The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-05-20
HOW I DIED.

pam as only strong men, suddenly broken
upon the wheel, may know. Every bone
10 my body, every nerve, every minute
gland Of corporeal tissues had been like
electric wires and cells surcharged with
ethereal agony. At last there had come
benumbed feeling that thrilled like the
vibration Of harp strings suddenly stilied
/ could hear the hum of voices like the
far of drone of bees, and the sound
seemed soothing me into strange peace.
Twas aware that somebody passed a
light before my eyes, and after repeating
tho action several times replaced the
night lamp on the stand without the
shade. knew also that somebody stepped
TO the window and threw il wide open,
while voice, seemingly borne beyond
the confines Of space and gathering force
as il approached the boundaries of auric-
ular demonstration until it doomed like
the deep bass of the sea. uttered these
words:
THE poor fellow is going fast Give
his spirit a chance TO free itself"
DO you believe in that old woman
rot?' asked another, and from the re-
gion of enchanted drowsiness where
seemed to Enger I caught myself listen
ing for the third voice. which 1 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 a woman's voice, clear and
strong and sweet as the notes Of a bell
that was forever ringing in my ear. said:
We 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; If closed window
hinder its going. we viii throw every
window in the old hospital as wide as
the sky"
And give the rest of the poor devils
IN the ward chance to catch a mortal
chill" responded the second 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, I 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 a prayer foeted
through the awful stiffness Of the room.
Il had no form nor sound, and yet some
thing within me perceived il, as the Ian
guild senses perceive the fragrance of
newly mown hay upon serene June
morning.
A continuous pageant Of the most Sc
raphic vision unfurled in endless progress
sion before me. / saw the green hills of
my childhood's home lift themselves like
emerald bubbles in a haze of enchanted
air. saw the sapphire of the sea set in
q rim Of violet dawns and dafodil Moons
I saw the stretch Of desert sands like
drifts of SNOW within the compass of a
lonely land And in the midst Of their
bewilderin;y vision ! suddenly saw a
cleaning slab within a windovless 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 its 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 viii bury him tonight, it seemed
to say. there viii be no friends to in
terfere. and there are too many dying
these few days past to keep 'stiffs' over
q half day"
But the law grants even n stiff its
rights" responded the woinanly voice j
had learned to know. I'VE have no
right to bury him with such indecent
haste"
Right or no right, law or no law.
he'll 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 IT'S mysterious connec-
ton with sentient life. That filament,
fine rs 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
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 woman's voice !
learned from ont 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 a growing strand.
why, the flush we both have noticed
since we stood here. knew by the in
tent gaze you bestowed upon what gen.
orally demands but a passing glance that
you discovered it when did, and 1 de-
mand that the body be removed to the
ward until we investigate the case"
That flush is only the reflection of
Jour red dress" laughed the doctor.
You are wasting time" said the
nurse Il 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 a fool of yourself over this fellow
from tee first Not hanger on in the
ward but what noticed your interest in
his handsome face. You are bound TO mo
by ties you cannot break, and rather thai
see you under the enchantment of this
fellow again / simply win smother tho
feeble pulse of life that fingers in his
veins and make q surety of his DEATH
you may be villain, but You are not
acoward. DR.. Ware" replied the woman.