The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1875-11-06
THE MYSTERY OF DEATH.

A prominent official, or rather a man
who had once been prominent, passed
out of this life the other day. The ply
stefan who attended him, in describing
to me the painful scenes attendant upon
his death bed, said 81 have witnessed
in the long experience of my life man,
deaths, but the great mystery OF death
only grows upon me as the years al
vance, He then went on TO TAX OF
how the average man meets death. lie
said that in the majority OF cases, where
men in dying have physicians in at
tendance, they pass out of life without
being conscious of the great change.
They are stupefied by narcotics given
them to dull pain, and die the death OF
brutes, as this physician says, instead
of like men. This medical authority
has an idea that the first moment OF
death comes like the period of dropping
off to sleep, the sleeper no knowing
when it comes. He has often expert
mented with a handkerchief to see if he
could ascertain the exact period when
he would fall asleep. This he would
attempt to do by lying down with a
handkerchief in his hand, trusting thai
when the moment came the relaxation
of his hand in dropping the handker-
chief would tell him the exact moment
when he lost consciousness But heal
ways failed in the experiment.
A REMARKABLE pEATH-BED SCENE.
In speaking upon this subject OF
death he described a most remarkable
death-bed scene, which he witnessed
upon the outskirts of Washington.
The hero of this occasion was a poor
F%renchman, who worked as an ostler
for a small innkeeper, who kept a house
where hucksters and countrymen found
a simple fare and low prices to SUI
them. This Frenchman lived in n very
small house near the inn. He was mar
ried, and with an income of SO
month he and his wife managed to live
in what they considered comfort. Tie
had, however, the use of a small patel
Of land, the products of which enabled
him to exc out his very moderate IN
come. The time came, after seVera
years of his humble life, that the hus
band could no more 90 to his work. z
disease of the kidneys, long neglected
seized upon him with a savage hold, So
that in a few short days death cam
near. The physician that was calle'
was surprised to find this poor ma
possessing a culture far above the ord
nary. The French o%stler, working 10
the humble pittance of SO a month
had in his library well-thumbed work
OF the best French writers. Racine
Corneille, Moliere, Balzae, and Voitair
were the daily companions of this hum
BILE foreigner.
The physician soon saw that ther
was no room for his art there, ths
death could not be averted; but he Oh
not mention this to the sick man. Ii
gave him a potion to make him sleeI
and for the time being left him to III
care of his young wife, who nursed ht
husband as tenderly as if he was a chi
and not a full-grown man. 49,,
A week or so after the first call IN
physician visited the Frenchman's mt
house in the evening. 1t was ate
The fall, and the cool nights had cause
the wife to build a cheerful fire in u
open fireplace in the main room OF u
house. The Frenchman was found s.
ing in a large easy-chair in front OF Il
hre. His countenance had upon 1t
unusually lively expression. He pla
fully called his wife Marie to him, as
chaited with the physician, and ev'
made her sit upon his lap, althou!
such an exertion made him tremble In
leaf. After an hours chat upon maj
matters, during which the Frenchm.
never appeared mentally clearer,
more to an advantage, he sudden
checked the talk by saying: "Mytl
mas come. WIN you please help me
the bed?'i
The physician FASTENED to his a