Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-10


took ont silver cctfin pate. which she offered
for inspection. 1t bore the inscription:
'..---.---- .-......
CLARA NUNCg
: Died june s. 1851
Aged Is years.
............ Observation-Disclosures.
''HsIv. to whom does this rcfcr!" asked the
reporter.
lit refers to ne" rerei Miss Muncc quiet
ly. 1t was on ny cOt;a-a. least / suppose
may call It nay coffin. t;i0u9h ! vas not bufed
iii It, occupied II. however for some hours
and had it MT teen for the Intelligence. of q
lazy " 80 Cali.' to :ttend my funcia shol;d
baNc been N ii how. My uncle tUek it to his
hcEc ChiCa@o. where lie is fU!,: Of showing It
to h:s .l"ci.'is All i2l.E2: my story. l kept the
plate. Wit. seldom allow anyone TO see FOR
tie rrCo.!ccJ chs it awahens are not pleasant
Wien 'fGS 2 young Girl WAS in very deli
cate hf;:i.! used IL fail INTO frances. in which
knew 81! that was going Oh around me- and
heard ever. ro!d SAID in the rGOi.i where
lay. bet could rot SPEAK or make the slight est
syn oi lie Ay hcdy rev gradually colder,
but nr;li"ariy I a.Uus. i myself with start
within -! al !;teen minutes. The doctor said
IT vas 81 fOrlii nj epilepsy, and warned me that
some day or other an attack might he pro-
i"n@ed and n!st;:eE for death. 1t ALWAYS
a'-eCtett Iil. It,d'r The same condition After
SIC; Pig. is consciousness s.oWly returned
founo myself wide awake. but unable to speak
Oh Rove.
After the doctors caution. began to grow
afraid Of myself. 1t was horrible arn:.tion. |
d1''&62d 10 go to sieep at ;!igiIt, and though
dr"s s!ness over! cwered me at last. Iawokc
GaTs:Irsl!ed. luing the day | WAS languid
;;hd ;ircd, but dared not lie down. fer knew
by experience That il I slept by daylight | was
al's;ost Sc! all to i;i into a trance on awakingr.
As Consequences If al this mental dist uibauce
! beCa;n" seriously III. and was ordered to the
country: btt before arrangements could lee made
for ne TO 60 Ras stricken down with brain
fever. and my life was deSrairedA0f.
NON. hc-Ure The fever attacked me. and
while was confined TO my bed by the sickness
brought on i,y anxiety about my condition. the
frances seemed Ia disappear. When / slept |
was refreshed, an,. awoke at once to full visror
and rot. fDr.afrly. by SLOW degrees. to
wreiciled hcipicssness and nnlnObilty. | think
should have esccred tie brain fever had it
not been fer the doctor. He told me that the
epilepsy only mastering it's forces for an
renced-t;S "a storm sometimes iuiis before it
sweeps everything before it. He frightened me
ter bly,. aud li5 brain gave way
The brain ever was conquered but was
very weah-so Weak that | did not rally. The
doctor. always cheerful. said | never would.
lay for days neither asleep nor awake but not
III trance. for | could move and speak feebly.
She HAY no out like the snuff of a candle at
any minute. said the doctor i'm my hearing. and
| nearly verified his prediction by going out at
once.
"Gne day-it was June g. 1SGi-I felt that
was really improving. Life seemed to be COM
:nG back to me. The doctor had not noticed it,
but knew by the GnwOnted dstnctness with
which the rumble of the CreenpOint wagons
struck upon my ear that was gathering new
strength. AT last grew tired and for the first
time in several weeks. | slept sOundly and
heaithily.
II awoke Slowly. ard with the rigor OF limb
that knew SO we'll. An unutterable horror took
possession OF me as | felt that / was in trance
and remembered the good doctors capacity for
laundering. Ny fears We're well founded. for
half al hour later when the nurse came to look
at me. / heard her utter a Quick exclamation
Oi alarm. and hurrying away. size called Ey
mother and sisters. The doctor was summoned,
and arrived when all MY relatives i'll the house
were around my bed. He felt my pulse put his
hand upon my forehead. forced open one of my
eyes. and examined the pupil little thinking
that i saw him as plainly as he saw me. and sor'
rOwfully remarked:
Il feared it. he is going FAST
''Oh. the misery of that day and the night
following, On the morning of Jri.e 3 my body
was cold and stiff. and while my mind was as
active as ever. l knew that | locked like q
corpse. My friends thought me dead. and when
tie doctor came they stood aside silent and
weeping. and made way for him to approach the
bed. He looked at ne steadily tor a few seconds
and then said reyereLtially:
Ives. poor creature. she is gone, and he
covered my face with the sheet.
And this was the man who had first told me
that an epileptic fit might be so prolonged as to
be mistaken for death. My Indignation at that
moment absolutely OverpOwered my fear
Otherwise, l believe should have died on the
spot.
For more than two DAYS lay motionless on
the bed. TuberOses were strewn over me.
Friends came to SEE me, and reminded each
other of good qualities in me that. neither by
myself or others had ever before been suspected.
heard it all. Nobody spoke Of me except as a
corpse none noticed. what am sure must nave
been apparent. that my face had not lost the
color Of life. and on the night OF June Law
beside my open coffin! On the morning of the
5th was put into it, tor | was to be buried that
day.
Il had heard the inscription on the plate read
aloud. over and over again: Clara MGnce.
Aged IL years. Poor girl. So young to be
called away. Put she was always deiicate,'
Oh. why could not speak? l could not even
try to speak or move. All vOlti0n seemed to
have died in me. ana could only pray silently
that might die too before the last rites were
performed. but felt that there was little chance
of that. because was full OF life.
1.-The undertakers men were in the ROOM
waiting to fasteI down the coffin lid. Kisses
innunerable had been pressed upon my face,
and had given up all hope of lite, when an old
lady. worth all the rest of the visitors put to-
gether, elbOwed tn Others out OF the way, and
stood beside the coffin. She was my Aunt Jane.
and she had come from Albany to see her favor
tie niece for the last time. Her presence seemed
to calm me, for We loved each other so we'll that
l could not think 1t possible that she would
allow NE to be buried alive. She was stopping
to kiss me when she suddenly started back
with the very simple and hOmeiy remark:
"'Why, her nose is bleeding
1T was perfectly true. though up to that time
nobody had noticed it. My mental agony had
made my nose bleed.
Now, the doctor knew quite enough about
bis business to be very much startled at seeing
fresh blood flowing from body that had been
dead two days. He examined my face and said
hastily. he for the first time noticed the color
Take her back to bed
1.-The suddenness and immensely of the RELIEF
restored all my faculties. and as the men took
me up I'sad, with hardly an effort and in per
| feet natural tones: