The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-02-16
A Strange Story.

Strange Story.
From Letter of the Rev. H. Sirsabaugh's in
the Mason County Journal.
81 knew man in Christ above fourteen years
ago. whether in the body, | cannot tell,
whether out of the body, cannot tell GID
knoweth y such an one caught up to the third
heaven. "-St. Paul.
I have been requested by many persons to
give to the public an account of a very SIN
gular occurrence that occurred recently with
in the bounds of my district. shall give
you names, dates, and facts, allowing your
readers to draw their own differences. and de-
string that anv who may be incredulous as to
the facts may have the privilege of asoer-
tanning their verify, as there are, perhaps,
more than hundred persons in that neigh
borhood who will readily bear witness.
In November, Rev. Joseph n Pershng,
of the Salisbury circuit began series of
meetings at Kellys station. on the West
Pennsylvania railroad, where the Methodists
have small unfinished church and a very
feeble society. A sermon Was preached Que
night and penitents Invited, when a young
lady, Miss Emeline Taylor, daughter Of
Mr.. John Taylor, Of White station, a young
lady Of quiet and amiable disposition, came
forward for prayer. She remained at the al
tar for quite length of time, appearing to
be calm in mind, aud yet earnestly and de-
voutly looking for the mercy of God. About
8 o'clock her prayer seemed to have been an
swered. Her face wore on expression Of
unusual brightness as she. looking upward,
repeated several times with distinct emphasis,
30. that beautiful place ouer Nere." She
became entirely unconscious, aud was carried
to house near by. it being thought unad-
visable to remove her to her fathers house,
this condition she remained for seven days,
in the meantime taking no nourishment what
ever.
On Tuesday she began to speak in low
tone Of voice, and for half an hour told OF
the scenes of another world after which she
remained silent for several hours. She spoke
of having been conducted TO the place Of lost
souls, had heard their wailings of despair
and then conducted to the gates of heaven.
Her description of what she saw and heard
was sesyiyid and transporting that the large
company present wept freely. She spoke ct
these whom she had known who had died,
anu WSIO IGCVSHlnod III oidO III ohlHius-
raiment, with unknown names on their fore
heads She called them over by name, one
after another. including the names of all the
children she had known who had died. with
all those tokens Of surprise and delight that
attend an actual greeting Of long absent
| friends.
| The first of whom she spoke we're two
ministers. One was the Rev. A Fl. Thorn
as, Of the Pttsburg Conference; the sother
was the Rev Mr.. White of the Presbyterian
Church, once the pastor Of the church, at
Salisbury, but who some years before had re-
signed his charge for another in Ohio. He
was not known to any present as deceased, but
upon inquiry it was found that he had died a
| few days before OF this event neither Hiss
Taylor nor any member Of her family had
| heard.
| Persons were recognized there whom she
did not expect to see, while others for whom
she inquirsd she. was informed were not
among that number. Many other things
concerning another world were written down,
and are lying before me, expressed in Ian
gnage most beautiful and appropriate, but
which, if given, would trespass upon the COL
unns Of your paper.
Many expedients were used to restore her
to consciousness. among which were singing
aud animated religious services, but all with
out the desired effects. On. Friday her friends
became very much alarmed, owing to the
| opinions expressed By the physicians that hav7
ing been so long without food she would new
er be restored. The effort was made to give
| her some nourishment, but in vain. She
was asked whether she would ever be able to
rise when she replied MY Saviour has not
yet told me- At different times she had
spoken Of her Saviour as present with her as
her Guide and Instructor. Shortly after this
she told them that her Saviour had just in
formed her that she might return to earth on
Sabbath evening at o'clock. This statement
occasioned joyful surprise to her anxious
friends The father said that should it thus
come to pass he would believe all she would
say concerning the future state.
On Sabbath evening large company of
the neighbors had gathered to learn the Sc
quel. There was no clock in her room nor
any way in which she could mark the flight
of the hours, for her eyes had remained clos
ed from the first. At three minutes before 9
she raised her right hand and waived it as if
giving farewell to persons vanishing 10 the
distance, and then raised her left hand in
like manner, and at precisely 9 o'clock she
opened her eyes, spoke a greeting to her
friends, began praising the Lord, and called
upon those around to join in. her praise for
His great mercy When asked if she was
huns ry she replied that she was not Sc in Tie
least; that she had been Zee with milk and
honey, and, indeed: hcc1s strength was 50 won
derfully renewed that it seemed that she had
been fed by an unseen hand.
FAST Young MEN.-A Boston letter says:
'sThe Rev Henry Morgan has repeated his
lecture on Fast Young Men" twenty-five
times in Boston and is engaged by the dry
goods merchants of the city to deliver it again
for the. benefit Of the clerks, who viii be fur
nished with free tickets He presents two
classes Of fast young men, those who reform
and those who resist every effort made for
their reformation. While paying tribute to
their friends, Mr.. Morgan deplores the vice
ofsuch men as Coeridge, the poet who was
slave to rum; Buns, no less drunkard,
who Eas in a maudlin states when he COM
posed his immortal lines over 'Highland
Marys" grave; Douglas Jerrold, the great
wit. who was a deyotec Of gin Lord Byron,
bo c,,,,a IF IN hocn Iifa yuoc CiO tynnaan5 and