The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-11-27

talking IN her sleep suggested, or
it may be that the man is not dead
after ALL
No, | have looked to botb,' be
replied One sleeps soundly, and the
other will never speak again in this
world. So satisfy yourself
II arose and trimming the lamp,
proceeded first to the couch where the
girl lay. She at least could not have
spoken, for all her senses were lock-
ed iD profound stupor l then ex-
amined the corpse and found it as we
had left it, except that the features
were more shrunken and sallow than
before. No voice could have COME
from those rigid lips Concluding
We had both dreamed or mistaken
some nocturnal cry for human
voice, replaced the light and was
about to resume my seat, when my
movements were arrested by very
singular voice.
There it is again = muttered the
doctor, agitatediy.
"a low confused murmur, resem-
bling nothing that | had ever heard
before, arose in the room, and SEEM
ed to circulate in the air for an in
stant and died away. Again it arose,
coming from point directly over our
heads aud gradually descending un-
til it seemed to emanate from some
invisible source Immediately beside
US. l know of nothing with which
to compare the intonation, except it
may be the articulation of the tele.
phone, or that of ventriloquist
"The first words we caught were,
ooh, my poor wife!'
at would be impossible to de-
scribe the effect that these words pro-
duced upon US. 1t was not so much
the tone, weird, aud uncsnnv as it
was, as the startling significance of
the words that amazed US.
"Who could have spoken them bat
the husband Of the woman lying
stupefied upoE the couch Yet he
had been dead for many hours. Full
of repugnsnee of the horror of the
idea, We started up and again exam
ined not only every nook and corner
of the hut itself, but even the space
outside for many yards around. There
was no human being beside ourselves
in the vicinity.
"We again scrutinized the corpse.
1t had neither changed its position
nor appearance. The flesh had
grown perfectly cold aud the muscles
rigid; there was not trace of vitali-
ty in it. Now said the professor,
nervously, IL have arrived at what l
imagine will be the limit of your
credulity. | do not expect you to
credit what followed. but | swear to
you on the word of an honest man,
that l do not deviate from the truth
as much as syllable when l say
cay that while we bent above the
body we again heard the voice p-o-
ceeding from q distant par. of The
loom, saying sudibly:
"In the name of God, assist me
back to life y
with hearts beating thick and
fast, We stood gazing at each other
absolutely thunderstruck. An expe-
rienee SO terrifying, so utterly with
out precedent, completely unnerved US.
While we remained stupefied with
horror the voice was again audible:
"'Ob, have pity J it said, aid me
to return to life
at was some minutes before eth
er of US could recover from our
smazement sufficiently to make any
reply.
"'Who is it that speaks to us?
asked the doctor, in q low tone.
1.-The soul of the man who lies
dead before you'll it replied
1T is impossible that the dead
can speak, answered the doctor
"'No, for the intelligent never
dies replied the voice. My body
is indeed dead, but that with which
| lived and loved is still in this
ROOM
What is it that you desire p
asked the doctor, carrying on this
strange colloquy with increasing
wonder.
TO be aided to resume my FORM
er existence was the rejoinder; Il
dare not leave nv poor wife unpro-
tected in this wilderness. / cannot
see her suffer. / love her beyond all
my hopes of future life, and by the
power of my love | have remained
near her, and have been able to COM
municste with you. cannot. | will
not, be separated from her. | must
return TO her in my human shape
whether the doctors courage de-
serted him at this point or not l can.
', not say; but he spoke no more, and,
as the voice was no longer audible,
We remained silent, in o state of
mind that battles all description.
II am morally certain that both of
US would have fled instantly from
the place, had it not been for the
poor creature sleeping upon the bed.
We could not leave her to face alone
mystery that shook even nerves SO
toughened as ours After hasty
conversation as to our course, We re-
sumed our former seats and waited
in breathless expectation for what
was next to occur.
Some hours had passed in this
way, and the first dim traces Of dawn
were shining upon the eastern hori-
znn, when, with simultaneous start,
we sprang to our feet. The voice
had again spoken. This time it had
proceeded not from some indefinite
point in the atmosphere, but from be-
meath the sheet enveloping the
corpse.
'Helpr it cried, in faint but dis
tinct accents; for Christ's sake, helpn
"For an instant we hesltsted-and
who would not then FASTENED to
the body and removed the covering.
There was no alteration in its pallos
and rigidity. but We perceived that
the lips, from which faint murmur
was issuing, trembled slightly. Here
our instincts conquered on: weak
ness. Whatever the mystery involv-
ed in the matter, q human being was
struggling to regain existence, and
our impulse was to aid without ques-
ton. A powerful restorative was
administered, and before many mo-