Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-04-24

2 o'Si SfOiy ~ " tHit "SeSA SN'
n face which could reach. / couli
S fiud NO chink, could see no ray
b Again / heard the hollow knell
f which tended to increase my fearful
Y agony. On! what were my feelings
b For long time after this | lay
y stepped in my suffering -or at least
for long time as it seemed to me
t My head was bruised all over-my
limbs were excessively sore-the
skin rubbed off in many places with
my struggling-my eyes aching with
! pain. sought relief by turning on
} my right side-I never had before
, turned but on my left-when / felt
under me hard substance which ]
had not before perceived. ] grasped
it with some difficulty, and soon
found it was knot from the coffin
plank which had been forced inwards,
in all probability after | was placed
there. also saw a dim light
through hole, about as large as a
half-crown piece, just below where
my chin came, put my hand to it,
and found it covered with coarse cloth
which l easily imagined was the
lining of my coffin. Isoon contrivsd
to force my finger through this cloth,
though with considerable difficult
| ty. Faint enough was the light it
revealed, but it was a MONDAY sun of
10y to me. By an uneasy strain Of
neck, could see obiiquely through
the opening, but everything was
confused in my brain. My sight
was cloudy, heavy, and thick. ! at
first could only see there was light,
but distinguis h no object. My SEN
ses, however, seemed to sharpen as
new hopes arose. + closed my eyes
! for a minute together, and then
opened them, to restore their almost
worn-out power Of vision. At length
| ] could distinguish that Immediately
opposite me there was small window
crossed by massy iron bars, through
which the light / saw streamed in
upon me like joy into the soul of
misery | now cried with delight.
/ thought | was among men again,
for the pitch darkness around me
was dispersed. forgot for a mo-
ment my srfferings. Even the fear
ful question, how should / get free
from my durance before ia mine
destroyed me, was long time absent
from my mind, and did not recur
until l could look through the fissure
no longer, from the giddiness caused !
by too earnest ixedness Of gaze |
| soon concluded, from the massy |
stones on each side of the opening,
and the strength Of the bars, that
was in church vault; aud this was
confirmed when I came to distin-
guish the ends Of two or three -colf-
ins which partly interposed between
me and the light. | watched the
window until the light began to grow
dim, with feelings no language can
describe, no tongue tell. AS the
gloom Of night approached, my heart
began to beat fainter, and my for,
mer agenies returned with tenfoId
weight, Notwithstanding which I imag-
inc / must have slept some. / was
sensible of noise like the grating
] of a heavy door upon its hinges
when revived or awoke-I cannot
say which land saw the light Of a.
candle stream across the fissGre in my
Ecolfin. / called out--'For the love
of your souls, release me! /, am
buried alive!''
The light vanishedin a moment;
fear seemed to have palsied the hand
that held it, for heard rough voice,
desire the holder Of it to return.
off there's any one here he's
soldered up. Tom, hand me the
light. The dead never speak. Jim
the Snatcher is not to be scared by
rotten flesh"
Again called asloud as I could
ID am buried alive! save mel
tom. the axr' cried the undaunt-
ed body snatcber; "the voice comes
from this box. The undertakers
made too great haste, I suppose"
In tew minutes l was sitting
upright .in my coffin.
Ever afterwards / cherished a
strong regard f5r resurrection men,
who never asked q guinea Of me 10
lsain. 9
81 <I :. falsx . .. X :. - :. s.Irf~