Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-04-11
E5.isa l-..,y. .sLsehely sss.
Brosghi iron psasivs thoagh . hsppy place

the knees. - Q man does when hs eouss
and sits down BY bic own sresids, with bic
ismily round him and In the eyes ,hs,
followed, ous after another. each Of this
family, Who now quietly put away their
several oeeupaiioos. and ross.
Bu, none Of them showed any terror
no, tho slightest. The presence si the hearth
was evidently quito fsmiliar-awating no
shudd,r Of r.pulsioo. no ouibur't Of rs-
nswed gr,si. The sldest daughter ssid-in
n tops ss natur-l ~ " she ~erv merely spol'
osirins TO us hs,erodox OF Indifferent stran.
.ers tor some domestic ceremonial, soms
peculiar form Of family prayer. Tor 10.
stance
lam sure our guests will e1euss us II
No continue. just - u vs were alone. our
usual evening duiss. Which Of us 10 to
speak ,o papa ton'sh,r
IL Was him then summoned hack, how
or Why. or in what form, eorporesi or IN.
oorporesi, I knew not. and they gave no CT.
plana,iou. They evidently thought mono
vas needed that the whole proceeding VAS
as natural as . man coming hous a, evening
to HE own hearth. and being received BY bis
~ifs and children with sdsc,,ons,e familiar
ny.
The widow and tho youngest daughter
placed themselves one on each edo OF the
figure IN the chair. They did DOT embrace
u or touch it. but regarded 10 with tender
r-,-renee. in which Was mingled . certain
sadpe.. but that WAS all. And then they
began to talk to i,. 10 . perfectly composed
ani matier.oi.faet way: - people would
talk to beloved member OF family. who
had been absent for . day or longer from
the home circle.
The daughter told how she had been shop
ping IN town how sbe had bought shawl
and bonnet. OF the color papa used ~ like.
tho books che had broush, homo from the
library. and her opinion oi them the poo
ple she bad met In the street. and the let.
,srs .ho bad received during the day; in
short. oil the ple,san, little chi, chat that u
daughter would naturally pour out TO an
Aaectiooally interested hriHs father bot
which now sounded - unnatural. ~ con-
iemppbly small, such miI'urc OF the 10.
dicruus and the horrible. that one, common
sense. and ones seuss OF the solemn unseen
aliks reeo'led.
40 answer came apparc",ly none vas
expected. The figure maintained its place.
never altering that gentle emile reminding
one Of tss sp~e,rAl sApssl's r.sass 70 .hs
Witch Of Eodor--. Why haI thou d,.qpi.
s,.d m,'' or Of that superior calm with
which. after death. We may rev oil ibc-s
petty th,nes which 90 perplsIoi US once. IN
Ourselves and IN ihose about us.
Then tho widow to'k ~ the tale. With .
rrgr.liul undsr.tone Of eomplsint running
through it. She told HIM how dull she had
been oil day how In the preparations for
these strangers tneanIns my wife and me
how Ne shi'erei q. the eyes Of the figure
moved and rested on us y che had iound
various old letter. OF his. which ,ividly re-
,iVed their happy ~eJloek days; how ye.-
,erday one Of hi' former patients died, aud
to day q profe..orhip, which hs meant TO
have tired for. had been given to q gentle
man. . iavurits pnplI; how his old friends.
Sir A. and SIR u. G. had bad =
quarrel. and everybody said IL would never
have happened had the Doctor been alive
and - on. and 80 on. To all Of which the
figure listened with its immo,able silence
IL. settled chAngele-s emile.
Ny wife and uttered not word We
sat apart, spell bound. iascin Ited. neither
attempting to interfere. nor question. nor
rebuke. The whole prCcceding va, 50 en-.
t,rsly beyond ihs pale Of rational eau.e and
effect. that il seemed 10 throw Ne INTO o
perfectly Abnormal condition. IN which ws
werc unable TO juge. or investigate. or 60.
cape from. the circumstances which eur.
rounded No.
We know poihins-sbsolutcly nothing
except tho very little that Revelation hints
at. rather than directly teaches. Of the
world beyond the grave. Bot any ono Of
us Who hss ever seen . fellow creature die,
has watched the exact instant when the
awful change takes place which converts the
body with . soul to the corpse without o
soui. must feel c~rtain-eon,ineet BY On In.
tuition which !. stronger than s!! reasoning
that " the life beyond, to which that soul
departs, be anything. II must be . very dif.
ferent life from this with nobler aspira-
tion.. higher du,lrs, purer affections. The
common phrsse breathed over 90 many
peaceful dead faca. would not br'ns him
back again II could has significance,
instructive a. true ruer than all m'ssy.
philosophical spccolsiions. tsndsrer than oil
the vasar,s, Of fond 'pirilusl''s. With big
hearts and no head worth mentioning. II
ever I bad doabtsd this. my doubts would
have been removed by the eight which here
dep,c,--oi thi. good. amiable, deeply be-
loved husband and iAiher--re,urping in 'is-
,bls form to HE own freside; no ghastly
spectre. bus IN sppari,ion iull OF mildness
and beauty. yet communicating . ssnss OF
revolving ineongruiiy. utter un-spe,ity. and
ridiculous. degrading con,ras, bet~son NOR
cal and immortal, spiris in the assh. and
spirit out Of the aesh, stronger than can
a,tsup, to describe.
That the dead man's family did not issl