Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-12-13
a u,o-vvoelp rp,sooe.

by q couple of TAT, cautious, wAddIlnx
gentleman, and started II swinging
pace down the trcacherous incline. Sud.
denly I WAS aware that my feet had
clipped from under me. Then came q
fissh followed by darkness.
The same street stretched before me,
only I WAS walking In the opposite Ill.
reciion. A hat MAS lying In the gutter,
which struck me Ia the most whimsical
way AZ being exactly Ike my hat. !
vas about To pick u up aud examine u,
when I notlced group of men carrying
q heavy object Into AN adjacent drug
store. I pushed forward With curiosity,
aud Was astonished 10 see that the heavy
object VAS myself hailc.s, my face dead.
iy white. with some drop. Of blood clus-
tered on the hair.
The men staggered Into the drug
store and followed them. They laid
their burden on the counter, and the
druggist came rushing from q back
room In frightened haste. lie ruthlessly
tore open the bosom of What ] shudder-
ell 10 perceive Was my best coat, loo.en-
.,i the unierclothing aud bent down Va
listening attitude. shall never forget
the expression of his face ne he turn
c,i aud looked up without lifting his
body.
"Gentlemeu." he aid. "the man IL
dead"
I laughed outright at the prrposter-
business Of the statement. NV voice VA.
perfectly audible Ia myself. but none of
the other. Ia the ROOM seemed Ia hear
Il; at least none of them turned Ia look
az me. heari one of the bystander.
say that be would report at once, and
"a, druggist nodded silently toward the
telephone. A. for me, | could eniar,
the farce no longer, aud walked on With
a distinct consciousness 81 citation, as u
I had suddenly become rid of a great
budcn, or had realized some long de-ir-
.d hope. The snow WAS falling thicki,
out.iie, hut I felt so strangely hspp,
that the whirling storm seemed NOR
beautiful than the faire.t June sky ! had
ever seen.
I walked up Tremont Street, my heart
leaplng With an undreamcd of Joy To-
mere existence. On the corner al the
iir.i block whom should meet hut dear
old doctor - Who had brought Into
the world and Who had been my beet
friend aud counselor until three YEAR.
before, when blood poisoning, contracted
during q critical surgical operation, had
carried him OF. The recognition VA.
mutual, and We fell Into each other.
arm. With ordinations 81 surprise aud
delight.
"Mhy, doctor. God bless you'
thought YOU we're dead"
"My dear boy ! didn't know that you
had escaped"
I locked at my FREUD la blank smsrs-
m.nt. Escaped" cried. "What de-
mcsni Escaped ahatf'
"ile.h," cried the doctor, briefly,
Will. the same old laugh SEEMED tn ring
In his Kindly voice. ''lIoncs'" aud b.
beamed upon me With hl. face Ike .
plastic chunk 81 sunshine.
looked down at my tweed sult and
cork -.oled shoes. Ihen ] CARED upon
thc doctor. cxpansi,. waisicoat, peep
Ing through hls half buiionei mackin.
to.h. II don't see that ] even ESCAPED
my cloibe.-or that you have, either,
I remarked obviously.
III YOU don't believe that YOU have
e.capcd fic.h aud hones." .sld the doe
tor seriously, "try walking through the
lamp post"
4 advanced incrcduloa.ly "a the post,
backed % with laugh. then moved ~
sgsIn With the doctors hand on my
.houldcr-snd melted through the .olii
Iron, or, Ia speak more exactly, the
solid Iron melted through me.
"Now follow me through TIL. old APP
pie woman" chuckled the doctor; aud
In an Instant We had permeated half.
bu.bsl IL wormy fruit aud dame a.
~lther-d snd gaunt az the ir-e. that
bor- n.
"Arr YOU .ailsncdr' crle'l the doctor
a. De dragged mc through a solid wall
Into the privacy 10 two clo.cicd Pollih
clans, Who never noted our Intrusion Ia
the least.
"p.rfectly, az far 40 ocular demon
.tration goes, replied. admlring Oh.
nonchslancc aud familiarity With which
the doctor leaned upon th. shoulder ~
one ~ the politicians. and FROM force 81
habit While la the nesh, proccled to
examine hi. tongue. "lc.," ] con-
tlnued, II am satisfied that I am not
What I was, hut Will YOU have the Kind
nc.. Ia explain why We both retain The
.emblancc a.. when We were Ia ia"
body
'.Certalnly." replied INV friend, 1--WE
do not-ihat IL, not really. lna Yer,
brief space 81 time nov-pcrh,ps beforr
thee. wire pull.r. have arranged their
.lste-you will begin Ia experience M"
a. I do YOU.
Your ,tr..nt notion 81 form l. mere
rcmlnlsc,ncc. All newly escaped pcr.
sous, that Il, all Who have recently rid
th.m..lye. 10 the fr-h, retain Tor time
a certain sense Of Consciousness, n the
eve which Ia. been gazing urona brigh,
object. retains the imlgc of that object
Aiiet the lids are closed. Hut a. that
imsgc gradually fade. away, 80 vii
your r,mIni.,encc ~ bodily form fade
away. Presently YOU will no longer see,
but experience. which I. n much NOR.
vivid and delightful operation of th.
soul. With the Transformation which
sn.ues, all the .trangenc.s aud unf,mll.
lsrity % the nii-Norld, as We call u,
will pass away"
A. the doctor spoke b'csme gradual
~ conscious that hi. protrudlng wsls'coat
and yolumInous msCkintosh were fading
away. In their place appeared nothing.
nj flr.t, but It'll. vhirllng column 81
mist. Presently that too vanished and
the doctor. voice grew fainter and
fainter, tlll IL utterly ceased. In place
% seeing or hearing came such sudden
vivid realization of the prcsencc and
reality of INV friend, that ] gioved 10
the cvntrr IL my soul With Nh unspeak-
ing warmth of love and Joy. The air
about the seemed Ia CULVER With = pene-
trsting vet unseen life aud light. ] Was
about to enter Into the perfect and un-
uiterablc ecstasy of u spiritual bclng,
when-i!romneid Street opened It,
.lushy, dirty length before me; q COM
ssionst. bystander assisted me 10 my
iset. while another brought my hat out
81 the gutter, saying:
swell. INV friend, your head had =
pretty sharp rap on the curb. guess
YOU must have lain unconsciou. for n
minute or more. Paul Isstnor In hate