The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-03-22


feebled strength, bones brittle, liga-
ments rigid. and muscles weak, activ-
ity becomes impossible. The cele-
brated Lord Chesterfield, in his de
crepitude, and unable to bear rapid
motion in a carriage, said, when
about to take an airing at snail's
pace Il am now going to the rehears-
al Of my funeral an expression
showing that the mind had not shar-
ed in the decay of his body. Yet this
retention Of mental faculty is but
partial. In the celebrated Fontenelle
his memory was impaired, but his
wit remained. He mn-ked and could
jest on his infirmaties Il am,' he
remarked, "about TO decamp: some
faculties have left NE, and l have
sen: my baggage on before" 1t is
also recorded of him that when near
the age Of 100, lady Of nearly equal
age said gayly, Monsieur, l believe
tlat death has forgotten u.s." ''Husb,
madam said the venerable wit.
don't talk so loud, Or you may
arouse his attention..
1t is cheering to think that death
is not to the patient the melancholy
quarter of an hour wi :ch many imag-
ined, for We generally die by piece
meal, and, fr;g tful as this sounds. 1t
is the gentlest form. The organs de-
generate without pain. and dwindling
together, preserve their harmony.
De Moivre, the master of calculation,
spent (at 80) twenty hours of the
twent -four in sleep, until he fell
asleep and woke no more. Ozanman.
the mathematician, while in apparent
health, rejected pupils, in the belief
Iof his coming DEATH and he speedily
died of an apopleptic stroke. Flechier
the divine, had dream foreboding
his dissolution. and he forthwith Or
1ered the erection of his tomb. which
had scarcely been finished when he
became its occupant. Mozart's IRE.
quiem'' and Hogarth's picture of
''The End of all Things were both
executed by the artists in the belief
that the number of their davs was
nearly filed. and the event appeared
to countenance the foreboding. Louisa
of Savoy, the mother of Francis L.,
when in fever, saw. or thought she
saw, a comet. Hat she exclaimed
there is ali omen. which appears not
for persons of low degree. God sends
for us great; shut the window, it an.
nounces my death. l must prepare
Her physician assured her that she
was not in dying state. She died
IN three days. the victim of fright
produced by pride and ignorance.
Many traits are frequent in the
dying hour which are far from usual.
SOM, when sinking toss the bed
clothes from their chests, which indi-
Gates that they feel the covering op'
pressive. Others pick The sheets or
work them between their fingers
which may be done to excite by fri ;
ton the kenumbed sense of touch
When the sensibility to outer impress
sions is lost. the dying often dream
of their habitual occupations, and
construct an imaginary present from
the past. Doctor Armstrong depart
ed delivering medical precepts. Ma
poleon fought some battles ovel
again, and his last words were ''Iete
Il urmee.' Lord Tenterden, who
passed straight from the judgement
seat 20 his death bed, fancied himself
presiding st trial, and expired with
"Gentlemen Of the Jury, you aci
noav consider your verdict." DIR
Adam, the author of "Roman Antiq
uities,'' imagined himself in school
distributing praise and censure to hi:
pupils. But it groacs dorhs,' he said
the boys moy DISMISS. and Instant,
died. Thus each believed himsel
engaged in the business OF life whel
life itself was departing.
Sometimes fatal malady appear
to stop. and friends congratulate th'
patient on his recovery. But it i
, death come under a mask. A son
Doctor Beattle having passed from
the delirium of a fever to complet
tranquility, died while his father con
graduated him on his recovery. Z
victim cf Observation-Disclosures il
which every drop Of fluid aggravate
convulsions-was found ny DIR. La
than quietly quaff'ing off a jug of por
ter at a draugLt. The nurse exclaim
ed, What wonderful cure - bu
within an hour the man was dead
! Death by brain fever is frequentl.
preceded by lucid interval. (
patient who had passed three day
D in lunatic violence without sleep he
came rational. settled his affairs, ant
conversed about sister of his late l.
dead, whom he said ne should 500
! follow, as he did in the course of tn
night. Sir Henry Halford cautione'
his pupils against these appearances
; which often deceived physician
themselves. This pause in the dis
order is called the lighting bcfor
death, and the amendment is no
real, unless the pulse be improved
The moment which converts a sen
= sitive body to ioaninate matter
). often indistingulshable. anu man
i persons especially women, all os