The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-05-08
SOLVED THE MYSTERY.
People Who Have Died, Visited
Heaven and Returned.
Human Language Not Sufficiently Elastic
and Poetical for Descriptive Purposes
Both Travellers Deeply Regret
Their Return to Earth,

While willing to admit that agnos-
ticism and doubt have taken strong
hold upon humanity many people lose
sight OF the fact that the effect of this
absence of belief is, to a certain ex-
tent, offset by class who believe far
more than ia generally thought neces-
sary for the salvation of the soul.
Splritualists and believers In the prinz
ciples of theism may explain many
things TO their own satisfaction. but
there are now and then occurrences
which must forever remain unsolved
mysteries. A case in point is the re-
cent remarkable experience of Mrs.
Charles Collins. Soon after her hus-
bands death she became seriously i'll
and apparently died. Twelve hours
after her supposed death she showed
signs OF animation and in two hours
more was reclining on a sofa con-
versing with friends.
She related all she had seen aud
heard in such plain and concise way
no one could doubt the reality OF her
vision or dream, She said her soul
left her body during her comatose
condition and went straight to Heaven.
She declared she saw the Lord, and
the marvellous beauty and magnifi-
cence OF His surroundings were too
wonderful to be expressed in words.
"All that | saw" said Mrs. Collins,
u can never describe in this life, but
l know that | was dead and went to
Heaven, and my eyes beheld its glo-
rles' l can affirm that l had personal
experiences after the change called
death, but which is not death at all:
instead of that it is another and per-
'eet existence in joy and glory. Oh,
why did you not let me aloue2 | do
not care to stay here now, knowing
what uaspeakable glories are there
Mrs. Collins told her story calmly and
earnestly. honestly lamenting her re-
turn to earth. She firmly believes it
was neither dream nor a vision. but
That her soul was transported to
heaven, She is not a believer In
modern "spiritualism," and no motive
Tor deception could be discovered.
a parallel, but If any thing more
wonderful. case is the trance Of Rev.
William Tennent, Almost two, centu-
RES have gone since it occurred at New
brunswick, N. j. After |. regular
course OF theology, and being in his
ewenty-hfth year, he was preparing for
MS ordination. His close application
10 study had affected his health so
much his friends became anxious as to
the result. AT the same tine his spir-
''S were very low and he began to en-
Ie doubts as to his final happiness.
one morning as he was conversing
with his brother in Latin he tainted
and seemed to die. After the usual
lime his funeral was announced. His
physician, who was much attached to
aim' mad gone to distant city for a
snort time, but returning just before
NE hour for the funeral refused to be-
leve his friend was dead. Upon being
, nh that one of the attendants had
!. deserved slight tremor of the flesh.
uo Investigated the fact, although there
seemed to be no hope of rev;v;nn ,rh.t
seemed to be a cold and inanim,to
corpse. But he determined to n,,."
rial. He first held his hand in waura
water to make it as sensitive as nos
'lble and then felt under the arms
Ind above the heart, and affirmed that
he noticed an UNUSUAL warmth, appar-
mt to no one else. He had the BODY
placed in warm bed and ordered the
'ostponement of the funeral. The
'rother objected to this, saying it was
losurd, as the eyes were sunken, the
Ups dlscolored, and the whole body
old and stiff; however the doctor pre-
'ailed, and all known restoratives were
lpplled to produce symptoms of re-
ufnlng life.
Inc thru day arrived and no one en-
~ any hope except the doctor,
mo remained day and night. The t
,aaeral was again announced. but still {
rs, objected and at last confined his c
i,n sl1s' 70 one hour, then to q half, and G
tsa w 20 q quarter Of an hour, whom i
sIs,a y,osaer came In the room and in. C
proceed s eSsasnessly that the funeral should d
: IN