The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-04-25

me, and felt consciousness leaving my
brain. Soon | knew no more.
When again vague sort of conscious
ness came stealing in upon my be-
numbed senses as the first faint beams
of coming day steal in upon the gloom
and darkness of night, | became aware
of the sound of voices in the room.
could hear words spoken, but they
seemed far of. Gradually they seemed
to come nearer, until at last | could dis
tinguish what was being said.
HE died day before yesterday"
heard the surgeon say, in tones full of
respectful sympathy. "The nurse found
him suffering terribly and gave him a
large dose of morphine. That seemed
to quiet him. The nurse reported the
case to me, and l came as soon as /
could. When l came he was dead. l
am sorry that you could not have been
here sooner, madam. He often spoke
of his mother. If had dreamed how
near the end was I would have tele-
graphed at once. But supposed there
was no immediate danger
II wish could have been here,n a
voice choked with tears made reply
| the voice of my mother. 30, my poor
boy!''
Then felt warm kisses pressed upon
my lips and tears fell like rain upon my
| face.
Good God! They thought was deadl
| The terrible truth flashed over me like
lightning.
Dead!
For many hours / had been lying
there wrapped in the icy semblance Of
| death, and my mother was preparing to
| take my body home for burial! tried
| to open my eyes, to speak. In vain!
| No muscle moved in response to the die
tates of my will. The current of life
was frozen in my veins.
1t was terrible, terrible, terrible, the
awful, sickening feeling that crept over
me when l found that my body had
thrown off allegiance to my will and
that | was powerless to move finger or
lift an eyelid. was dead, to ali out
ward appearance. Once the thought
came to me that perhaps this was really
death and my soul had not yet taken its
leave of the house of clay. But / could
not believe that, and | strove to shake
off the lethargy upon me again and
again. But my will could not accom-
plish its purpose. Ifelt myself reoeding
into inconsistencies again, as a wave
goes out from shore till its identity is
lost. Twas wave on the tide of life
going out into oblivion. Thought then
that | was indeed dying. The semblance
of death was fast becoming its reality.
Then came another long and utter blank
in my existence.
it brought a sensation of intense cold.
| seemed to be in some region of ice and
frost. All my energies seemed con-
gealed in deadly numbness. Again
tried to move, to open my eyes. Not a
muscle stirred
How long was this to continued /
asked myself that question, but l could
not answer it, Then the thought came
again that after all 1 might be really
dead. How did know that the soul
left the body when what men call death
takes placer Might it not remain and
be conscious of earthly things the same
as beforeP Who could tell what hap
pened after the breath of life has left
the bodyp The lips of those called dead
never opened to divulge the secrets of
death. Perhaps Twas finding them out.
But no! no! 1t could not be that was
dead! was in trance But they be-
lieved l was dead, and they would bury
me alive!
By slow degrees the truth of my posi-
ton came upon me. l was in my coffin.
l leave you to imagine, if you can,
what l fels. But you can not. No one
can who has not been through the same
terrible experience.
Then steps came into the room. /
felt myself lifted and borne out. was
carried for some distance. Then knew
that those who bore me were ascending
steps. | heard the creaking of heavy
doors, and then the deep and solemn
tones OF an organ broke forth in the
Dead March in Saul.
| knew, then, that was in the church
l had attended previous to my enlist
ment. was back in my old no me and
friends had gathered to pay their last
tribute to my memory.
Then the organs mighty voice died
out in long minor chord, and the
minister read in slow, impressive tones:
81 am the resurrection and the life;
whatsoever believeth in Me, though he
be dead, yet shall he live again !"
Then came messages of comfort from
the word of God to sorrowing hearts. |
heard the sobs of friends about me. as
the good man spoke. Then he prayed.
A hymn was sung. Then the lid above
my face was lifted, and friends came
about me to take the last look. 1 felt
tears falling on my face felt that nv
last chance had come. Now, if ever, l
must shake myself free from the deadly
lethargy upon me. 1t seemed as if my
frantic efforts to break the bonds that
bound me must avail and set the current
of life in motion.
leaned across the coffin and laid her
cheek against my face, and whispered:
20, my boy, you were all had left
and l loved you sou
Somehow those words seemed to
touch the hidden spring of life. The
stagnant current began to move again,
my will resumed its power over my
body; | opened my eyes and cried out:
"Motherr'
can not describe the scene of terror
and excitement that followed. Imagine
how it would be if you saw the dead
come to life. For months after that
many looked at me with frightened
faces, as if they could not rid themselves
of the impression that had really been
dead and that they beheld my ghost.
Do you wonder my hair is whitep
What wonder at most is that my
mind stood the strain of that terrible
oxDorianca N .Toosr0nI