The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-05-04
"ONCEs A MAN AND TWICE
....e. CHILD"

Sargent:
"The departure ofmy dear old friend
Henrietta Sargent has naturally revived
in my mind many memories connected
with our intercourse. Some of them re-
late'psychoingic sufficiently curious
to be worthy of record.
Her mother, a woman of fine physical
organization, lived to an advanced age
and daring the latter part of her healthy
life fcllinto state of dotage. For five
years she required the same cares that
are necessarily bestowed upon babe ;
and during all that long period the pa
tient watchfulness and tender devotion
of Henrietta and her sister, g Catherine,
were beautiful TO witness. The circum-
stances Of her progressive imbeclity were
very Singular and often rendered her
extremely difficult to manage. Step by
step she lived backward through all the
antecedent periods Of her life, with
vividness Of impression that rendered
them perfect reality to herself, to the
entire exclusion of all later epochs and
each of these successive states would con-
tinue for months. Her husband had
been dead many years, but she was pos
sessed by the idea that they were recent
ly married Every day she expected him
home at given hour, and insisted upon
having a plate set for him. At every
sound Of the door bell she would say
There! He has come. Tell them toI
serve up the dinner His non appear
ance often made her very restless. He
is such a punctual man, something must
have happened to him." she would say.
Sometimes she would talk over affairs
i 70 yba,, haj
came hOme-affairs long since forgotten
by every one To that bridal hallucina
ton succeeded acting over again the
tending of her babies Later, she lived
in the midst Of her grownup sons, and
was preparing for the weddings of her
daughters. The panorama of memory
kept moving on. After while, husband
and children passed out of sight Her
spirit went away from Boston entirely,
and took up its abode on the south shore
of Massachusetts,, where she resided In
her giflhood The house where her
body was, seemed to her to be the house
where she had lived with her mother.
Then she receded into childhood and was
studying her lessons for school. She es-
pecially occupied herself with her young
er brother. She laid by cakes and can
dy for him, and made divers satcheis for
his book. Early in the morning she
would inquire, Are Benny's face and
hands washed? Where are his cap and
comforter +? He mustn't be late at schrol
That also passed away and she became
little child, at her mothers knee, call
ing for stories of Jack and Gill and
little Boy Blue She did not know the
daughters who. were tending upon her
with such assiduous care, and when they
read to her the stories she would laugh
in the most infantie way and ask to see
the pictures Those lite nursery books
would sometimes keep her quietly
amused for hours Thus the flame of life
fickcred lower and lower, and at last
went out. / saw her several times during
these successive retrogade stages of her
life, and the completeness with which she.
lived in them for the time was marvel
to nue.
"Some years before she began to slide
into the abnormal state [ have described,
she had a singular experience One
morning she spoke of not feeling so we'll
as usual, but it was regarded by herself
and others merely slight deviation from
her customary good health. But in the
course of the day she suddenly tainted
away. AS the usual restoratives produc
ed no effect, the family physician was
summoned. No better success attended
his efforts. The breath appeared to be en-
tirely suspended, and the limbs remained
rigid and cold Her daughters feared
she must be dead, and the doctor began
to be doubtful whether animation would
ever be restored. How long she contin.
ued in this state | do not remember But
while they were Waiting her with ever,
deepening anxiety, she gasped feebly
and after while opened her eyes. When
she had completely recovered, she told
her daughters she had been standing by
them all the time. looking upon her life
less body, and seeing all they did to
resuscitate it; and she astonished them
by repeating the minutest details of all
that had been said or done by them, OF
the doctor, during her prolonged state
Of utter insensible."
A story is told OF certain Wisconsin
editor which is so characteristic that W.
cannot let it die unheeded.-The editor in
question experienced a change of heart
was converted and decided to unite with
the church. Accordinly On Monday
morning, when he entered the office, hi
issued an order. requiring all of his EN-
ploycs, men, boys and al. 10 aDpca
forthwith in the editeritI >;,Octnu a:
ter getting them ranged in order IL. pr
ceeded to explain his changed feeling {
follows: Boys. have got religion.
have been considering the evil Of anyway
and have resolved to live new life
want you all to help me. don't want t
hear another I'D bit of swearing il
the Office, l won't have it. am goin,
To run this rnachina To the rlnr-r of God