Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-07-29
THE FoRrx-DAY FAST OF 1870.
The Occasion OF Calvin Morgan's Long
Abstinence. and Why Ho Thinks
DIR. Tanner WIN Fail.


DIR. Tanner win Fail.
From the New York World.
Nxw LONDON, Conn.,, July Is
Back from the main road Of the village
Of Poquonock stands the neat little
cottage of Calvin Morgan, the man
who claims to have tasted forty days
and forty nights. The cottage is ap-
preached by a narrow bride path
and removed from sight or sound of
the few other houses that make up
the little settlement. Morgan was
away when a World reporter called
to-day to get the story of the fast.
His wife, however, said she certainly
could tell the story as we'll as he. ~
was with him" she said, s'day and
night all through his fast. In 1885 !"
she continued, "Calvin was converted
at a camp-mc citing at Lyme. We we're
then living in Mystic, where he work
ed at his trade ofa halter. Soon af-
ter his conversion he set about raising
money to build Methodist Church
in the village, and mainly through his
efforts il was built. He was very
devout and soon became known in
the neighborhood rs an exhorter.
About the beginning of the year 1886
he conceived the idea that he ought
to fast one day in every week and
thereafter until his long abstinence
he tasted every Friday. In Decem-
Der, 1889, the Lord, he said, called
him to fast forty days and forty
nights. Calvin talked with me about
it and 1 tried to persuade him that he
ought not to hy in the face of Prov
idence, but he said the call came from
Heaven and he must obey it,
Here Mrs. Morgan opened well-worn
Bible, and turning to the fourteenth
chapter Of John, read from the twelfth
to the fifteenth verse as follows:
"Verily, verify, l say unto you, he
that believeth ON me, the works that
l do shall he do also; and greater
works than these shall he do; because
l go unto my Father. And whatso-
ever yc shall ask in my name, that
will do, that the Father may be
gloritied in the Son. If ye shall ask
anything in my name l will do it. II
ye love me keep my commandments.
sit was on this promise Of the
Lord" Mrs. Morgan rusumed, "that
Calvin relied, and it WAS this book
that sustained him in his great
trial"
Mrs. Morgan 5 further statement was
IN effect rs follows: Morgan began
his fast ut 6 O'Clock of December 20,
1889, and ended it at the same houl
of January 20, 1910. Until the sew.
enteenth day he had no medical at
tendance, and his physi, al condition
during that period is not matter o
record. On the seventeenth day al,
thereafter until the expiration OF th'
fast. DIR. Is. +. Stoddard, his kins
man, a reputable physician, visited
him daily. Dr. Stoddards ohserva
tions were embodied in the history O
the case furnished Ly him year late
to the Providence papers. They ar
not available for reproduction here
On tile eighteenth day Morgan Wa
feverish and nervous. Slight noise
startled him. and lie would peevishl
call for silence. Less alacrity c
movement WAS noticeable in him o
that day. These symptoms continue
TO the end, growing more marke
fh.. fun fret fa
the doctor expressed fears that MOI
yan's stomach aud intestines woul
.close up" with fatal result, but dnl
ing the day there was slight move
ment of the bowels for the first tim
since the beginning of the fast. I'll
bowels remained passive during IL
remainder of the fast Up to til
time Morgan had drunk water at u
, frequent intervals, but therea't,
drank quite freely. Three or 70,
times belv cen the twentr-tirst al
iortieth days small quantities of 81
were placed uu the tip OF his tongt
and apparently allayeh his fever. ii
weakness increased us matter
course rs the fast wen, forward. [
} to the fifteenth day Morgan attend,
to numerous petty out door ''chores,
but he gradually got in the way
= remaining indoors. From the thi
,ie,h day forward he had to be assis
ed to ris. u his feet from sittlI
posture. On the last .hrce days
the fast he did not leave the house
ail The fortieth day found him e
ceetlingly weak and very much EN-
tiated, but with little fever. At
o'clock on that day he drank half
tcacup of Cruel. Three hours lat
he drank nearly a pint OF chick
soup At 6 O'Clock the next NOR
ing he ate of chicken flesh. Sew
hours later he ate freely OF fried ee
The second day after tte expirati
of the fast he had recovered streng
enough to resume work, and gratiti
!, his appetite to the utmost.
:" His voice, which had gradual
:" grown weaker, almost failed him all
:" the thirteenth day of his fast, and
Ia was compelled to stop reading alo
IS from the Bible at family praye
Fd Before the expiration of the fast
Ia regained part OF Its lost streng'
Id During the entire fast, he slept OF
Id tour hours in every twenty-tour, a
Id that at intervals. At times his or,
rg Ing for food WAS almost intolerab
ia Great pains were taken to prevent a
rd smell of cooking food from reach'
: him. The mental sensations OF NJ
\ gan were pleasant, inasmuch as
( was constantly impressed with
y thought that-to use his words
was walking close with Cod In
sleen he was tantalized with drea
L of food, which supernatural visit
approached him with but still X
- from his reach. S.
The views of Mrs. Morgan uI
e the attempt Of DR.. Tanner are ide'
n cal with those Of her husba
- ..Tanner will fall" she says, "
cause he is not devoted to the iLo
on NV husband was sustained by
a .rs grace OF the Lord Jesus, and unl
r.. DR.. Tanner is upheld by the spirit
all the Lord he will miserably fail.
at The lives Of this lady and her b
= band have been characterized by
IRENE piety. Wherever they
III known they are regarded as stint