Weekly Trinity journal., 1858-03-20
buried Alive.

the feelings with which was aft, ctcd be imapin
ed without experiencing the impressions of the
same awful circumstances
had been for some time i'll Of low and lin
gerlng fever. My strength gradually wasted,
but the sense Of life seemed to become more and
more acute as my corporal powers became weak
er. could see by the looks of the doctor that
be despared OF my recovery and the low whis
pering OF my friends taught me that had moth
ing to hope.
One day, towards the evening, the crisis took
place was seized with a strange and indescri-
bable quivering-a rushing sound was in nv
ears saw around my couch innumerable strange
faces they were bright and visionary, and with
out bodies. There was light and solemniy, and
tried to move, but could not. For a short time
terrible confusion overwhelmed me, and when
it passed of, all my recollection returned with
the most perfect dstnctncss but the power of
motion had departed heard the sound of weep
ing at my pillow, and the voice of The nurse say
he is dead l cannot describe what felt at
these words. | exerted my utmost powers of vo-
liton TO stir myself, but could not move even
an eyelid. After a short pause, my friend drew
near; and sobbing and convulsed with grief, drew
bis hand over my face, and closed my eyes Th"
world was then darkened, but could still hear,
feel and suffer
Wien my eyes were closed, / heard by my at
tendants, that my friend had left the room, and I
soon after found that the undertakers were pre-
pairing to habit mo in the garments Of the grave.
! Their thoughtlpssnpss was more awful than the
grief of my friends. They laughed at one ano-
thcr as they turned me from side to side, aud
treated what they believed a corpse, with the
most appalling ribnldry.
When they had laid me ont those wretches re
tired. and The degrading Formally Of affected
mourning commenced. For three DAYS number
OF friends called TO see me. | heard them, in low
accents, speak of what I was and more than one
| touched me with his fingers. On the third, some
/ Of them talked OF the smell of corruption in the
room.
The coffin was procured-I was lifted and laid
ln-my friend placed my head on what was deem
ed its last pillow, and felt his tears drop on my
face.
When all who had any peculiar interest in me,
bad for a short time looked at me in the coffin,
heard them retire ; and the undprtakers man
placed the lid on the coffin, and screwed it down.
lhrrc were two Of them present one OF them
had occasion to go away before the task was
done. | heard the fellow who was left begin to
whistle as he turned the scrcwnas but he
checked himself, and completed the work in ST.
/ lence
/ was then left alone-every one summed the
room. knew, however, that was not yet buried
and though darkened and motionless, | had still
! nope, but this was not permitted long. The day
OF lnterment arrived felt the coffin lifted and
/ borne away heard and felt it placed in the
hearse. There was n crowd of people around :;
some OF them spoke sorrowfuly of me. The hcarsc
began TO novel, knew that it carried me to the
grave. 1t halted and the coffin was taken out
! ret myself carried on the shoulders Of men, by
the inequality of the motion--a pause ensued--I
heard the cords of the coffin move-I felt it swing
as depended by them it was lowered and rested
on the bottom of the gravp-the cords were drop
pea upon the lid heard them fal-dreadml
was the effort then made to exert the power of
motion, but my whole frame was immovcabIe
soon alter, few handus of earth were thrown
upon the coffin. Then there was another pause.
Mter winch the shovel was used, ana the sound Of
the rattllng mould, as it covered me- was far more
tremendous than thunder. But | could make no
eHori. Inc sound gradually became less and less.
ana ny surging revrrbrrati0n in the coffin,
knew tlnt the grave was filled mp, and the sexton
was treading in the earth and slappng the grave
with the fiat of his spade. This, too, ceased and
! all was silent
had no means Of knowing the lapse of time,
and the silenc" continued. This is DEATH Thought
! J, and am doomed to remain in the earth til
! the resurrection ! Presently the body will tall
Ihto corruption, and the epcurean worm, that is
only satisfied with the flesh of man, will come 10
pariake OF the banquet that has hn"1 pared for
him with so much ~s6iiicitndc and care. In the
cohtemplaI Of Il is hideous thonght, heard
End undersound in the earth above me-, and
| fanced that the worms and reptiles Of death
were coming-tha the mole and the rat of the
grave would soon be upon me. The sound con-
tinued to grow louder and nearer Can il be pos
sible, thought, that my friends suspect they
have buried me too soon? The hope was truly
like light bursting through the gloom of death.
The sound ceased and presently ! felt the
hands of some dreadful being working about my
throat. They dragged me ont Of the coffin by th"
head felt again the living air, but it was
piercingly cOld and ! was carried swiftly away
i thought to jud gment, pcrhaps--perdition
When borne to distance, | then
thrown down like a clod--it was not upon the
ground. moment after, found myself upon
carriage and by the interchange of two or three
brief sentences | discovered that | was in the
hands Of two of those robbers who live by plum
dering the grave, and selling the bodies of pa
rents, children and friends One ofihe men sung
scraps of bacchana and obscene songs the cart
ratified over the pavement of the streets.
When it halted, was lifted out, and I soon
perceived by the closeness of the air, and the
change Of temperature, that was carried into n
room, and being rudely stripped of my shroud,
was placed naked on fable. By the convcrsa
ton of the two fellows with the servant who adj
mited them, | learned that was that night to
be dissectcd
My eyes wcrc still shut, I saw nothing; but in
short time | heard, hy the hustle in the room
that the students Of anatomy were assembling
Some Of them came round the table, and examn-
ed me infinitely. They were pleased to find that
so good subj ct had been procured. The demon
strator himself at last came in.
Previous to beginning the dissection, h" pro-
posed to try on me some galvanic experiment.
and apparatus was arranged for that scrvice. The
first sh"ck vibrated through all my nerves; they
rung and jingled like the strings of harp. The
students expressed their admiration at the con-
elusive effect. The second shock threw nv eyes
open, aud the first person | saw was the doctor
who had attended me. But still was dead
could, however, discover among the students the
faces of many with whom | was familiar; and
when my eyes were opened, heard my name
pronounced by several of the students, with an
accent of awe and compassion, and wish that it
had been some other subject
When they had satisfied themselves with the
galvanic phenomena, the demonstrator took the
knife and pierced me on the bosom with the point
felt dreadful cracking, as it were, throughout
my whole frame convusive shudderng i'm.
medatey followed, II shrek of horror arose from
all nresnnt- Ihe ice Of deAlh wa hrnknn un--mY