South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-08-04

forget. l could not but feel selfish salts
! faction in the unmistakable evidence of heI
intense affection l loDged TO comfort her,
but my eyes, which were blankly staring
upward, would not change their expression
nor turn to follow hers.
81 am sorry TO say that there can be
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 Of"
Never mind, Mr.. Sniff Do what you
think proper without consulting me" SAID
my wife, struggling TO suppress her emo
ton, and turning to leave the room.
"Come, Tom; now let's get him in the
ice as soon as possible. It's high time, the
weather is so warm" said sniff In his
natural voice to his assistant.
He approached me, took my nose be-
tween his thumb and finger, lifted my heao
little and deposited it with a slight
thump in an exact perpendicular: de
then closed my eyelids, and retained them
in position by something metallic placed
as weight on each, so that the little had
been able to see was shut from view, and l
was left In utter darkness.
With no very gentle hands was trans
ferred from the temperate zone of my own
parlor to the Arctic regions OF the ice
coffin. Pounded ice was under me,
chunks Office were around me, 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 trst
brought wildly to my mind. l next felt
that / was realizing in my own person
what Gustave Dore has so strikingly de-
picted in his painting Of the frozen re-
gions of hell, where the miserable victims
are twisting their stiffened limbs in endless
contortions among the floating boulders of
ice, always congesliDg but never con-
eealed. Soon a numbness, commencing
in nv fingers and toes, crept gradually up
my arms and legs, until they appeared to
be gone entirely, and was only trunk.
By degrees my body became insensible,
and at last l felt that there was nothing of
me but my head. 1 recognized my exist
ence fully, but it was not in my body
only in that little sphere the head, which
seemed to occupy the entire coffin
1 was now fully satisfied that was
rapidly approaching death. believed
that nv body was already frozen, and
that nv spirit would soon leave the brain,
which seemed to be its last retreating-
place before taking its fight. gave up
all hope, and was endeavoring to prepare
myself for the change which would occur
when the slender thread which held me
to the Uranium 1 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 il 1 were floating in the air
above it, the ice-box in 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 tive-cent nickel.
NY philosophy was now completely
fioored. Whether was dead or alive
could not determine. / still seemed in
some way connected with my own body,
but not an actual occupant of 1t: had
no sensation, and doubted whether should
ever again experience any. had no longer
the dread of suffering which had dlstres. ed
me when / was expecting scientific mutlla-
ton in the waiting room of the station L
even could watch the preparations for my
own funeral with something OF the In
difference of an unconcerned spectator
The undertaken was viewing his nnished
work with apparent satisfaction, and,
gathering up the spoils of his trade, was
preparing to leave the room L dld not
feel entirely satisfied with the familiar
carelessness with which he had manlpu-
lated my body so soon as my wife lett the
room, rolling it about with professional
recklessness and indifference. had
hot fnffunotnlu ord
thought, for old acquaintance sake at
least, he should have shown little CON
sideration for my mortal remains. for
gave him, however, when l afterward
witnessed the scientific manner in which
he displayed to the best advantage my
features in the handsome coffin he had
provided, and the real qualification he ap-
peared to take in seeing his work well
done.
lean only glance at what occurred while
I was waiting for my funeral. I remem-
Der how, during the long night, watched
over my own coffin, linked to, yet appar-
emily separated from, my own body; view
ing my own pale countenance by the dim
", burning gas-light overhead; listening to
the never-ceasing drip, drip" of the water
from the melting ice; observing how the
morning sun again shone cheerfully, but
could not dispel the gloom OF my little
household; how the undertaken busted
himself about my body, unconscious that
he was watched by his late occupant; how
my friends came during the day, viewed
the remains of their late companion, ex-
pressed their sympathies to my wife, and
went away.
must not omit to mention mysterious
nhenomenon which occurred while / was
apparently separated from my body. Dur
ing the day my wife had passed a longer
time than usual without entering theroom
in which was. l felt desire for her
presence. and was wondering how she
could be occupied. While so doing l un-
expectedly found myself by her side in
the room on the second floor where she
was accustomed to spend most of her time.
She was sitting, apparently in sorrowful
meditation, in the easy-chair had so often
seen her occupy, while near her was the
vacant seat usually selected for myself
Her sad, pale countenance did not alter its
expression. and she evidently knew moth
ing of my presence. A dressmaker in the
room, engaged in the preparation OF
mourning apparel, was equally ignorant OF
the presence of third person. l found
that by simple effort of the will l could
come and go as l chose, and during the
day experienced new and unexpected
source of consolation in watching, though
unseen, at my wife's side.
This new power of locomotioD, of which
I accidentally discovered that l was the
possessor, l exercised still farther. My
thoughts at one time reverted to the
scene of the accident upon the Eric
road, and in moment l was
there. The spectators Of two days be
fore had deserted the place, the overturned
engine had been righted and placed on
truck, the fragments of the demolished
cars had been removed from the sight o
passing trains, the waiting-room, my hor
rible prison, was open and unoccupied, ant
only baggage-master and switch tende
were to be seen in the neighborhood.
My thoughts turned to my red -halreC
companion and fellow-sufferer. Will
thinking of him found myself in nea
inland village which 1 had never befor
visited. A modest wooden house, painte'
white and with green venetian blinds
presented itself to my view. Led by som
influence which ! cannot explain, foun
myself inside room which seemed to b
the parlor. There 1 saw a neat coft1r
! with the lid partially removed, bearing o
silver plate the inscription, "Jame
B, aged 35. Died June 18th, IS.
In the coffin was the body of the compaI