The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-28
The Great Rlaole of the Future.

nc Nfftat hluUle OF the utuI &c
1t is somewhat singular that the nat !
ural longing to penetrate the great secret !
of mortality should not have suggested /
to some of the inquirers into sO-called
" Spiritual manifestations, that, before
attempting to obtain communication
with the dead, through such posr meth
DDS as raps and alpbabets, they might
more properly, and with better hope of
gaining a glimpse through the "gates
sjar," watch closely the dying, and study
the psychological phenomena which &C
company the act of dissolution. Thus, 1t
might be possible to ascertain by com
parison of numerous instances, whether
among those phenomena are any which
seem to indicate that the mind, soul OF
self, of the expiring person is not under
going a process of extinction, but eX-
hibiti-g such tokens as might be an
ticipated were it entering upon a new
phase OF existence, and coming into pos
session of fresh faculties 1t is at least
conceivable that some such indications
might be observed, were we to look for
them with care and caution, under the
rare conditions wherein they could at
any time be afforded; and if this should
prove to be the fact, it is needless to
dialate on the intense interest Of even
such semblance of confirmation of our
hopes.
4 few variations of such observations,
chosen from a great number which have
been communicated to the writer, will
serve 10 show more exactly the point
which it is desired should be established
by q larger concurrence of testimony.
The following are given in the words of a
m "
may be placed
have heard numberless instances Of
dying persons showing Enthusiastically by
their gestures. and sometimes by their
words, that they saw in the moment of
dissolution what could not be seen bv
those around them. On three occasions
facts of this nature came distinctly with
in my own knowledge, and / Will there
fore limit myself to a detail of that
which | can give on my own authority,
although the circumstances were not so
striking as many others known to me,
which I believe to be equally true.
was watching one night beside a
poor man dying OF consumption; his csse
| vas hopeless, but there was no appear
ance of the end being very near he was
! in iull possession of his senses, able to
talk with a strong voice and not in the
least drOwsv. He had slept through the
day and was so wakeful that | bad been
conversng with him on ordinary subjects
to while away the long hours. Suddenly,
while we were thus talking quietly to-
gether, he became silent, and fixed his
ewes on one particular spot in the room,
which was entirely vacant, even of iurni-
| tuye; at the same time a look Of the
| greastest delight changed the whole eX-
/ preston of his face, and after q moment
/ of what seemed TO be intense scruuty of
/ some object invisible TO me, he said 10
| me, in a Joyous tone, There l. Jim
! jim was a little son whom he had lost the
/ year before. and whom had known well,
! but the dying man had son still living,
| named John. for whom we had sent, and
! | concluded it was OF John he was speak
/ ing, and that he thought he heard him
/ arriving so ! answered.
IS No. John has not been able TO
! come
! The man turned to me impatiently
and said: l do not mean John, | know
! he Is not here it IS jim, my little lame
! Jim; surely you remember him
/ 80 Y6e' I said, I remember dear little
| Jim who died last year, quite we'll
/ :'' Don't you see him then9 There he
| is, said the man, pointing to the vacant
| space on which his eyes were fixed; and
when I did not answer, he repeated al
| most fretfully, Don't you see him
| standing there?
II answered thatT could not see him,
/ though | felt perfectly convinced that
something was visible 10 the sick man,
/ which / could not perceive. When |
gave him this answer he seemed quite
amazed. and turned round to look at me
/ with a glance almost of Indignation. As
/ his ewes met mine, ] saw that a film
| seemed to PASS over them, the light OF in
! talligence died away, he gave gentle
/ sigh and expired. He did not live five
minutes from the time he fist said,
/ there is Jim, although there bad been
/ no sign Of approaching death previous TO
/ that moment.
/ "The second case was that of boy
( about fourteen years OF age, dying also
/ OF decline. He was a refined, highly
/ educated child, who throughout his long
/ illness had looked forward with much
/ hope and longing To the unknown life to
! which he believed he was fastening. On
/ a bright summer morning it became eyi-
/ dent that he had reached his last hour.
/ He lost the power of speech, chiefly from
weakness, but he was perfectly sensible,
snd m de his wishes known to us by his
/ intelligent looks He was sitting prop
ped up in bed, and had been looking
/ rather sadly at the bright sunshine play
| ing on the trees outside his open window,
/ for some time. He had turned away
! from this scene, however, and was facing
/ the end of tAe room, where there was
nothing whatever but a closed door
| when all in a moment the whole eX-
! preston Of his face changed to one OF the
most wondering rapture, which made his
! halt-clOsed eyes open to their utmost eX-
| tent, while his lips parted with smile
Of perfect ecstasy; 1t was impossible 70
doubt that some glorious sight was
visible to him, and, from the movement
OF his eyes, it was plain that it was not
one but many objects on which he gazed
for his look passed slowly from end to
| end of what seemed to be the vacant
wall before him, going back and forward
with ever-increasing delight manifested
in his whole aspect. His mother then
asked him if what he saw was some
! wonderful sight beyond the confines Of
this world, to give her token that it was
so, by pressing her hand. He at once
took her hand, and pres ed it meaningly
| giving thereby an intelligent affirmative
to her question, though unable TO speak
As he did so a change passed over hi;
face, his eyes closed, and in a few min
utes he was gone
The third case, which was that of my
own brother, was very similar to thi,
last. He was an elderly man, dying o
a painful disease, but one which never
for a moment obscured his faculties
Although it was known to be incurable
he had been told that he might live some
months, when somewhat suddenly the
| summons came on a dark January morn
| ing. 1t had been seen in the course OIL
the night that he was sinking, but foI
some time he had been perfectly silent
and motionless apparently in a state oil
| stu or; his eyes closed and his breathing
scarcely perceptible. AS the tardy dawn
of a winter morning revealed the rigid
features OF the countenance from which
life and intelligence seemed to have quite
departed, those who watched him felt
| uncertain whether he still lived but
suddenly, while they bent over him tC
ascertain the truth, he opened his eyes
wide, and gazed eagerly upward with
such an unmistakable expression of won
der and Joy, that a thrill of awe passed
| through all who saw it. His whole face
grew bright with n strange gladness
while the eloquent eyes seemed literally
to shine as if rejecting some light OF
which they gaZed he remained in THU