Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1859-05-12

But | could make no effort. The
sound gradually became less and
less, and by toe surging reverbation
in the coffin, l knew that the grave
was filled up, and that the sexton
was treading in the earth. slapplng
the grave with the fat Of his spad !.
This teo ceased, and then all was
silent.
] ] bad no means Of knowing the
lapse Of time: aad the silence contin-
ued. This is death, thought |, and
/ | am doomed 10 remain in the earth
till the resurrection. Presently the
body will fall into corruption, and
the epicurean worm, that is only sat-
isfed With the flesh of man, will
come to partake of the banquet that
has been prepared for him with so
much solicitude and care. % the
contemplstionof this hideous thought,
! I heard low and under SOUND in
the earth over me, and | fancied that
the worms aud the reptiles of death
were ceming-tbat the mole and
the rat of the grave would soon be
upon me. The sound continued to
grow louder and nearer. Can it be
possible, ! 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 out Of the coffin by the
head. felt again the living air, but
it was piereingly cold; and was
carried swiftly away thought to
judgment, perhaps perdition.
When borne to some distance, |
was then thrown down like clod--
it was not upon the ground. A
m vment after found myself on q
earrisge; and, by the Interchange OF
two or three brief sentences. | dis
GOV, red that was in the hands of
two of those robbers who live by
pIundcring the grave, and selling
the bodies of parents. and children,
and friends. One Of the men sung
spatches and scraps Of obscene songs
as the cart rattl5G over the pavement
of the streets.
When it halt, d, / was lifted out,
and | soon perceived, by the close
ness of the air. and the change of
temperature, that | was carried into
a room; and being rudely stripped
of my shroud, was placed naked on
a table. By the conversation Of the
two fellows with the servant who ad-
mitted them.'I learned that l was
that night TO be dis ected.
My eyes were still shut, ] saw
nothing, but in short time | heard,
by the hustle in the room, that the
students Of anatomy were assembling.
Some of them came round the ia.
BILE, and examined me minutely.-
They were pleased tc find that SO
good subject had been procured.
The demonslrator himself at last
came in.
Previous to beginning the dissec-
tion, he proposed to Try on me some
galyanic experiment; and an a9psra-
tus was arranged for that purpose.
The first shock yibrated through all
my nerves; they ruug and tangled
like the strings Of harp. The stu
dents expressed their admiration at
the conynlsiye effect. The second
shook threw my eyes open, and the
first person / saw vas the decter
who had attended me. But still |
was as dead; / could, however, dis
cover among the students the faces
of many with whom was familiar;
and when my eyes we're opened, !
heard my name pronounced by sew
eral Of the students, with an accent
Of awe and compassion, and a wish
that it had been some other object.
When they had satisfied them
selves With the galvanic phenomena,
the demonstrator took the knife,
and pierced me on tho bosom with
the point. | felt a dreadful crack
| ling, as it we're, throughout my
whole frame IA convulsive shudder-
ing instantly followed, and shrek OF
horror rose from all present. The
ice Of death was broken up my
tr.,oo anaod Tho ntmost eX8rfloDS