The Wilmingtonian., 1884-06-07

his breathing scarcely perceptible. As the
tardy dawn Of the wintry morning revealed
the rigid features of the countenance from
have quite departed, those who watched him
felt uncertain whether he still lived; but sud
denly, while they bent over him to ascertain
the truth, he opened his eyes and gazed
upward scfh such az, unmista cable expression
Of aconder and jog that thrill of awe passed
through all who witnessed it. His whole
face grew bright with strange gladness,
while the eloquent eyes seemed literally To
shine as If rejecting some light on which
they gazed; be remained in this attitude OF
delighted surprise for some minutes; then
in a moment the eyelds fell, the head droop-
ed forward, and with one long breath tile
Spirit departed"
DR.. e. Hammond Clarke, one of the great
est physicians of this or any other country,
while avowedly opposed to all supernatural
interpretations Of biological phenomenon,
cites similar case as occurring within his
own experience and under his own observa-
tion. He says:-
sit was night. The departing one was a
lady of middle age. Her death, though
momentarily expected from cardiac disease,
was ct announced or preceded by the usual
an@sthesia of the dying. During the night,
when awake, her mental action was perfect.
She cCnversed, few minutes before dying,
as pleasantly and intelligently as ever. There
was no stupor, or delirium, straugeness OF
norlbund symptom indicating cerebral dis
turbance. Her heart symptoms alone fore
Swallowed the great change. After saying
few words, she turned her head upon heI
pillow as if to sleep, then unexpectedly
turning it back, gIoio, brilliant and beau.
it'll exceedingly, came into her features; hef
eyes opening, sparkled with singular vivacty;
at the same moment, with tone of emphatic
surprise and delight, she pronounced thena
of the earthly being nearest and dearest
to Ter; and then, dropping her head upon her
pillow, as unexpectedly as she had looked
up, her spirit departed to God who gave it.
The conviction forced upon my mind, that
something departed from her body, ut that
instant rupturing the bonds of flesh, was
stronger than language can express
DIR. Oliver Wendell Holmes, commenting
on this case, adds that DIR. Clarke mentioned
circumstance to him not alluded to in tile
narrative. At the very instant of dissolution,
it seemed to him CDR. Clarke), as he sat at
the dying lady's bedside, that there arose
"something'-an underlined yet perfectly
apprehended somewhat, to which he could
give no name, but which was ike depart
ing presence. DIR. Holmes continues that lie
would have listened to this story less recep-
lively, but for the fact that he had himself
heard the very same experience, almost in
the very same words from tho lips of one
whose evidence he could implicitly rely on.
With the last b. cath Of the parent she was
watching, she had the consciousness that
Something" arose, as If Tie spirit had male
itself cognisObe al tie moment Of uniting us
mortal tenement.
With the hope of throw ing some light upon
this interesting question, competent persons
were asked by the authoress of tile .'Riddle
Of Death" if they had ever observed any
phenomena, at the moments of dissolution,
indicating that the Ego-mind or soul-was
conscious of new place Of existence before
leaving this. Nine observations were reported,
the character of which was believed 10 i,,s-
-