The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-19
"The first words we caught were. 20

Ivy pun WIG!
ut would be impossible to describe
the effect that these words produced up-
on us. 1t was not so much the tone.
weird and uncauny as it was, as the start.
ling significance OF the words that amazed
US. is ..
"Who could have spoken them but the
husband of the woman lying stupefed
upon the couch? Yet he had been dead
for many hours. Full of repugnance of
the horror of the idea, we started up and
again examined, not only every nook and
Granny of the hut itself, but even the
spach outside for many yards around.
There was no human being besides our
selves in the vicinity.
"We again scrutinized the corpse. It
had neither changed its position nor its
appearance. The flesh had grown per-
fectly cold, and the muscles rigid; there
was no trace of vitality in it," continued
the professor, wiping his head nervously.
II have arrived at what I imagine will
be the limit of your credulity. I do not
expect you to credit what followed; but
swear to you on the word of an honest
man that do not deviate from the truth
as much as syllable when I say while
we bent over the body we again heard
the voice proceeding from the distant
part OF the room saying audibly:
"ln the name of GOO, assist me back
to lifew - -.
"With hearts beating thick and fast.
we stood gazing at each other absolutely
thunder-struck. An experience so terri
tying, so utterly without precedent, COM.
nlQfQlu
stupetied with horror, the voice was
again audible: 81. III .;:f ..
40, have PITY it said; aid me to
return to lifel'
"lt was some minutes before either of
us could recover from our amazement
sufficiently to make any reply.
"' Who is it that speaks to us2" asked
the Doctor, in low tone. 49,.
"'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 intelligence never Dies
replied the voice. MY body is indeed
dead, but that wish which I lived and
thought and loved is still in this room.'
"'What is that you desire2" asked the
Doctor, carrying Oh this strange colloquy.
with increasing wonder
"'To be aided to resume my former ex-
istence,' was the rejoinder. I dare net
leave my poor wife unprotected in this
wilderness. I cannot see her suffer. I
love her beyond all hopes of future life,
and by the power of my love I have re-
NAMED near her, and have been able to
communicate with you. I cannot, I will
not be separate from her. must return
to her in my human shape''
"Whether the Doctors courage de-
serted him at this point or not I cannot
say, but he spoke no more; and, as the
voice was no longer audible, we remained
silent, in state of mind that battles all
description.
II am morally certain that both of us
would have fed instantly from the pl ace
had it not been for the poor creature
sleeping upon the bed. We could not
leave her alone to face mystery that
shook even nerves as toughened as ours.
After hasty consultation as to what
course we ought to follow, we resumed
our former seats and waited in breathless
e, pectation 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 horizon, when,
with simultaneous start, we spraag to
our feet. The voice had again spoken.
This time it had proceeded, not from
some indefinite point in the atmosphere
but from beneath the sheet enveIoping
the corpse:
"'Help!' it cried, in faint, but distinct
accents; for Christ's sake, helpr
"For an instant we hesitated-and who
would not2---then fastened to the body
and removed the covering. There was
no alteration in its pallor and rigidity,
but we perceived that the lips, from
which faint murmur was issuing, uemb-
led slightly. Here our instincts con-
quered our weakness. Whatever the
mystery involved in the matter, human
being was struggling to regain existence,
and our impulse was to aid without
question. A powerful restorative was
administered, and before many moments
had passed, we saw tie color coming
back to the wan cheeks and the sunken
muscles reshapingi themselves with the
current of warm blood. Then with a
faint sigh, the eyes opened and gazed at
us inquiringly. In word, gentlemen,
the dead was restored to life
[ "Itis needless to detail what followed.
In the meeting which occurred between
these two young creatures, we felt our
selves more than repaid for the startling
| experiences OF the previous night. It can
, do no harm to add that we claimed and
, exercised the right of securing their fu.
ture prosperity out of our ample means
I We learned no more of their former his
tory than that the persecution of those
whose wishes they mad opposed had driven
them to hide their poverty and misfor.
tune IN the wilderness. We have heard
of them since. .,....
: THE young man, as we discovered 81
, questioning him, remembered nothing
of his sensations while unconscious ex
cept vague, dream like, and vet intens
g sorrow for his young wife. He had NJ
8 knowledge whatever of the voice whic]
had addressed us, and appeared to be
: lieve that he had labored under tenn
l porary suspension of animation arisin!
/, from starvation. We did not combat hi
J.. | belief for we heIioveA that ho ~, , 49,,