The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-01-10
ALMOST BURIED ALIVE.

The St. Joseph (Mo.) Herald of Deem
Der 25th, relates the following strange
story: In the northern part of the city
lives carpenter, with his family, who are
natives of France, and have been i'll this
country about eight years. One of their
children is little girl named Mary, and
the subject of this singular story. The
child was born in Paris, and was eleven
years old on the Goth of June last. She
speaks French, German, and English flu
emily, and in conversation exhibits an un-
common intensity of mental action and
vivdness of mental vision. She is fair
complexioned and very beautiful, with
lustrous eyes, sunny hair, and look Of
spiritual maturity in her countenance.-
She has sometimes said that she could see
the forms of persons who have died, and
as her sincerity could not be doubted, this
occasoned some alarm in the minds of her
parents.
"The health of the child has not been
good for several months, and on Saturday
morning, three weeks ago, she startled her
mother by saying that she could see her
dead sister Louise, who come near her in
an angel form and spoke to her, telling her
that she would make her we'll so that she
would never be sick any more. Her moth
er tried to persuade her to dismiss the sub
iect from her mind, but she could not stop
talking, and continued describing her
spirit-sister, saying that she was standing
near, dressed in pure white, her face bright
and shining, her hair illumined with silver
light, and golden dew drops dripping from
her wings. She could also see her dead
brother, who came close to her sisters side
While talking her strength gave way, and
she sank away as in death.
The worst forebodings of the parents
had been realized, and they prepared the
body for burial. No physician was called,
as they supposed that death had already
fallen upon their child. 1t was about ten
in the morning when the apparent death
occurred. The body was kept till Sunday
afternoon about four o'clock, nearly thirty
hours, during which time no signs of re-
turning life had been noticed. The final
look at the remains was taken, the coffin
was sealed up and placed i'll the hearse,
and the little cortege started for the grave,
the parents following the hearse in a car
riage.
After proceeding some distance the quick
ear of the saddened mother caught the
echo of familiar cry, and she gave ex-
preston to her suspicion that it came from
the coffin of her child. Her suspicion was
overruled, but in few moments second
cry was heard, and in compliance with the
wishes of the mother the hearse was stop
ped and the coffin drawn out The strug-
giles of what was supposed to be the life
less body could now be plainly heard. The
coffin was quickly opened and the child
found to he alive, to the amazement and
unspeakable delight of the parents. In
her struggles she had nearly torn from her
self her death robes. She says that while
others thought her dead she could feel
their touch and hear distinctly all that was
said, but could not move single muscle
or make the slightest sign. She knew
when they dressed her for the coffin, when
she was laid in it, and heard the terrible
lid fastened down, but could not make a
motion, and was utterly powerless until
the hearse had gone some distance, when
the physical forces were probably set in
motion again by the motion of the vehicle.