Litchfield enquirer., 1850-10-24
Strange Incidents attending Q
DeaIh

Under this head the Christian Registe
relates the following remarkable Incl
dent. We do not think it improper I
state that the individual referred to i
the late Mr.. Gregg, who was lost a
Gloucester, Friday, August 10th. 1856
by the capsizing of a boat in a squall.-
II was at Gloucester, also on the day
! previous to this causuality, that his adj
venture with the robin occurred; and II
was at Brighton, in our neighborhood,
that his family met with similar encoun-
ter:
The following is statement of facts,
as they occurred,-as simple and shot
as we can make it. 1t would be easy to
give wide play to sentiment and fancy.
in connection with so striking and unusual
an occurrence. Superstition might at
tach to it irrational fears, or hopes ground
less. We confess we hardly know what
to do with events like these ourselves,
breaking in as they do, upon the settled
order of our experience, and startling us
with some new exception to the common
course or observations. They evidently
belong to no system of distinct and intel.
ligible communication from the other
world to this. 1t is not easy to imagine
a satisfactory plan of spiritual disclosure
on which they would be tremendously
adjusted. In that sense they teach moth
ing and yet to US they appear capable,
all inexplicable and exeeptionable as they
clearly are, and though we cannot take
the first step towards interpreting them
they appear capable of leaving us more
pure, more reverential. and more bel:ev-
ing than they find us. We rejoice in a
Religion which does not exclude from its
subordinate combinations the vaguest and
most unintelligible mysteries. nor forbid
even creatures less than human to be
humble and dnmh witnesses to its spirit
ual promises.
A gentleman, with some friends, was
lately rambling over the rocks, near the
water, in one Of our sea.shore towns
His attention was presently attracted by
robin, full grown and apparently I'M
hurt, running in his path, futtering about
his feet, and contrary to the proverbially
shy instinct of that bird, keeping very
near him. He took it up in his hand,
fondled it, parted its feathers, and shows
ing it to the party remarked on its tame>
ness, tossed it into the air. The next
day, the gentleman, having put out from
the adjacent beach in boat, with four
others, for SALON his return, and
when within sight Of land, by the capsiz.
ing of the boat, or sudden leak sprung
in her, was drowned with all his COM
panions. His body was recovered, and
few days afterwards was buried in a Gem.
etery, some twenty or thirty miles distant
from the scene of the disaster.
The day after the burial, the grave was
visited by his wife and daughter. AS
they approached the spot, they were in
hesitation for a moment-not being famil'
lar with the place-which, of several new
made graves, was the one they were
seeking. At this instant tame but
aprightly robin ran ON the ground before
them, and stood by them before the
grave Of the husband and father. One
Of them took it up and carressed it, and
after some remarks about the singularity
of it's conduct, let it go when it flew down
alighted on the raised mount over the
grave, and laid itself close to the earth
The daughter Immediately took 1t up
again, ana it was dead.