The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-03-12

determined to maintaih against all opposi
ton.
was fearful that, as the wind was 80 vio-
lent, our tr,isty vehicle would be thrown over
and hurled into fragments across the prairie
But remembered that our sleigh was made
for substantial service and that aside from the
heaviness Of is own material, it had sufficient
weight in it trusted to battle the ferceness Of
the elements. Twice in passing through ra-
vines where the snow had been accumulating
for weeks, resigned all hope Of deliverance;
but the noble horses, apparently knowing the
terribleness Of our situation, plunged vigor-
ously through and conveyed US safely on the
other side. In passing over places where the
surfaces were irregular, and steeply inclined to
the tight or the left, l held my breath in sus-
pense, expecting every moment, that the sleigh
would be overturned, and that we would be
precipited into the snow. But God, in his
mercy, ordained otherwise During the pro-
gress Of these perilous scenes, the remem-
branee Of which will linger in eternal vivid
ness about my mind, my companion sat far
back in the seat rigid and moveless as marble.
1t may be inquired why made no greater ef-
fort to restore him to oconsciousnesp To this 1
answer that did all that was capable Of do
ing. A hundred times Ishrieked cut Ills name
in tones to which despair gave greater energy,
but instead of calling him from his deathly
slumber, my frantic voice only gave speed to
the frightened horses. l shook him with all
the vigor could command but there he sat
unhee,iing my efforts, silent and potionless as
a tenant Of the grave. At length remember
ing bottle Of spirits which carried in my
satchel, l attempted to rise from my seat to
get it. But found myself unable to stand /,
Ny limbs had lost their wonted power. A
universal paralysis had seized my frame, and
sank impotently by the side Of nv companion.
experienced strange flnttering sensation
about The region of the heart. A deadly sick
ness seized me. From nv brain to the ex-
tremities Of my body, through every depart
ment Of the nervous system, ran cold, icy,
shivering sensation. This feeling cannot be
described. It was something hike the shock
Of galvanic battery, but hot wholly analo-
gous. have heard epleptic patients speak
in terror Of the premonotory symptoms Of
each fit. OF that terrible crepitus which sweeps.
like blast Of cold air, from the feet upward
to the heart. This, to some extent, was my
feeling. | felt my self becoming insensiblr;
but with my remaining strength, managed To
fas.en the lines so that they would not necome
entangled in the horses feet. / remember
that felt consciousness that | had done all
for the best, and was content to abide the is
sue. For few moments, l must have wand
cred off into insensibility; and when l was
reused by rougher movement of the sleigh
with which had been seized had passed away
An apparent reaction and = genial warmth
seemed to pervade my entire frame But with
this singular change, came no increase of
ply sical power. Not a muscle, even Of the
arm. would move in obedience to my will. /
was helpless as an infant. My mind, howev-
er, possessed more than ordinary acuteness.--
The perilousness Of our condition was COM
pretended in all its fearful reality, bnt had
the happy faculty of detaching my tho ight-
at will from the horrors of the present and
concentrating them intently upon the past
Borne backward upon the speeding wing of
memory, revisited the home Of my boyhood,
the scenes of Juvenile happiness and reveled
with delight again, amid the joys of buriei
years. R 50
father, over whose grave had swept the
storms of many winters, stood before me, and
iuvited me to the hsspitalities Of home whose
affairs had long since been abandoned to .oli-
tude and ruin. A mother was there, too whose
smile Of affection, lit up with holy hope, beam.
ed down upon her erring child as first it did
afar OF amid the years Of the buried past
And sisters and brothers and friends-partici-
pants in early joys and SORROWS were there,
too, with familiar faces and glowing affec-
tions inviting me back to the sanctuarie. of
home and heart from which l had strayed,
perchance, forever. Every event Of my past
life seemed to have been exhumed from its
grave, and whether its character was good or
evil, whether it shone resplendently in the garb
Of virtue, or was darkened all over with the
hue OF unforgiven error, it stood before me,
either to inspire my heart with hope Of hap
piness and heaven, or crush my spirit with un-
availing remorse. Blu. gradually these image.
Of the past-this vivid panoramic Of the mind,
beca me more and more obscure, until they
wholly faded away. Then came a feeling of
absolute pleasure, delicious langour that
stole upon my senses as softly as perfumes
from the bowers Of Eden. This sensation
amounted to ecstacy. The cold night air has
lost its Influence; the driving snow was no
longer felt; the rough motion of the sleigh was
unnotised; the voice Of the careering storm
was unheard; aad feeling joyous as that
which inspires the breast Of an angel, filed my
entire being. Never until the coldness of tho
sepulcher, "shall wrap this suffering clay,'
and my spirit shall in the mercy Of God, en-
JOY the beautitudes of heaven, never until then
shall l experience sense Of more vivid hap
piness than when was sinking and perishing
with the cold. l had often heard that death
from exposure to cold was neither terrible nor
unpleasant; ! believe this; and although, in the
Providence Of God, was not permitted to
pass entirely through the shadowy valley Of
death, / was suffered to realize partially at
least al that Aeafh ,mrI;a. IT, al. &c.. 2.