The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-05-29

ly awake. | have now been awake for about
thirteen hours. in the course of another hree
hours shall retire to rest; slight change
will take place in the circulation, and sleep
will ensue; and when sufficient exctability
has accumulated to sustain another days toll,
/ shall awake again. Now, am not only un-
conscious of the time when l go to sleep, but
may be burned to death without ever waking
at all. This often happens to people in cases
of fire, or to those sleeping upon lime kilns,
when the limbs are burnt from the body with
out the sleeper ever being conscious of what
was taking place. As therefore person can
not go to sleep in pain no more can they die
in pain; the one event being as impossible as
the other, and for the same reason.
We may remark further, that this painless
ness of dea tn is the result of physical causes,
and altogether independent OF moral quail
tications. Shakespeare, who is always true to
nature, represents the death of boasting' cheat
ing, guzzling old Falstaff as calm and peaceful
Nay sure he's not in hell" says Dame
Quickly hes in Arthurs bosom, if ever a
man went to Arthur's bosom. "A made a
finer end, and went away an it had been any
christom child; "a parted even just between
twelve and one; cen at turning of the tide;
for after saw him tumble with the sheets,
and play with the flowers and smile at his
fingers ends, / knew that there was but one
way;for his nose was as sharp as pen, and "a
babbled of green fields" Henry V. Scene Ill.
A still more positive proof of the painless
ness of death may, If you seek it be found in
the experience of those who, after being rem
dered insensible, and apparently dead, have
been resuscitated OF these cases we have an
abundance. Some have been hung, others
drowned, and others sufTocated for the want
OF air; but the experience is much the same
in every instance. There was ONE keen sensa-
tion OF pain, one moment Of vivid memory, as
though the whole life had been restored. sue
ceeded by series of pleasing sensations; but
the consciousness OF existence was never lost,
and the person who had been hung amidst the
yells and infamy of public execution, or en-
gulphed in the boiling surges of the sea, was.
until restored to actual life, surrounded by
beautiful scenery, and in a state of Tranquil
bliss the whole of the suffering encountered
being scarcely more than the extracting of
tooth. We have abundant testimony that it is
the case even when muscular contortions
might lead us to infer the contrary; for, as
person in convulsive fits is perfectly free from
pain, so the spasmodic contortions sometimes
observed in dying people are no indication of
the conscious sensations of the subject; they
are mere resources of nature to retain her vi
tality. In the last moments of our existence,
nature deals gently with US, and lays no bur-
den upon the soul as it makes its exit from the
body. We came unconsciously into existence.
and found kind friends around. who rejoiced
at our advent, and mothers arms and heart
ready TO receive us and as we make our exit
from the stage of life, its cares and troubles,
which have often pressed heavily upon us, are
gently removed; we pass onward to our new
home. and angel friends, more kind and benef-
cent than we of earth can ever be, wait our
spiritual birth. and rejoice that another i'm
mortal is added to their number.
DIR. JOHN MILL.