Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-04-06
HOW l DIED.

. that seemed years upon the rack Of sucl
pain as only strong men, suddenly broker
: npon the wheel. may know. Every bon'
In my body. every nerve, every minut'
! gland of corporal tissues had been lik,
electric wires aud cells surcharged will
ethereal agony. At last there had com,
benumbed feeling that thrilled like tn,
vibration Of harp strings suddenly stilled
] could hear the hum Of voices like the
far of drone Of bees, and the sound
seemed soothing me into strange peace.
| was aware that somebody passed q
light before my eyes, and after repeating
the action several times replaced the
night lamp on the stand without the
shade. knew also that somebody stepped
TO the window and threw 1t wide open,
while voice, seemingly borne beyond
the confines Of space and gathering force
| as IL approached the boundaries Of auric-
ular demonstration until IL doomed like
the deep bass Of the sea, uttered these
words:
The poor fellow is going fast. Give
his spirit chance TO free ITSELF"
do yon believe in that OLD woman
roty asked another, and from the re-
gion Of enchanted drowsiness where
seemed to linger caught myself listen
ing for the third voice, which / seemed
to know would speak next. And didn't
listen in vain. for even while struggled
with the unseen forces that were hurry
ing me away womans voice, clear and
strong and sweet a. the notes of bell
that was forever ringing In my ear, said
I'VE believe in Gods mercy, and we
believe that this poor pain racked body is
about to throw open the door by which
the spirit goes free; il closed window
hinder its going, we will throw every
window in the old hospital as wide as
the sky"
And give the rest OF the poor devils
In the ward a chance to catch mortal
chill. responded thesecond voice. "You
are as consistent as the rest Of your sex.
Miss Brady"
While yet the echo Of the head doctors
voice beat the air in circles Of receding
sound, | suddenly ceased to think. to
hear. to feel. to be. And yet was.
knew by some newly developed sense
that lay mute and white upon the cot
which had supported my body so long,
and that the fragrance Of prayer floated
through the awful stiffness of the room.
1t had no form nor sound, and yet sonfe-
thing within me perceived it. as the Ian
guild senses perceive the fragrance Of
newly mown hay upon serene June
morning.
A continuous pageant of the most &c
raphic vision unfurled in endless progress
sion before me. saw the green hills Of
my childhood's home lift themselves like
emerald bubbles in haze Of enchanted
air. saw the sapphire Of the sea set in
rim Of violet dawns and daffodil moons.
saw the stretch Of desert sands like
drifts Of snow within the compass Of a
lonely land. And in the midst of their
bewildering vision l suddenly saw a
cleaning slab within windowless room,
where something long and white and
still was lying. Drops Of ice were form
ing on the edges Of the slab, and death
cold stream was purling across it's shin
ing surface. Something that was not
voice. and which made itself manifest to
me through other channels than the ear,
spoke lightly Of the grave wherein ]
soon should lie.
I'VE will bury him tonight" it seemed
to say, there will be no friends to in
terfere. and there are too many dying
these few days past to keep stiffs' over
a half day."
But the law grants even stiff its
rights" responded the womanly voice
had learned to know, 1--WE have no
right to bury him with such indecent
haste"
Right or no right, law or no law.
hell have to get out Of this tonight" re-
piled the first voice.
The contention had no effect upon the
something within my ice bound frame
which still held its mysterious connec-
tion with sentient life. That filament,
fine as the gossamer shred by which the
spider binds together the ether and the
rose, seemed an electric wire charged
with messages from an unseen world.
l could hear the rise and fall of angelic
,choruses, like the dip of songful seas,
and clear and sweet and distinct, above
them all. heard the womans voice
learned from out the cold embrace Of
death to note.
He shall not be buried tonight, nor
yet tomorrow. if that flush continues on
| his face"
What flush are you talking about"
responded the doctor, bringing the light
he carried nearer the face that lay upon
the marble slab, where the ice drops
were forming, crystal by crystal, like the
beads one threads upon growing strand.
why. the flush we both have noticed
kince we stood here. knew by the in
tent gaze you bestowed upon what gen.
orally demands but passing glance that
| you discovered 1t when | did, and de-
mand that the body be removed to the
ward until we investigate the case"
THAT flush is only the reflection OF
your red Dress" laughed tho doctor.
"You are wasting time," said the
nurse II shall call stretcher to carry
this living man out of the morgue Aft
erward we may resume our converse
ton"
"You shall do nothing Of the sort, !" re-
piled the doctor, placing his hand as he
spoke upon the outstretched arm Of the
nurse with compelling force. "You have
made fool Of yourself over this fellow
| from the HrSt Not N hangar ou in the