Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-01-07

whole house TO shake, and the moment her spasms
ceased she finished her sentence, commencing at
the very word where the I'll had interrupted her. and
with so calm voice, that asked her in aslonsh-
menl If she felt no pain when thus attacked She
said the pain was so excruciang, If she would give
way to her feelings, her screams might be heard
half milei but as thai would only distress others
she had learned to be quiet.
Her father is over ninety years Of age aud had
shock Of palsy from which he had partially recover
ed when | saw him. Her mother is over seventy,
and has had the care Of this suffering child until
prevented by sickness within year and half
At the time Of my visit, she was confined in the
same room in very feeble slate.
sincerely hope the good people Of Salem and
Lynn will continue 10 remember this family and
administer TO their wants, remembering il is more
blessed to give than TO receive. a
| have not written this hasty and imperfect
sketch 10 crafty idle curiosity, but for instruction.
The greatest lesson OF my whole life was received
At the bedside Of this poor sufferer and could but
think If the thousands in land who are ever re-.
plnlng al their lot, frettng themselves at the little
Ills OF life, or tormentng themselves with thous-
and needless DESIRES could spend an hour with tina.
sufferer, they you'd return TO their homes with their
hearts improved, and be better prepared to sppre-
ciaie the value Of the blessings with which they are
surrounded.
As this article will probably be read 10 her. if it
contains any error. win she please to correct il p
Yes-that is good lesson 10 learn from this case.
Leader, think this very moment how much better
of thou art than is that poor unfortunate girl and
give God thanks every day Of your life for all the
blessings you do enjoy.
Morally and physiologically some thoughts arise
here. We all know that man may become so used
to pleasure as MT to realize IT, Every function of
the body, in a state OF health, produces pleasure
Inv lie al and Ia
does this, we are hardly sensible of the pleasure
produced. A question has arisen, sometimes--why
has God so ordered tina: less sensible Of
pleasure than Of pain Can a man suffer pain all
the time. aud from this very fact, become nsensi-
Bile OF the pain If so, there would seem TO be
mercy enough in such ordination to Offset any
scruples that might arise against the goodness OF
God in bunting the sensibilities OF pleasure by
their very qualification. Perhaps the case Of Miss
Purbeck may help to solve such question For
fifteen long years (sirange to tellD she has not
slept moment in all that time she has suffered
the most excruciating torment-eyery joint being
drawn out and thrown back again. We say
torment because she admits. that ''the pain was
so excruciaiing f she would give way 10 her feel
Ings her screams might be heard half a mile
But these are bodily pains, overcome by her mind,
which after all does not seem TO suffer very much
"She exhibited the perfect example Of resqna-
ton have seen . she did not desire one pain
less, and could no, wish TO be restored unless she
could enjoy more happiness than most healthy peo-
pie do This is truly wonderful and shows that
the mind may get used to bodily suierings as to
regard them bu, little Oh-how God tempers
the wind to the shorn lamb" Henceiorth let us
learn the power Of the mind to triumph over The
body, and remember that physical sufferings are
nothing when the soul is resolved to rebuke and
annihilate them There are other reflections arts
ing from this case, which the reader will make for
himself - aaf st ~ rrf- eaa.ts