Litchfield enquirer., 1860-08-16

ago that I laughed at the idea-was in tn
 room. She stood beside her old fashione,
 spinning wheel, and quite near me. Sh
 wore plain muslin cap with high puff il
 the crown, short woolen gown, white an,
 blue checked apron, and shoes with heels
 She did not regard me, but stood facing th fwheel, with the left hand near the spindI
 holding lightly between the thumb and for finger the white roll of wool which was be
 ing spun and twisted on it. In her righ
 hand she held small stick. I heard th
 sharp click of this against the spokes of thu
 wheel, then the hum of the wheel, the bug
 of the spindles as the twisting yarn wa
 leased by the whirl of it's point, then q stel
 backwards, a pause, step forward and thl running of the yarn upon the spindle, aul again backward step, the drawing out o
 the roll aud the droniug and hum of the wheel--most mournful, hopeless sound that ever fell on mortal ear Siuce childhood il has haunted me. All this time wrote aut l could hear distinctly the scratching of tht pen upon the paper. But she stood behind me, (why did not turn my head I nevel knew) pacing backward and forward by tho spinning wheel, just as had hundred times seen her in childhood in the old kitchen o, drowsy summer afternoons. Aud I heard the step, the buzz aud whirf of the spindle and the monotouous and dreary hum of the mouruful wheel. Whether her face Was ashy pale aud looked as if it might crumble at the touch, aud tue border of her white cal tremblcd iu tue June wind that blow, I can not say, for tell you I did NOT see her But l kmoac she was there, spinning yarn that had beeu knit into hose years aud years ago by our fresde. For Was in full possession of my faculties, and never copied more neatly and legibly any manuscript than did that night. Aud there the phantom { I use the word out of dofercuce to public prejudice on this subjuct) most persistently remained until my task was finished, and, closing the port folio, abruptly rose! Did I see anything? That is silly and ignorant question. Could 1 see tue wind which had now risen stronger, and drove few cloud-scuds across the sky, filling the night, somehow, with longing that was not altogether shorn ofrcmiuisccnce?
 In the winter following. in January, I made an effort to give up tho use of tobacco, habit in which I was confirmed, and of which I have nothing more to say than this: that should attribute to it almost all the sin and misery iu the world. did not remem- her that the old Romans attained a very comnendable stato of corruption without the assistance of tue Virginia plant.
 On the night of tue third day of 6y ab- stincnce, rendered more nervous and cxcita- ble than usual by the privation, l retired late aud later still I fell into an uneasy sleep aud thus into dream, vivid, illuminated, moro real thau any svsnt of my life. was at home, aud fell sick. The illness develop ed into fever aud then delirium set in, not an intellectual blank, but misty and most delicious wandering in places of iucon,- parable beauty. learned subsequently that our regular physician was not certain to fin ish me, when a consultation was called, which did the business. I have tho sats- faction of knowing that they were of the proper school. lay sick for three days.
 On the morning of the fourth, at sunrise, I died.
 The sensation was not unpleasant. It was not sudden shock. I passed out of my body as one would walk from the door of his house. There the body laY-a blank so far as was concerned, and ouly interesting to me as l was rather entertained with watching the respect paid to it. My friends stood about the bedside regarding me Gas they seemed to suppose, while I, in differ cut part of the room, could hardly repress a smile at their mistake, solemnized as they were, and 1 too, for that matter, by my re- cent demise. A sensation, (the word you see is inappropriate) of etherialization and pcrvaded mo, and was not sorry to get rid of such dull, slow mass as now perceived myself to be lying there on the bed. When 1 speak of my death, let me be understood to say that there was no change except that passed out of my body and foatcd to the top of bookcase in the corner of the room from which looked down. For moment 1 was interested to see my person from the outside, but thereafter l was quite indifferent to the body. l was now simply soul. 1 seemed to be globe, impulpable, transparent, about six inches in diameter. 1 saw and heard everything as before. Of course matter was no obstacle to me and went easily and quickly wherever I willcd to go. There was none of that te- dious process of communicating my wishes to the nerves, and from them to the muscles simply resolved to be at Q particular place, and 1 was there. It was better than the telegraph.
 It seemed to have been intimatcd to mo at my death (birth half incline to call it, ) that could remain on this earth for four weeks after my decease, during which time l could amuse myself as chose.
 I chose, in the first place, to see myself decently buried, to stay by myself to the last and attend my own funeral for once. As most of those referred to in this true narrative are still living, am forbidden to indulge in personalities, nor shall dare to say exactly how my death affected my friends, even the home circle. Whatever others did, sat up with myself and kept awake. 1 saw the "pennies," used instead of the "quarters' which should have pre- ferred. l saw myself "laid out"-a phrase that has come to have such a slang mean. ing that I smile as 1 write it. When the body was put into the coffin l took my place on the lid.
 I cannot recall all the details, and they are common place besides. The funeral took place at the church. We all rode thithel in carriages, and I, not fancying my place in mine, rode on the outside with the under taker, whom found to be good deal more L.