Mower County transcript., 1871-08-10

drcn gAzcd, Some with curiosity, but most
with compassion, upon my apparently
liicless form us it passed by to tho baggage
car
Tho door of the Cur was closed, and
again was alone, surrounded by dead
bodics. The whistle sounded, and the
train WAS soon speeding its way over the
track | had traverscd in the morning.
Approaching twilight gradually rendered
indistinct the objects around me until com
rlcte darkness shut from view my hiacous
surroundings, except when they were rem
tlcrcd visible for 4 moment by a flash OF
light from some station rs we hurried past.
Thoroughly exhausted by the intense
mental excitement Of which | had been
the subject, tried to compose myself and
gain nerve for any new emergency.
think must have become insenslble
from sleep, for l remember nothing more
that occurred until be; anne conscious OF
seeing before my eyes the familiar walls
of the CUzy back parlor Oi my own house.
The bright ligh, cf day was streaming in
at the window, The canary was chirping in
his cage, and the room was rs cheerful as
ever. How l had reached my home, oI
how long had been unconscious, l could
not determine. Still, could not move a
All&bClCs ACfblu III Ill AlC CthVCAShtlVA Ill
low tones, and soft footsteps. My wife
and tho undertaken were in the room.
could not sec them, for my face was turned
directly upward. gathered from the few
words Of the undertaken that he was OK
planning to my wife the necessity for put
ting my body in ice.
~ wish it could he avoided if possible
l cannot believe that he is dead "
Tht, vOirl that nf INV wife. h11f sad
and tremulOus A moment after saw her
face bending over mine ~ l was lying
upon the sofa The look of hopeless
wrctchedness and sorrowful tenderness
depicted on her cOuntenance can never
forget. could not but feel u selfish salts
faction in the unmistakable evidence of her
intense affection. lol ged to comfort her,
but my eyes, which were blankly staring
upward, would not change their expression
nor turn to follow hers
IL am sorry to say that there can he
no doubt that your husband is dead, "
said the undertaken with his professional
whine. "They often have that lively
color. I remember once when l had
charge Of the funeral off,
"Never mind, Mr.. Sniff Do what J ou
think proper without consulting me- said
my wife, struggling to suppress her emo
tinn, and turning to leave the room.
"Come, Tom; now let's get him in the
ice as soon MS possible. It's high Time, the
weather is SO warm,' said Sniff in his
natural voice to lis assistant.
He approached me, took my nose be-
tween his thumb and finger, lifted my head
a little and deposited it with a slight
thump in an exact perpendicular. He
then closed my cyelids, and retained them
in position by something metallic placed
as weight on each, so that the little had
been able to sec was smut from view, and |
was left in utter darkness.
With no very gentle hands was trans
fcrrcu from the temperate zone ofmy OWN
parlor to- the Arctic regions Of tue ice
coffin. Pounded ice WAS uudcr NC,
chunks oficc were around mo, huge blocks
OF ice were over me. A "Reminiscences of
my early boyhood, when, heated by the
exercise Of skating, l plunged directly
into an open hole in the ice pond, was first
brought wildly to my mlDd. | next felt
that l was realizing in my own person
what Gustavc DOrc has 50 strikingly de-
pictcd in his painting of the frozen re-
gions OF hell, where the miserable victims
arc twisting their stitfencd limbs in endless
contortions among the tl,a,iug bould.'rs Of
ice, always congealiDg but never con.
gcaled Soon a numbncss, commencing
in my fingers and toes, crcpt gradually up
my arms aud legs, until they appeared to
be gone entirely, aud was only trunk.
By degrees my body became inscnsible,
and at last | felt that there was nothing of
me but my head. recognized my exist
only in that little sphere the head, which
Ed NnI}t tN Inv thu s.y,t;
/ was now fully satisfied tnat I was
rapidly approaching death believed
that my body was already frozen, and
which seemed to be its last rctrta.tiDg-
place before taking its flight. l gave up
all hope, and was cndeavoring to prepare
myself for the change which would occur
when the slender thread which held me
to the cranium l inhabited should be
broken.
While so waiting, by some process
which can neither explain nor account
for, suddenly saw distinctly all that was
In the room in which my body was lying.
More than this, saw, apparently just be-
low me, as if were floating in the air
above 1t, the box iu which my body
was lying, and in it. my own body. There
it lay, covered with ice, my pale face look
ing directly upward, my eyelids closed,
and on each of them flve-c cent nickel
My philosophy was now completely
flo"rcd. Whether l was d. ad or alive
could not determine. still seemed in |
some way connected with my own body, !
but not All actual occupant of it. had
no sensation, and doubted whether should
ever again experience any. had no longer
the dread of suffering which had distres cd
me when was expecting scie ntitic mutila-
tion in tho waiting room of tho station.
even could watch the preparations for my
own fun' raj with something of the in
difference of an unconcnrncd spectator
The undertaken was viewing his finished
work with apparent satisfaction, and,
gathering up the spoils OF his trade, was
to leave the room. did not
feel entirely satisfied with the familiar
with which he had mapipu-
lated my body 80 soon as my wife left the !
room, rolling it about with professional
recklessness and indifference. | had
known Sni't somewhat intimately, and
for old acquaintance sake at
least, he should have shown q little con
sidcralion Tor my mortal remains for.
gave him, howcv,r, wh"n attcrward
Witnessed the scientific manner in which
he displayed to the best advantage my
features III the handsome coffin hG had
provided, and the real qualification he ap
peared 10 take in seeing his work well
done.
l can only glance at what occurred while
was waiting for my funeral. [ rcmcm-
her how, during the long night, watched
over my own coffin, linked to, yet appar-
emily separated from, my own body; view.
Ing nv own pale cOuntenancc nv the dim.
ly burning gas-light overhead listening to
the ncycr,ccasine drip, drip of the water
from the melting ice observing how the
could not dispcl The gloom Of my little
household; how the undertaken busicd
himself about my body, unconscious that
he was watched by his late o O:cupant how
my friends came during the day, viewed
the remains of their late co1nanion, cx
pressed their sympathies to my wife, and
went away.
l must not omit t" mention mysterious
phenomenon which occurred while / was
apparently sepnaie'l from my body. Dur
ing the day my wife had passed longer
time than usual without entering the room
presence and was wondering how she
coulu be occupied. While so doing | un-
exiMctedly found myself by her side in
Was accustomed to spend most Of her time
She wis sitting, apparently in sorrowful
meditation, in tho easy chair had 30 often
vacant seat usually selected for myself
expression, and she evidently knew moth
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