The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-01-25
CLARA MlNCIt.
Died June 3, 1861,
Aged IT. wears.

"it refer, to me, replied Miss Munce,
quietly. 1T was on my coilin-at least
/ suppose may call it my coffin, though
was not buried in it, however, for some
hours, and had it not been for the intclli-
gcnce Of u lady who came To attend my
funeral ! should have been in it now
My uncle took it to his home in Chicago,
where he is fond of showing it to his
friends and telling my story. kept the
plate, which | seldom allow anyone to
see, for the rccollcc.ionS it awakcns are
not pleasant.
when was & young girl was in
very delicate health. used to fall into
frances, in which knew oil that WAS
going on around me, and heard every
word said in the room where lay, but |
could not speak or make the slightest
sign Of life. My body grew gradually
colder, bu, ordinarily | aroused myself
with start within ten or fifteen minutes.
The doctor said il WAS form Of epilepsy,
and warned me that some day or other
IN attack might be prolonged and mis-
taken for death. 1t always affected me
under the same conditions. After sleep.
ing, ~ consciousness slowly returned,
found myself wide awake but unable to
speak or move.
NIttT lnc u'JClbI \ rAIIltlt j ntp:ti w
grow afraid Of myself. II was n hurriblc
sensation. drcaact 10 60 10 sleep ut
night, and, though drowsncss over.
powered me ut last I awosc unrcfrcshcd
During tie day WAS lAnguid and tired
but dared not lie down, for knew by
experience that if slept by daylight
was almost certain u fall into Il trance on
awaking. hs Il consequence Of all this
mental disturbance became seriously
i'll, and was ordered to the country, but
before arrangements could be made for
me to go I was stricken down with brain
fever, aud my life WAS dcspaircd of.
Now, before the fever attacked me,
and while was confined tG my bed by
the sickness brought on by anxiety about
my condition, the frances seemed to dis
appear. When slept was refreshed,
and awoke Mt once to full vigor, and not.
~ formerly, by slow degrees. to wrctchcd
helpessncss and immohility | think
should have escaped the brain fever had
it not been for the doctor. IIe told me
that the epilepsy was only mastering its
forces for al attack more vigorous than
any had yet expcrienccd-as storm
sometimes luls before it sweeps every
thing before it. lie frightened
me terribly, and my brain gave way.
"The brain fever was conquered, but
was very weak 10 weak that did not
rally. The doctor, always cheerful, said
never woud. l Iny for days neither
asleep nor awake, but not in trance, for
could move and speak feebly. She
may 60 out like the snuff of ca die ut
any minute said the doctor, in my bear.
ing, and nearly verified his prediction
by going out ut once.
'Ono day-it was June 2, 1851 felt
that was really improving. Life seem.
ed to be coming back to me. The doctor
had not noticed it, but knew by the un.
wontcd distinctness with which the rum.
bleof the Greenpoint wagons struck upon
my ear that was gathering new strength.
At last grew tired. and, for the first
time in several weeks, slept sonndly
aud health!!y.
II awoko slowly, and with the rigor o!
limb that knew so well. An unuttera.
be horror took possession of me NJ |
felt that YVES in trance and remember.
cd the good doctors capacity FOR blunder.
ing. My fears were well founded, for
half an hour later, when the nurse came
to look at me, heard her utter IL quick
exclamation OF alarm, and hurrying
away, she called my mother and sisters
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 ns plainly
ms ho saw me, and sorrowfully remark
cd:
"'I feared it.. She il going fast
"Oh, the misery of that dny and the
night following! On the morning Of
.I"ne ay hoay was cold and stiff, and,
while my mind was as active AZ every.
knew that looked like a corpse. My
friends thought me dead, and when the
doctor came they stood aside, silent and
weeping, and made way for him to ap.
proach the bed. He looked at me steadi.
ly for few seconds and then said rever.
entially:
"'Yes, poor creature. she is gone,' an d
he covered my face with the sheet. .,
"And this WIS the man who had first
told me that an epileptic lit might be 50
prolonged as to be mistaken for death
My Indignation Mt that moment absolute
ly overpowered my fear Otherwise,
believe should have died on the spot.
"For more than two days lay motion.
less on the bed. Tuberoses were strewn
over me-. Friends came to sec me, and
reminded each other OF good qualities in
mo that, neither myself or Others, had
ever before been suspected. heard it
all. Nobody spoke of me except as n
corpse; none noticed, what I am sure
must have been apparent, that my face
had not lost the color of life, aud on the
night Of juno 4th lay beside my open
coffin! On the morning Of the 5th l
was put into it, for WAS to bo buried
that day.
II had heard the inscription on the
plate read aloud, over and over again :
CLARA Munce. Aged 16 years. Poor
girl. So young to be called away. But
she WAS always delicatep Oh, why could
not speak could not even try to
speak or move. All volition seemed to
have died in me, and could only pray
silently that might die too before the
last rites were performed, but felt that
the1e was little chance Of that, because
was full Of life.
"The undertaker's men we're in the
room waiting to fasten down the coffin lid.
Kisses inumerable bad been pressed upon
my face, and had given up all hope of
life, when III old lady, worth all the rest
of the visitors put together, elbowed the
Others out of the way, and stood heside
the coffin. She was my Aunt Jane, and
she had come from Albany to see her
favorite niece for the last time. Eer
presence seemed to calm me, for we low
ed each other 80 we'll that I could not
think it possible that she would allow me
to be buried alive. She was stopping to
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