The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-28

AlCA DCN ILCAC AuliS Oy c0dHCC d llA4hG VI
the lost sheep, and Mary s., looking
at 1t one day, said to me, " That Is just
what L was, and what happened to me;
but am being brought safe home now"
For long time before her death, her
weakness was such that she was quite
incapable of lifting herself up in bed, or
OF supporting when lifted, and she,
of course, continued to lie with her head
on the pillow while life gradually ebbed
away, and she seemingly became nearly
unconscious, In this state she had been
lett one Saturday night by the nurse in
attendance. Early at dawn next morn
ing gan Easter morning, as 1t Glanced
the poor old woman who occupied the
other beds in the ward were startled from
theil sleep by seeing Mary S--sud-
denly spring up to a sitting posture in
her bCi, with her arms Ontstretched gTd
her face raised, as if in perfect rapture
of JOY and welcome. The next instant
the body Of the poor girl tell back
corpse. Her death had taken place in
that moment OF mysterious ecstasy.
In yet another case / am told that at
the last moment so bright light seemed
suddenly to shine from the face OF a dying
man, that the clergyman and another
friend who were attending him actually
turned simultaneously to the window to
seek for the cause.
Another incident of very striking
character occurred in well known fam
lily, one OF whose members narrated 1t to
me. A dying lady, exhibiting the aspect
OF joyful surprise TO which we have so
often referred spoke Of seeing, one after
another, three of her brothers who had
long been dead, and then apparently
recognized, last of all, a fourth brother,
who was believed by the bystandel3 to
be still living in India. The coupling of
his name with that ofhis dead brothers,
ecited such awe and horror in the mind of
one of the persons present that she rushed
half-senseless from the room. In due
courSof time letters were recSye d
announcing the death OF the brother in
India, which had occurred some time
before his dying sister seemed to rec
ognize him.
Again, in another case, gentleman
who had lost his only son some years
previously, and who had never recovered
the affecting event, exclaimed suddenly,
when dying, with the air of 3 man max
/ ing a most raptupus discovery. ! see
/ him | see him ~
Not to multiply such anecdotes too
/ Ear-anecdotes which certainly possess a
uniformity pointing 10 some similar
/ cause, whether that cause be physiOipg
/ zeal or psychical---l will nov conclude
/ with one authenticated by a near rela
/ tive of the persons concerned. 4 late
/ well-known bishop was commonly called
/ bv his sisters Charlie and his eldest
sister Aore the pet name of 50 Liz. a. hey
/ had both been dead for some years when
/ their Younger sisters, MIS-. W, also
/ died. but before her death appeared TO
/ behold them both. While lying still
/ and apparently unconscious She suddenly
! opcned her ewes and looked earnestly
across the room, as if she saw some one
entering. Presently as if overioyed, she
/ exclaimed. 80 Charlie!' and then, after
a moments pause, with q new start OF
/ delight. as if he had been Joined by some
/ one else. she went on, And Liz and then
/ added GLOW beautiful you arel' After
seeming to gaze at the two beloved forms
fer few minutes, she fell back On the
/ pillow and died.
Instances Ike these might, I believe,
be almost indefinitely multiplied were
attention directed 10 them, and the ex-
perience of survivors more generally
COMMUNICATING recorded. Reviewing
them. the auction seems to press upon
US why should we not thus catch q
/ glimpse of the spiritual world through
/ that halfopen portal wherein our dying
/ brother is passing? If the soul of man
/ exists at all alter the extinction of the
/ life of the boy, what Is more probable
than that it aould begin, at the very
instant the vii Of the flesh IS dropping
/ off, to exercise those spiritual powers Of
perception, which we must suppose it 10
/ possess (else Were its whole alter life a
/ blank, and tObecome conscious of other
things than hose Of which our dim
/ senses can takecogAAnce ? If it be not
destined to an of solitude Can
/ absurd hypothesis Rture companions
NAV well be reco1uiz5d at once, even a.
f. it goes forth tc meet them. 1t seems in
deed almost athing TO be expected, that
some of them hould be ready waiting TO
welcome it OF the threshold. Is there
not. then. a title margin for hope--ii
not TOR any confident belief---that our
fondest antiopatious will be verified
nav, that the actual experience of not q
few has verified them May it not be
that when TINT hour comes for each OIL
Us which we lave been won't to dread as
one of parting and sorrow
The long last farewell on the shore
OF this underworld,
/ ere we "put off into the unknown dark, d
we may find that we only leave, for &
little time, the friends of earth, to o,
straight to the embrace of those who
have long been waiting for Us to make
perfect for them the nobler life beyond
the grave? May it not be that our very
first dawniDg sense Of that enfranchiseC
existence will be the rapture of reunion
with the beloved ones, whom we have
meurned as lost, but who have beer
standing near, waiting longingly for Ou1
recognition, rs q mother may watch be
side the bed of 4 fever-striken child til
reason reilIumines its eyes, ard with out
stretched arms it cries, Mother?
There are some, alas, 10 whom it mus
be very dreadful to think of thus meeting
on the threshold Of eternity, the wronged
the deceived, the tJrsaken, but for mos
of Us, God be thanked, no dream of celes
tial' glory has halt the ecstasy. OF the
thought that in dying we may meet-apC
meet al once, before we have had mo
ment TO feel the awful loneliness of dealt
the parent, wife, husband, child, frienC
of our life, soul of our soul, whom w
consigned long ago with breaking heart
TO the grave. Their 4" beautiful" form
as that dying lady beheld her brothe
and sister enteringOur chamber, stand
ing beside our bed Of death, and come t
reioin us forever-what words can tel
the happiness of such a vision 1t ma.
be awaiting us all. There is even, per
haps, a certain probability that it is &C
tually the natural destiny of the human
soul, and that the affections, which alon
of earthly things can survive dissolution
will. like magnets, draw the beloved an'
loving spirits of the dead around tn
diving. / can see no reason why "
sfsuId not indulge so ineffably blessed
hope. But, even if it be a dream, tn
faith remains, built on no such evanescen
and shadowy foundation, that there i
One Friend-and He the best-zin who's
a, ms we shall surely fall aisle p and T.
whose love we may trust for the reunion
sooner or later, of the severed links Q
sacred human affection.-Ne'g Qtorterl
ReUielC.
The Religions of the World.
VIII you be kind enough to let u
know through the Sun which church ha
the largest membership in the world
Are there more Catholics in the worl
than non Catholics of all kinds? Sey
eral boys here are more than anxious 70
IL.