The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1859-11-04
a GElCs: story or Second Sight

Mr. Hector M'Donald, of Canada, was
recently on visit to Boston. When he
left, his family were enjoying good health,
and he anticipated a pleasant journey
The second morning after his arrival in
Boston, when leaving his bed to dr,ss for
breakfast, he saw reflected in a mirror, the
corpse of a woman lying in the bed from
which he had just risen. Spell-bound, he
gaZed with intense feeling, and tried to re-
cognIze the features Of the corpse, but in
vain; he could not even move his eyelids;
he felt deprived Of action, for how long he
knew not lie was at last startled by the
ringing of the bell for breakfast, and sprang
to the bed to satisfy himself if what he had
seen reflected in the mirror was real Or an
illusion. lie found the bed as he left it
hc looked agdiu iutU the riIirrUr, tut only
saw the bed truly reflected. During the
day he thought much upon the illusion,
and determined next morning to rub his
eyes and feel perfectly sure that he was
wideawake before he left the bed But,
Notwithstanding these precautions the vis-
ion was repeated, with tie addition, that
he thought he recognized in the corpse
wife.
In the course Of the second day he re-
ceived a letter from his wife, in which she
stated that she was quite well, and hoped
he was enjoying himself among his friends
As he was devotedy attached to her. and
always anxious for her safety, he supposed
that his morbid fears had conjure1 up the
vision he had seen reflected in the glass
and went about his business as cheerfully
as usual. On the morning Of the third
day after he had dressed, he found him eff
in thought in his own home, leaning over
the coffin of his wife. Ills friends were as.
sembled, the minister was performing the
funeral services, his children wept-he
was in the house Of death. He followed
the corpse to the grave; lie heard the
earth rumble upon the coffin, lie saw the
grave filled, and the green sols covered
over it; yet, by some strange power he
could see through the ground the entire
form Of his wife as she lay in the coffin.
He looked in the faces of those around
him, but no one seemed to notice hirn;
he tried to weep, but the tears refused to
flow his very heart felt as hard as rock.
Enraged 1t his own want of feeling, he de-
terminel to throw himself upon the grave
and lie there till his heart should break,
when he was recalled to conciousness by a
friend, who entered the room to inform
him that break |.st was ready. lie started
as if awokc from a profound sleep, though
he was standing before the mirror with a
hair brush in lis hand.
After composing herself, he related to
his friend what he had seen, and both con
cluded that good breakfast only was
wanting to dissipate his unpleasant impres-
sions. a few days afterwayd. howe lie
received the melancholy intelligence that
his wife had died suddenly, and the time
corre>pomded with the day he had been
startled by the first vision in the mirror.
When he returned home he described min
utely all the details Of the funeral he had
seen in his vision, and they corresponded
with the facts. This is probably one of
the most vivid instances Of cIairvoyance on
record. Mr.. MDonald knows nothing of
modern spirituaIism or c.airvoyauce, as
most of his life has been passed upon Il
farm and among forests 1t may not be
amiss to state that his father, who was a
Scotch Highlander, had the gift Of "second
sight. t."-B0ston Traveller.
/ The Judge interrupted Curran in the
midst Of his speech, when an ass began to