Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1867-11-14

was the first to 60, Hewas believer
in the Immortality Of the soul, and
the identity Of the spirit with that oc-
cupying the mortal tenement. Oh
course we made our arrangements fol
watching the corpse according to our
compact but without the slightest
hope Of ever seeing another spark OF
life in that loved form.
1t was on the second night after the
death of Hofer, that Carl and l were
sitting in an adjoining apartment, con
versing about the deceased and his re-
ligious belief We had attached o
small eordto the fingers of the corpse,
and connected it with little bell close
to us, 50 that we could be warned Of
any movement, without being obliged
to remain beside the body, which, for
various reasons, would not be agreea-
BILE to us.
"lf Adolph's IDEAS in regard to a
future state are correct" observed
Carl, "there is no certainty that he
may not now be with us, even in this
ROOM z !a q ..t. .bl1aua
"Yes,' returned I, eff they are cor
rect, which ] do not believe. When a
man is dead he is dead, at least as far
as this world is concerned
cit may fairly be presumed they
are based on facts when they can not
be reasonably controverted. If man
exists after death as a rowing spirit
give me some evidence of it, and then
ask m9to. believe Fl. Y.
Sand what about ghosts2" said
Carl, who was both skeptical and su.
perstitious--and he glanced furtively
and timidly around the room as he
spoke, as if he had expected to en-
counter some fearful apparition.
"Bah t" exclaimed l, contemptuous-
ly; "you know my opinion of ghosts
and hobgoblins--that they have no
existence, except in the brains Of
timid FOOLS"
At this moment we heard, or rather
fancied we heard, a strange noise in
the adjoining apartment. 81 nj
"What was it?" inquired Carl, in a
timid whisper. % T
Nothing" replied l, rousing my
self, with full determination to shake
off what l believed to be foolish
fancy. HAre we men, or children, to
get frightened at the noise of a rat?"
"Hushl harkl I hear something
STILL" whispered Carl, now fairly
trembling with fear.
"Thon if there is any thing, we
must know what it is" said I, as 1
rose and took up the light for the pur-
pose Of going to look at the corpse
"Will you accompany me, or shall l
go alone?" 3A'-- a" -'"
Carl Heilsten slowly and steadily
arose, as one who felt called to per
form a fearful duty; but he had
scarcely got upon his feet when the
little bell connected with the dead
was rung violently.
My nervous system never received
such q shock before nor since. 1t
seemed for a moment as if | was par.
alyzed. The light dropped from my
hands and was extinguished, and
great beads Of perspiration stood all
over me. But I remained inactive
only for the time for one to count ten.
Reasoning that my friend had come
to life and needed my immediate
assistance, | hastily procured another
light, and merely glancing at Carl,
who had fallen back on his seat, white
and helpless with his sudden fright, /
rushed into the apartment of the
corpse, expecting to find Adolph liv-
ing, if not actually sitting up or stand
ing. % lasnsaas1 9a@ tdI
To my utter astonishment, however,
found only the dead form of my
iend-cold, rigid, motionlessl There
was such an infexible look on, the
features, that 1 could not believe there
was a single spark of life in the body,
and q close examination of the lips
and heart proved that there was none,
in reality. And yet the hands had