Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-03-30

A DEAD MAN RISES UP, STIFF AND RIG
I'D, AND THE PEOPLE LEAVE THE
ROOM.
Several days ago Mr.. J. McCloud, of
Faulkner county, died of rheumatism of
the stomach. A large party volunteered
to sit up with the corpse, and when
night came many sad face of many sad
women and men were seen, sallowed by
the mellOwing light Of tallow candles.
The minister came and entering the
room remarked: 'Earth to earth
and ashes to ashes" The corpse lay on
table covered with sheet. "He has
gone over the road we must all travel"
said the minister. A night bird, with
mournful cry, answered. A daughter
of the deceased came in with an apron
full of tea cakes, which, with slow
shuttle. she distributed around the room.
"We should prepare to follow him."
said the minister, expletively blowing
cake crums toward the corpse as though
he wished his words to watt away with
winning sweetness. The night bird
again cried out, and the company sat
silently chewing cake.
II thought 1 saw the sheet move,"
said one OF the watchers. ''See If there
Is cat under it ?"
| The company sat still.
II am confident that the sheet NOV
ed ;" said the man.
The minister arose and lifted the
sheet, and standing, he looked at the
pallid face of the dead man. The
corpse's head left the table. The min
lister fell back. Stiff. stark and terrible
the corpse slowly arose from the table
and attained sitting posture. The
legs remained stretched out and the
arms remained folded. The women
shrieked and ran from the room, and
the minister, reprimanding them for
their weakness and want of confidence
climbed a fence and stood in turnip
patch. When the frightened people saw
that the corpse did not intend to follow,
they went back into the house. The
corpse still retained the upright, rigid
posture, stiff as the attitude struck by
an amateur on the stage.
With fears somewhat allayed, the
minister advanced and placing hand
on the dead mans breast, pressed him
backward Proportionately at his head
went down, his heels came up, and
when his head touched the board his
heels were high in the air. The cause
of the dead mans freak was then dis.
covered. The muscles of the stomach,
distorted by rhumatism, were contract
ing. 1t required the efforts of two men
to strengthen the corpse. A gentleman
who was present declares he never spent
such fearful night, and with Clarence
adds; II would not pass another such
night, though 'twere to buy world of
happy days; go full of dismal terror
was the time"
WAS ST. PAUL EVER MARRIED p
From the Petersburg Inder-Appeal.] J.
One OF our city pastors recently stated
in sermon that the Apostle Paul was
married man. The general impress
sion has been that he was bachelor,
and the statement has excited no small
degree of comment. Desiring to have
: this important matter settled, the Inder.
9 Appeoi has been at pains to learn the
j. reasons for the minister's statement
3. which are substantially as follows:
, 1t is generally agreed by the critics
that Paul was member of the Sanhe-
4 drin mot Senhedyane as it is often called.
q And since the Jewish law required ev-
8 cry member of the Sanhedrin to be 6
married man, it follows that Paul was
married. There was common saying
: IA Jew who has no wife is not man.
Then in lst Cor, VII, s, it is claimed
that the Apostle classes himself anon.
a widowers, since the word unmarried
e is to be understood in that passage a
S meaning ''wi9owers."
Besides these, there are many Incl
: dental illusions in the Acts and Epistle
j. which ut in with the theory that Pau
D was wldower and childless. Amon
Others-when he exhorts husbands an
wives in reference to their respectiv
duties, especially when he command
the wives, with fullness of detail, ther
8 is tone of experience running through
r it all. The Apostle evidently kne,
how it was himself,