The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1858-08-14

The day had been exceedingly cold
md stormy, and the night had alrea'y
let in, dark and dismal, with here9
,ale and driving storm of rain and
nail. when again stood beside my pa
tieut. The moment | looked at him
nerceiyed unmistakable indications OF
the near approach of death upon his
features. He was free from pain, ms
mind perfectly clear; but his lite was
ebbing away with every feeble breath
like the slow burning ont Of an exhaust
ed lamp.
Meanwhile the Storm rose to temp
est, aud the gloom grew black as death
in the wild night without. The wind
swept in tremendous gusts through me
adjoining forests. rafting the icy branch
es Of the trees, and came wsIling and
shrieking through every crack ana
Granny Of the building.
Within there was wilder commoiIon.
All that had been said or sung written
or dreamed, Of ghosily visita.:ons' was
then and there enacted. There was
ringing of bells, moving of furniture
crash of dishes, whispers, bowls, crying,
laughter, whistling. grooming, heavy and
light footsteps, and wild music, as It IN
the mockery of the internal regions
All these sounds grew wilder win me
rising gale, and toward midnight they
were almost insuferable.
AS for us three--the patient, Mrs.
Green and myself-we were as silent
as death itself. Not word passed our
lips after 8 O'Clock. As for the state OF
| our minds, God only knows. Nine ~
the wide whirl Of thought end event
which followed, forgot all the past,
save what have recalled and penned'
bit by bit, above. remember only
looking for the first Catastrophe, which
grew rapidly nearer, with a constant
endeavor to concentrate al my faculties
Of mind, and sense upon the phenome-
non which ], at least, had began to be-
lieve would herald the loss Of my pa
} ltient
: AS it grew closer upon II O'Clock,
: (for upon the striking Of that HOMELAND
} my thoughts fixed themselves for the
{ expected demonstration my agitation
! became SO great that it was with ex-
r IRENE difficulty could control myself.
j Nearer aud nearer grew the fatal
: moment--for fatal perceived il would
/, be, TO the patient, at least-and at last
r the seconds trembled on the brink of
i midnight tho clock began to strike
d one-two--lhree! i counted the
k strokes of the hammer, which seemed
: as.though they never would have done
I-ten-eleven--t ] drew my
d breath again. The last lingering ecno
o of the inalrstroke he'd died fairly
, away, and as yet there was no token of
l. any presence save our own.
h All was silent The wind had lulled
e for moment, and not sound stirred
the air within the house The ghosts
d had fed.
i arose and approached the bedside.
The patient was alive-drawing his
S breath very slowly-dying. ysThe inter
o walls between his gasps grew longer
then he ceased to breathe altogether
g he was dead =
Of Mrs. Green was sitting in her place,
e her elbOws,Testing on her knees, her
d face buried in her hands.
closed the mouth and pressed down
the eyelids of the dead. Then i touch /.
I'd ed her on The shoulder.
W alt is over" / whispered.
as "Thank God was her fervent reply.
le
re Then we both started. There
was rustling of the bed cIothesi Mr.
rs Hayden was sitting erect, his eyes wide
II open. his chest heaving in mighty ef:
as fort for one more inspiration Of thu
e, blessed air. Before | coull reach tue
at bed he spoke:
ed "My God ! she is coming
y AT the same time the wind came
re back with sudden and appalling gus
a and wild shrek as it swept through
nd the crevices of the building. There
ID. was crash OF the outer door-ihen
es staggering and uncertain step in IN
he outer room. 1t approached The sic
room-the latch lifted-the door swun
of open-and then-my God what
ly- spectacleI
ms | wonder now, that / dare describe
ng think of it-remember ii. wonde
.he | believed it then, or do now-that
be did. not go mad or drop down dead.
Ne Through the open door there steppe
INA figure-not OF Ms Hayden, not
her corpse, not Of Seath-but a
II sand times moro hofSible--a ILL.,
Y. eosEgP;ien, dseaE.o -lHarnls 2 z -
lhOSf tsffncsS.s
be. The features were nearly all ron
had am the skull in places CLEANED through
du- whlte> and terrible. Her b. east. an
abdomeo and neck were eaten ava
son her limbs were pulrid, green and inc.
Irs. pressibly loathesome.
mir AMI vet - 49,
hat there was born voice-smothered il
De deed, and strange, but distinct:
had "Cone. Italiam ! they ,oaii for goa
ere I WAIT l
| dared not turn my eyes from Il
With intruder; | could not, if | dare
= though heard groan behind me al
ain, fall.
Then 1.-THE thing before me-sar
ced down upon the floor, in heap, da
OF and loathesome-a heap OF putrescen
airs and dismembered fragments
red, | remember that did not faint. III
hre' did not cry out. How long | sto,
any transtixed, facinated, know not b
les, at last, with an effort and PRAYER,
felt turned to the bed, Mr.. Harden h,
lbt, tallenNPon the floor, face downwar
and stone dead.
| raised and replaced him-I CO,
OBJ posed his limbs; closed his ewes a,
tied up his chin; crossed his hands y
sed on his breast and tied them there
Then | bore out the body of his sist
IS lnsensible but not dead, into the nm
'me air-out of that horror and stencil il
the storm and darkness-out of dea
,on- into life again.
my
ith- County Of Grand Traceyse, Michigan.
f. Mrs. Josepha n. Green, being Il,
sworn, deposes and says, that the lei,
arm of DR.. John Morton, iereunto snnon
ed, which she has read, is strictIT :,
so tar at it goes, though much oe,be i
eeP tory of what occurred at her bro,bo
Z (the late Mr.. Hayden house il omit,
and hnaS eh