attempt to repress, the unutterable, shud-
dering horror which these few words, thus
uttered, were so we'll calculated to convey.
Mr.. Il (the studenD swooned. The
nurses Immediately left the chamber, and
could not be induced to return My own
impressions would not pretend to render
Ineligible to the reader. For nearly an
hour, we busted ourselves, SILENT with
out the utterance of word-in endeavors
to revive Mr.. Il. When he came to
himself, we addressed ourselves again to an
investigation of M. Valdemar's condition.
1t remains in all respects as | have last
described it, with the exception that the mir
ror no longer afforded evidence of respira-
ton. An attempt to draw blood from the
arm failed should mention, too, that this
limb was no farther subject to my will.
endeavored in vain to make it follow the
direction Of my hand. The only real indi-
cation, indeed, of the mesmeric influence,
was now found in the vibratory movement
of the tongue, whenever | addressed M.
Valdemar a question. He seemed to be
making an effort OF reply, but had no longer
sufficient volution. To queries put to him
by any other person than himself he seemed
utterly Observation-Disclosures ! endeavored
to place each member of the company in
mesmeric rapport with him. believe that
| have now related all that is necessary to
an understanding OF the SleeP-WakerS state
at this epoch. Other nurses were procured;
and at ten O'Clock | left the house in COM
pany with the two physicians and Mr..
Il.
In the afternoon we all called again to
see the patient. His condition remained
precisely the same. We had now some dis
cussion as to the propriety and feasibility of