The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-03


possibjlity OF my fate. ! calculated TO
myself: Ten to one ! will be a dead man
uuon nv arrival at the bottom OF the
mountain. VI. ,however | find myself
alive and fully conscious. / Will have 10
take some OF the yincgar-ether which,
on leaving the SAINTS, placed In my vest
pocket A good thing. unused TO myself.
that 1t Is where II Is. l would scarcely
be able TO reach for II II II was stiil in my
knapsack, where / used to carry IT, | will
take two or three drops OF the ether on
my tongue. / continued in my thoughts.
That will revive me and keep me from
taking cold But what about my stick?
All, that may be useful II 1--we. and be-
sides. IL is a beautiful alpenstock. l will
keep Il. And. true enough, l held IN to
IT, Then / thought that 1t might be well
10 take off and throw away my specta .les.
that they might break and inture my ewes.
/ reached for them, but was unable TO
do as intended.
Thus / spent several or maybe only
one precious second in egotistical circum-
spectiOn. After that my thoughts turned
Ipcn the consequences which my death
would have for my family. / must try to
save myself fer the sake OF my wife and
children, argued. The friends that were
with me ere probably famed by terror,
ana I must double their energies by call
ing for help, IL / can. a good way 10
spur them, | thought, would be TO cry
out, am all safe, but must have drink
at once Then l managed 10 lie present
wnen the news OF my death reached
home. | heard my wife and children cry
and lament and 1 tried to condole with
them l even cracked jokes in this en-
deavor. Again l saw with my minds
eye the confusion that would reign I'm the
IL nj Of my faii IN
begin lecturng. That brought back to
me all M struggles. my early training,
my trials, and small triumphs. My life
from childhood 10 manhood giided past
my mental observation like a living pic
ture, vivid impressive, joyful, and COR
rCwful, as il had been. Tableau follow
ed tableau in quick succession, each fig
urs beng distinct, and Incidents being
perfectly and completely pictured. When
! had arrived at my present state and
condition / saw n magnificent blue heaven
opening TO receive me. All vas serene
happiness. while rosy and violet clouds
marked the horizon. Into this heaven l
foated with rerfect eqIipOise, with beau
tiful anticipation, while my mundane eyes
perceived my body flying through the air,
and saw the snow field below. / heard a
dull thud: ! had struck the ground.
1T IA an open question to me whether
the above described sensation OF going
to heaven is not very strong argument
for the teachings Of the Christian reli-
gion. The mind of man becomes clear and
pure on the threshold Of eternity; II be-
comes RE nbst wonderful machinery
for thought and observation. Its retro
spactve facilities are marvellous. Can
its prognostics be waved asideY
After finishing OF all earthly affairs
and making peace with man, the inde-
pendent soul sees the heavens open; all
around is beauty and haPpiness-a world
STEPPED in blue and rOseate tints l
should say here that 1 am far from being
a pronounced reli yiOus man. At no pc
ricd of my life have been gwen 10 spc,u-
lating much on the teachings or the
Church. but when about 20 die l expert
enced all those sensations which are as
cribed to deeply devout persons during
their last moments on eartn.
Il have heard a man say on his DEATH
bed: i see the angels; / see Christ open
ing his arms 10 receive me-, and classed
these utterances with other delirious raw
ings l witnessed. To-day. their s.gniii-
canoe to my mind, Is no longer douDtful,
especially as the testimony or Sigrist,
above quoted, and that OF many others,
proves that my experience was not am
exceptional one. Reconsider the follow
ing facts !. Ike the others, had about
made up my mind that j was TO die, which
means that i was TO enter upon a new
lease OF spiritual life I'm enternity. The
rapddity of perception peculiar TO a per-
son in dat state then placed me into
my new sphere. even before l was ripe for
n, which IS perfectly natural psyclolog-
zeal process. But II there be nothing
beyond this Efe, as atheists assert, why
the heavenly phenomenal Way not
blank instead OF a paradise? When con-
scfousnoss left me black veil lifted
across my eyes My minds eyes were
filled with heavenly visions 10 the last.
Who VIII explain II all2
"To return TO actualties, / will repeal
that during my downward journey time
seemed % stretch indefinitely. and the
faculties OF objective observation. sub
jectiye feeling. and thinking, worked
simultaneously without interfering with
each other. There was no confusion. no
perplexlty: my calculations were logical;
/ acted with lightning rapidity.
81 thought to do 50. too, when / began
10 cry out. as intended, L am all safe;
bring me water, or words TO that effect,
but / had actually lain perfectly still.
without the least mental or physical per-
Torrance. FOR over half an hour before
! gave that sign OF returning life Ny
l."NAN WHO ildu WblfHth IiF llbiu dIhff
and afterwarl sat at my side for con-
siderable time say so. Without seeing
them / took the vinegar bottle from my
vest pocket, reached for my spectaeles
that rested at my side, ana felt of my
back and limbs 20 find out II any bones
were broken. TIE fact that 1 failed TO
notice my friends. and did not even look
al them, is explainable only on the theory
that ] continued thinking where / had
left off my selfish calculations when I'M
consciousness overcame me; II was the
instinct of self-prese rvation that domin-
ated my feelings upon regaining life.
Forty minutes | had been dead 10 the
world and 10 myself, and at the termi-
nation Of this period l was the same sell
fish being as before / cried for help. be-
cause, having no recollection Of the coma
tose state in which l had been, thought
my friends at least a mile or two away,
as they were at the time / reached the
foot Of the mountain"
and did the heavenly thoughts reoccur
to YOU. also?' the professor was asked.
NO" said Dr. Helm; II experienced
them only az the moment Of standing on
the threshold of enternity Then. my
soul rose gloriously TO the occasion. but
the certainty of death being removed my
material instincts and spirits triumphed."
-Inter-Ocean.