Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-09
A DAY ~ = COFFIN.

as ou aaor heard Of" said Greenpolnt
Iady to the reporter. Clara Snow ni'h
Miss Clara Munce, who was sewing
unon a dress for the lady VINO SPOKE, iaio
her work. and, going to drawer III 'uo
aideboard. took out "A silver CONN pia'e'
mb;ch she offered for inspection. IL
hore the inscription: Clara Munce, oIeo
lima 1864, aged 10 years: -,
.sWny IN whom does this refer the
rep0rter asked. :. ,,.,,,o
& n refers TO me- replied Miss Munce,
o,;etlv lit was on my coihn; ~ least
I suppose may call 1t my conn., lh(u!ii
I WA not buried III 1t. 1 occupied ~,
howsver. for some hours. and, mao IL not
hsen for the intelligence OF a bay wuo
oa,na 10 attend my funeral. 1 should
hava heen in il now. My uncle TOOK !,
to bis home IN Chicago, where he Ii iohu
~ shnwing il to his friends ana telling
nv story. kept the plate, wnich SOL
dom allow any one 10 see, Tor the recoi-
Iactions it awalsus are not pie lsant'
:. Whsn WAS n young girl | WAS In
vary deIicate health. | used 10 ftil INTO
trance. in which | knew all that WAS
goino on around me and heard every
wurd said in the room where ity, bnt
could not sneak or make the sli2htest
sion of life. NY body gre" gr@duhiiy
colder. but ordinarily | aroused inysef
with q start within ten or fifteen min.
utrs. The doctor said it WAS a form of
anilensv. and warned me that some day
~ otbsr An attack IaIght be prolonged
and mistaken for death. 1t always al
facted me under the same CONDITIONS
a
returned, 1 found myself wide awake
but unable to speak or move. AIVet .ne
doctor's caution | began to grow AFRAID
of myself. II was a horrible sensation
I dreaded to 90 to sleep mt night, and,
though drowsiness oVeIpo"eieu me AT
Last I woke uurefresbod. During the
day WAS languid and tired, but dared
not lie down, for knew by experience
that II vi pit by daylight waH 'i'i'o''
certain to fall into trance on awaHinH.
As a cuIisequt nee Of all THIS mentai dis'
turbance became seriously iu, ana was
ordered to the country; but before ar
ranpements could be mace Tor mo 10 go
was stricken down With brain fever anu
my life was despaired cf.
Now, before tho fever attacked me,
and while was confined To my bed by
the sickness brought ON by anxiety about
my condition, the frances seemed to dis-
appear. When | slept | WAS refreshed,
and nwoke at once to full vigor, ana not,
as formeriy, by slow degrees, to wretcned
helplessness and imbecility. l think l
should have escaped the brain fever had
IL not been for the doctor. lie told me
the epilepsy WAS only mastering Its fore :
for al attack more vigorous than any l
had yet experienced, as storm some
times luils before II sweeps everything
before it. He frightened me terribly and
my Lrain gave way.
"The brain fever was conquered, but
I was very weak-so weak that did not
rally. The doctor, always cheerful. said
/ never would. l lay for days neither
asleep nor awake. bat not in trance, Ion
! could move and speak feebly. She
may 90 out, like the snuff Of candle,
any minute sail the doctor in my hear
ing, and / nearly verified his prediction
by going out at once.
Zone eay--it WAS June 2, 1851 felt
that was really improving. Llfe seemed
to DO coming back to me. The doctor
had not noticed it, but | knew by the
unwonted distinotness with which the
rumble of the Groenpoint wagons struck
my ear that Twas gather NJ new strength.
AT last l grew tired, and, for the first
time in several weeks, slept soundly
and healthily.
81 awoke slowly, and with the rigor OF
limb that knew 30 we'll. An unuttsra-
BILE horror took possession If me rs
felt that | was in trance and remem-
bersd the good doctors capacity for
laundering. My fears were well founded:
for half an hour later, when the nurse
came to look at me, heard her utter a
quick exclamation Of alarm, and, hurry
ing away, she called my mother and sis
ters. The doctor was summoned. and
arrived when all my relatives IN 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 saw him IN
PLAINLY as he SAW me, and sorrowfully
remarked:
81 feared it. She is going fast!'
"Oh. the misery of that day and the
night following. On the morning of
June3d my body WAS cold and stiff, and
while my mind Was As active az ever,
knew that looked like a corpse. NV
friends thought me dead, and when the
doctor came they stood aside. silent aud
weeping, and made way for him 10 sp,
proach the bed. He looked ut me stead.
lily for few seconds, and then said, rev
erently:
Yes, poor creature, she is gomez and
ne covered my face with the sheet.
And this was the man who had first
sold 10 that an epileptie lit might be 50
prolonged as TO be mistaken for cath
My indignation at that moment ALSO.
!utely overpoSercd my fear. Otherwiss
believe l should have died ON the spot
For more than two days lay motionles.
on the bed. Iuberoses were strewn over
me. Friends came IL see me. and ia.
minded each other Of good qualities In
me that neither by myself or others bad
ever before been suspected. heard i,
all. Nobody spoke of me sxcept a. !
corpse; none noticed, what am sur,
must have been apparent. that INV fac.
mad not lost the color of life: and on IN,
night of June ith lay beside IN {, oper
coffin! On the morning of the 5th | Ma,
pms into 1t, for was to be buried tina,
day. 'N'''
:" had heard the inscription ON IN,
plate read aloud, over and over again
Clara Munce. Aged l6 years. Poo,
Riri; SO young to ec called AWAY. Nm
she was always delic,te.' Oh, why coul,
not speak! ! could not even ,rx =.
speak or move. All yolitlon sesme3 q
have died IN me, and could only nrs,
silently that / might die, too, before m,
last rites were performed; bat | fell H.
there was little chance Of that. h,s,sns,
was full of life. '''as'
The undertaker's men vera !, a.
room waiting TO fasteu down III. r,,,,,
lid; kisses innunlerable had be.n nras -
upon my face, and i Ind given mn ii
hope OF life when an old lady. wo-tb a,
the rest OF the visitors pu, together ii
bowed the others out OF her way az.
stood beside the coffin. She vss -,
Aunt Jane. and had come from Alhsn
70 See her favorits niece for the last finn.
uer presence seemed to calm me. for "
loved each other so we'll that conla ns
TANK II possible she would allow M. /,
o. buried alive. She was stoonsn., !
HISS me when ale suddenly stsrtssi ~,
mark: 1y q
Why, he. nose is blesd iror
1t was perfectly tue. though nm ,
that time nobody had noticed i, "a
mental agony had made INV nose Nj,
nov the doctor knew quite snouph ,,l,,,
nv 0oasntsis 70 b. very much Garlic, ,
= = fsssh blood flowing fun : 81