The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-11-02

ylous to my escape, the poor fellows per
ishGl Of the rate Of four hundred PEI
week, q rate oil mortality not Cquallet
even at AndGrsonvlllc. Had this contin
ued, only twenty-five weeks would havI
been needed to destroy the entire number
but before that time the weather moder
atcd aud tho long interrupted exchange
was resumed. What were called TIT
hospltalS-scRrcely better than plgstles-
would not hold one.slxth Of the sick. NY
coHfrere Of the Tribune and myself having
been placed In charge Of these wretcAeC
lazar-houses, we were brought into i'm
mediate aud constant contact with suffer,
ing and death In every repulsiye shape
Having some knowledge OF medicine,
performed the part Of an amateur physi
clan for lack Of better. Spending much
Of the time In the hospitals, and crawling
into the holes the soldiers had dug In thu
ground 10 protect themselves from thI
bleak winds, for the purpose Of visiting
my unfortunate patients, I saw more clear
ly than ever how readily men resign
themselves to decease.
The prisoners generally represented
the average understanding and intelll.
gence Of the North. Most Of them were
from the small towns and agricultural
regions, especially Of New England,
where the spirit Of skepticism seldom
penetrates, and where men usually run In
the groove cut by their circumstances.
had expected that, trained as they had
been, they would cvince the effect Of
their training In certain theologic hor.
ror OF death, but ! was greatly disap-
pointed. must have seen from ten to
twelve in dying condition daily for two
months, and cannot remember that Il
single one Of the poor fellows manifested
the least fear Of tho end he knew to be
inevitable.
! found tho experience repeated which
| had had elsewhere. Tho men about 10
die looked backward, not forward; were
concerned with what lie had given them,
not what death might bring. They
thought Of ther mothers, wives, sweet
hearts, friends; had triles or messages to
leave for them; referred to some pleasant
past; were touched by tender memories,
instead Of being haunted by fears or op.
posed by sOliCitude for the future. The
commoneSt and CoArsest soldiers were
and refined rs they approach.
ed the terminus Of their weary journey,
and spoke as ifa new spirit had possessed
them. remembered Swedenborg's idea
that the good angels take charge Of the
dying, enter into them and lead them
cheerlully and joyously away. The
vision Of death is no grim spectre, US has
been portrayed; it is miId.eyed phantom
rather; benignant in seeming, suggestive
Of consolation. They who have 6ehell ii
and come back will tell you so, and they
who have beheld it and no! returned
have lett evidence Of such denoting. II
Lite be II cynic, us he is ottln forced TO be,
Death Is q sentimentalist. suItentng and
sweeteniug many and ucrid natures TO
whom he comes.
Most persons seem anxious 10 know il
they are going to die-not because they
wish TO make psyChical preparations, but
that they may arrange their material at.
iairs, give final directions Tor the disposal
Of their effects or their remains Again
aud again have been asked BY the vast.
ed wretcheS in prison: "Do you think I'm
L gone case, doctor: I'm not afraid 10
die, but l want 10 know"
II l had reason TO believe-and al.
most always habitat such knowledge
would not weigh against them In the
aelicately adjusted scales of being and
not being, gave my opinion frankly.
When l said, "l'm afraid there is very lit.
tie chance for your recovery" Gr"lf you
wish to make my arrangements should
the worst come TO the worst" observed
that such discouraging phrases were re.
ceived almost uniformly with Calmness,
and. so Frequently with the repeated
declaration, II am not afraid to die p that
came TO regard that as the expression
and protest OF nature and reason against
and superstition.
have found, particularly at Salisbury,
that material comfort Is the thing lOnged
Tor by the dying. In their last hours men
and women want physical rest and ease
above aught else; and l have known in
stances in which the replies Of persons
near their dissolution were in such sharp
contrast to inquiries made to them as 10
become perfectly grotesque.
was present when I'm acquaintance,
having been struck in the street by u fall
ing chimney, was carried home in a dy.
Ing state. AS soon as he recovered con.
sciousness, his wife, half frantic with ter.
ror, leaned over the sofa on which he lay,
and said: "0h, my darling, doyOu really
love me?" The response was :: Yes, Il
you will pull of my boots" and these
were his last words. A gentleman, long
i'll Of wasting fever, had reached that
condition Of rest which generally heralds
the great transformation. His betrothed,
who had devOtedly nursed him, said :
Dearest, do you die happy" l should"
was the answer, III that internal fly
wouldn't bother me-" and spoke no more.
wouldn't you like 10 see your father? =
inquired doting mother Of her only son,
as his life was ebbing fast. "OE course l
should, but I'd rather have my face wash.
ed" Such words, apparently harsh and
unfeeling, came from persons of natural
hcustplhtJ huN tCuuGluenS1 uGCaus6 III
their dying hours the desire for material
comfort often crowds out every other con
sideration.
In certain organizations, much less
courage is demanded to die than to do OF
dare. They who will fly in terror from
actual or seeming peril, will resign life
without tremor.
Iretain vivid memory of q soldier al
Salisbury, who was generally Stunned by
the members OF his regiment Tor the
cowardice he had shown in different &c
tions. lie had not been in prison more
than q fortnight when he applied to me
for admission TO the hospital, and I per-
ceivod at once that his days were mum
bered. Though uneducated, he was nat
urally intelligent, considerable and gener-
Gus. had heard him denounced so much
for his pusillanimlty, that l felt sorry fol
him, knowing that really kind.heartet
and estimablc men may sometimes bt
a a -