Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-16
Nebraskas Sleeping Beauty.
A BosroNIAN Tells OF HIS RECENT VIsIT
TO MINNIE PIsHENER.

was sitting in the business office of Mayor
Henry of the brisk little city of Columbus,
Neb., in December, with the mercury fooling
with zero, even in mid-afternoon, when his
partner turned to me and said: Wouldn't
you like To see girl who has been asleep
seven weeks2"
''You are right, would" raplied with as
much of the "Rustler" tone as could ml-
tate.
"But it's mighty friskv weather and it'll be
a IA mile ride out and back, which is no fun
for a tenderfoot' over these praries."
What do you think am here for? Not
TO be frightened by Nebraska weather"
A pair of lively ''bavs" were ordered up
and an hour later were thawing out over
the kitchen fire of a Jolly Dutchman," in a
large farm house situated far out on the
plains, a standing invitation to the blizzard
t. do his worst.
"Tm mighty proud of thi. weather, for it
keeps the goodtor nothing crowd at home,
and only gentlemen like yourselves, whom
I'm glad t. see, brave it. Why. have had
Is teams in the yard at time, and 65 of the
impudent-in the house at once They don't
know no manners and because I'm Dutch
man they run right over me. They'll order
me or the bows to take the horse, and rush
right in without an invitation, and sometimes
it takes all hands to shovel the mud out that
they track in. And they don't care to see the
girl when they get here 1t was Just to say
they'd seen her. Are you warm yet?"
Eyes, sir, thank ypu.
well, will YOU like to see Minnie now 2"
Certainly. if itll be no trouble" and
with many assurances of his pleasure At see
ing Us We were ushered into neat chamber
where his second dau ghter, a beautiful lady
| .,r 1nv h,,.tn al
trance, as she hal lain already for seven
weeks. and from ~h,ch she awoke recently
at the end of seventy days.
She was at work with her sister doing the
Mondays washing late in October, and the
work done she went to her room to tidy up"
a bit. Not answering the dinner call the
younger sister went to her room and found
her tainted away" The family rallied. a
doctor was sent for, and finally consult atoms
had. but abe slept on. week in and week out.
How beautiful" was tn exclamation as
we entered T, what extent she would ma
terislize her beauty on awaking it ia impossi
/ BILE for me to saw, bat there was delicacy of
expression, As rare a. it was interesting
There was no unnatural look, unless it be
unnaturally attractive. There was no palor
no rgidity, no suffering. no lifelessness. The
/ face was slightly flushed. as full and as fair
az child at sleep Her body "a limp as
lily's stem Lift one of her fingers and it
would fall helplessle; the hand the arm, the
head were all the same. | took her hand and
lifted her arm out upon the coverl,t and it
was as nerveless AS a new born babe.
/ The pulse varied little from the natural
sleeping pulse in rapidity or strength They
said she would sometimes lift her arm back
under the spread, and had sometimes half
turned herself. She could not open her
mouth but would swallow milk and wine.
and sometimes tea, as they were dropped
, through her teeth. but nothing else She
hardly looked asleep; there was wakefu
expression to her countenance, and her eve
lids had a tremulous winking moveme mt
which added to the effect. At times, as her
sisters were talking and laughing, the lightest
touch of smile penciled her mouth. and
/ they reported that she would have crying
spells for two hours at a time. though not
often, when tears would flow and piteous
wall would accompany thtm Early in the
evening the winking would cease, and she
would sleep, sometimes snoring. l could
but feel that she heard US. and knew what
was going on about her. though she gave no
sign. When she had lain thus nine DAYS
she appeared to be waking, rose. spoke a
little. took some water, but instantly resumed
her sleep. After some five weeks the phv-
siclans applied battery Tor TOUR hours, I'M
Ill the father declared they should torture
her no longer.
She is now awake, but her limbs are use
less. She says she was conscious during all
the wskeful hours of her Today trance. that
she knew what was said and done, but was
powerless to speak, smile, or lift finger in
token of her appreciation. She had no pain
until the electricity was applied, but since
then she has suffered excruciating agony and
she thought at times after that. tina, she was
losing her reason. She always EXPECTED to
awake, but feared it would be without her
right mind. She awoke however, with clear
mind, good appetite and good general
/ health.
1t has been q strange case from the first.