Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-02-07
Face 10 Face with an Angel.


II have read great deal of late about oc
currences of a supernatural character sale
8 member Of the theatrical profession, "bu
in all my reading have not seen anything
approaching an occurrance that made q
great stir in Hancock county, Ohio, thirty
years ago. In 1858 was in that county for
short time. In Orange township there
was family by the name of Charles Viii.
liam Charles, the head of the family, think
was carpenter, and bis wife was most
estimable young woman, member of one
OF the beet families OF the county. They
had been married six or seven years, and
had one child, aged 5. About the middle oi
August, 1857, Mrs. Charles suddenly became
Respondent and low spirited. This was all
the more commented upon as she was of q
notably lively and cheerful disposition. She
would give no reason for her Sudden change
in spirits, always giving to her husbands
appeals to be made acquainted with the
cause the one simple reply:
"'Wait. IF there is any real cause you
will know in time
'5he was fearful much OF the time, and
was frequently found ia prayer. Her affec-
iion for her child, always greet and demon.
stratiys, became apparently still greater,
but tempered with spirit of sadness that
was affecting to ell who came in contact
with the family Mrs. Charles could not
bear to let the little one out Of her sight,
and the strangest part of the circumstance
was that the child seemed to know what had
made tho change in her mother, and was
often heard to console her in her childish
way, and to tell her not to cry.
''hs the middle of October approached, TO
Mrs CbaSles's dependency was added o
state of feverisb unrest and very apparent
suffering under strain OF some great su5
peDse, until, one day, when the month was
about half over, she begged her husband not
to 60 to his work that day, but to remain at
home with her. He humored her fancy, and
between twelve and one o'clock of that day
their little girl fell to the floor in a most un-
accountable state of insensibility. The
mother was near, and olasping her hands
to her bead she exclaimed:
"'My God rtis true! p
Mrs. Charles fell in faint, and her
alarmed husband sent the servant for aid.
He placed hi5 unconscious child Oh bed
and did whist he could TO revive both her
and bis wife until peveral ueighbcrs arrived.
A doctor was sent for and Mrs. Charles was
soon restored to consciousness, but the child
suddenly fallen, and never came out of it,
dying three days latter.
GAS soon 80 Mrs Charles could gain
strength and composure she told a most OK
traordinsrv story She said that ut noon
one day ia the middle OF August her little
girl Was playing in the yard. Her mother
happening 80 look cut at her, saW the child
gazing earnestly mp in tho sky, and raise
her little hand up as if reaching or greeting
something. hIre Charles could see nothing,
but she went out to where her child was
standing as if transfxed, and when she
reached her the little one turned 10 her
with n beaming face aud glowing eyes and
said
"Oh, mama it is an angel =
"Eirs Charles said feeling OF awe came
over her that she could not describe, and
she felt that sho was in the presence of
something that struck her with awe. She
could ses nothing. ard in much alarm took
Der little girl by the hand to lead her away,
but the child resisted, and suddenly there
was revealed to the childs mother the form
that bad beer visible 10 the child even be-
fore il reached the earth. That form Yves
exactly like those of angels she had read de-
srriDticns Of in the Bible and seen pictur' d
there, and che knew that she stood face to
face with y messenger from Heaven itself.
She felt no fear. but was overwhelmed by
awe. The angel spoke to her, and said that
her little girl would be called for from hea-
ven in lust two months from that day, but
that she would lie in trance for three days
when her soul would leave her body.
More than that the angel foretold to the
awe stricken mother that her own death
would follow that of her child BIZ one
month, mentioning the day and hour.
Then the angel slowly vanished from sight.
"Mrs. Charles said she tried to make her
self believe that she was the victim of some
halucination, but could not. Never having
been q believer in the orthodox religion, she
resolved to keep the secret of the vision,
and to impress the necessity of secrecy on
her child, if possible, SO that if it was hallu
cination she would not be ridiculed for hav
ing spoken ofit earnestly. Mrs Charless
death followed on or about the day she said
had heen foretold y