Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-05-23
Ntrnnoe Sketehes

hour Of dissolution with sense Of calm pleasure |
which seemed at times very queer to me, who
had so loved the world and its follics that my
life from my sehool.days had been given up to it.
II was beautiful mid summer day and the
sun had rsen brilliantly over the drowsy trupi
cal world. The preceding night had been
one OF unusual splendor such nights are
seen only near the iathomlcss equator in the
mystic Pacific Sea, where the Stars darkle like
royal diamonds hung in mid.air between the
dark azure o: the empyrcau and the deep
green " tropical Vctdure, At times the stars
seemed to sway slightly in their places, rcspon
Sive tn the fragrant southern breeze. |, was
glorious morning, as have SAID, when found
myself wide awake standing by my own bed.
side upon which my poor, worn body lay. II
seemed strange that | should retain my per
sonal identity after DEATH, who had always
nurished my belief with soothing pantheistic
philosophy but so il was and | moralired
sadly as | lifted my cold white hand and lie,
i, TAIL again, nerveless and pulseless, upon the
Counterpart. | thought upon the vanity OF
human ambition and greatness and love as
cared upon my chill, pallid features and
touched my bloodless, thin lips which had so
often smiled gaily at beautiful women and
drank heartily the warm wine love had prof.
| tered them.
o ye, who have kept the death watch when
| the igh, hckercd sadly upon the cold walls
and the cry Of solitary night bird startled the
I q. n. z r.
| physical fear i, is no, the dread OF supersti.
ton |, is the action Of the mind itself dwell.
ing upon the circumstances of the past and
weaving with the aid of memory glamour Of
unreai,y around the sen,ient present The
hear, vibrates as the mind takes up the threads
Of fate and draws them silently TO the loom Of
destiny. Consciousness develops into foresight
and scans the Underworld OF eternity.
Standing upon the verge OF time betwiNt the
material and the spiritual worlds the dying
body loses its hold upon existence while the
spirit resists dissolution. As the spirit Of man
frees itself from the trammels Of nature the
reality and possibilities of the after-lite burst
like the radiance Of truth around it, We know
not until death has freed US how despicabe
is the lite we have loved The mystery which
surrounds death is the substance of the mys,ic's
faith but the true faith Of mysticism must be
builded upon knowledge gained only after
death. The fa,aism which surrounds life ter
inmates after life in the results which prove TO
be but the lost cues of the mystery Of being
| which consciousness was unable TO follow
while conditioned within a casket Of clay.
After death found that still retained the
power Of communication as did my personal
identity, though my spirit takes no note OF
time and an age and moment alike. The
human divisions of time are only recalled to
me by seeing men wake and sleep.
missed the ticking OF the clock and turned
to the mantle where ii stood ii had stopped
at the momen, | had ded--s,iange coinci-
dence As stood gazing at my dead face the
nurse who had attended me entered the room
with my morning portion. endeayored TO
hide myself, but almos, Immediately noticed
how foolish the attempt was, for she took no
heed Of me; | had forgotten l had left the
material world She went to my bedside, but
l
low cry and said, tendery: Poor fellow
he is gone at last; he ha, died away from his
mother and friends; poor boy, l had almos,
grown to love him, he was so patient and
gentle--and seemed so weary Of the world. VI
could hardly restrain my laughte. as she
coudoled with my husk OF mortality, and l am
0 afraid actually grinned when l saw her close
my eyes and cover my sunken features with 4
j napkin poor, foolish woman | was standing
/, at her side and could have caught the sym
J. pathetic tear that fell from her eye.
1t was not long until everybody in the
e neighborhood knew that | was dead, and
y though the whole thing seemed quite rid
culous to me | could not help signing when
e heard the remarks my warmest friends made
n about me, ana saw acquaintance scizing upor
j, every bi, Of my personal property that lay ex
!, posed. | seemed TO forget that l had ono,
d been Of the world; viewed things in differ
ent light now and had clearer perception o
e truth and Justice. There was one thing, how
Is ever, that caused me much pain mingled will
Is Joy, il was this had loved beautiful gir
e the couch whereon my body lay, her hear
10 filed with anguish, and heard her means an,
Il sobs as she knelt with her warm lips presse'
,e to my cold hand, my heart bled for her, but
IL fel, wild thrill Of joy to know that ha'
lie found one true thing in world Of iDgratitud
al and incongruities. | would not speak thus
e. only that can now the future Of huma
IN beings and know she will be true to the end
10 and that her last thought before she joins m
,e will be Of her poor dead love who wen, before
have found out at last tina, there are only ,w
Nd ways Of making people constant, vi, throug
), love and gold. los, faith in doctors, whom
II, had always revcred, shortly after my death b
q seeing the good Dbl, who ha
ne attended me. engaged in rifling my pockets f
h. his fee during the absence Of the nurse.
Il is needless to say that | attended my ow
n funcral-in fact, was the chief mourner b,
., my SORROW was for my friends, and believ
n, that I experienced some few pangs Of pity
In their hypocrisy and the greed they exhibite
n. over the little property had left.
~, AT last ii was all over, and | sat one nigh
to in the moonlight upon the tootslone Of NJ
a, grave. I sal there often because always &c
h. lonely when away from my former body; ha
II, hardly begun enjoying my new life as ye
INA although had power to read the most seer
h. motives Of people, and, being sleepess,
Il, could spend the nights in unraveling the We
-, Of dreams and weaving grotesqIe fantasies
their places 10 ,ormen, frail. waking humanit
n. I, has now been many months since my bot
ed departed this life and even my memory b
! lapsed among men. Although can hardly
said TO enjoy myself from the human s,andpoi
IN. ye, l survey the picturesque phantasmaeoria