The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-07-29

all at first as part Of the programme,
and troubled myself no more about it
than so far as to hastily unlock the door,
thinking, e There is no telling how long
Ishall sleep, and if I don't open the
door in the morning they will be fright
ened to DEATH .
By this timethe crawling feeling had
mounted to the back Of my neck. I
could trace it as it moved; my limbs
were beginning to refuse to serve me; ]
was obliged to letter to the bed without
putting out my Light, for, though not
the least sleepy, I should have fallen
had I not helped myself by chairs and
table. There I lay, eyes wide open,
senses all alive, quite out Of pain,
but no idea Of going to sleep. When
the crawling thing, whatever it was,
reached the back of my head, it seemed
to give slight blow to that part, and
Immediately I lost all power over my
limbs. Still I retained perfect con-
seriousness. heard the movements 60
ing on in different parts of the house.
[ saw the moon rise and peer in at c,.e
OF the windows, and I remembered :
slight feeling of annoyance that, about
midnight, the light would come in
through another window, the curtain of
which had neglected to pull down. If
I had seen burglars breaking into the
room, I could not have moved or spoken.
I was not troubled about this, however
nor much about anything else on earth.
I watched my symptoms with care and
interest, and felt certain was going to
sleep, though what was coming next I
could not even guess. The only feel.
ing Of concern about anything that
remember was a thought that rose in
my mind like this: .s......
"What horrible fuss Effie will make
when she finds me in this state"
Even this did not trouble me much,
for it really did not seem to be any bus
mess Of mine. By degrees, but SO slow
ly as to be hardly noticeable, I lost all
consciousness of my extremities. At
first, though I could not control them,
I was quite aware that I had hands and
feet; now I seemed to lose them, to go
from them, as from sensible contact
with a foreign body, more into myself.
This peculiar loss of consciousness ex-
tended very gradually up my limbs.
Still I had my senses; my eyes wer.
open, I could see everything around
me, I could hear as well as ever, and my
mind was clear and perfectly tranquil.
I was neither frightened, nor agitated,
nor anxious, nor, I must confess, was I
impressed with any peculiar solemnity
attaching to the occasion. Perhaps this
was owing to my habitual matter of-fact
disposition. I seemed to myself just as
complete without my arms and legs as
when I had them. ls
Little by little I lost my body, and
with equal Indifference. Whether my
heart ceased to beat and my lungs to
breathe at this time I cannot tell you,
for I had no means Of knowing; but, il
they did, did not seem to miss them.
Soon ] was gone up to my neck. Then,
and not till then, my senses began to
grow dim. First, my sight, not as by
the closing Of my eyes, but objects dis
appeared, leaving only the impression Of
light upon the eye; then that, too
faded, and finally no consciousness o.
the organ remained. My hearing was
still with me, or with it, whicheve,
you prefer to say. Soon it, too, left me
Head, face, body, senses, all seemed
gone-everything except a feeling O.
weight in my tongue and round spo
in the back Of my head, where I hat
previously felt the blow. Then m,
tongue went, and the round spot was al
that was left yet this seemed just a
absolutely and completely me as ever m.
body had been. esor III z.
This state continued apparently a Ion,
while, during which remember won
dering what DR.. s. would say when h
saw me, hoping he would not meet wit
any annoyance about his share of tn
transaction. As to anxiety about world
ly or other affairs, fear for the future
memory instantaneously flashing befor
me the events of my whole life down t
the minutest particulars as we are toll
it sometimes does-I had no such exper
ence, and I admit I cannot now conten
plate the state was in with anythin
like the composrre I felt at the time
though I distinctly thought to mysel
{ "This is certainly the last;" yet it wa
with something of relief at its being S
? well over. ,......'..
Even that consciousness Of existent
, went, and there was nothing in place
, it for I know not how long. The who
, affair from the first injection of the mo
, phine to the complete loss of sensibilit
seemed to me to last some five or s.
hours; but, of course, I cannot be su,