Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-09-06


onoe. but never again. 4 occurred thus;
| ague and had como eAriy 10 bed, but not
| 10 sleep. All the evening had been kept
painfully awake by that same church clock
which have mentioned above.
It seemed 10 me 20 strike oftener, louder
and more slowly than any clook had ever
had the misfortune to come across. OF
course my ailmcnt Of the moment caused
the clocks vagaries TO appear peculiarly
painful, and / bore tho annoyance very
restlessly, with my face turned pettishly
to tho wall, but when tho midnight hour
began to chime I felt as though / could
bear 1t no longer. Muttering an impatient
exclamation, / turned In my bed, SO as to
face the room, and, looking across It,
saw my poor L--- standing close TO n
screen between me and the door, looking
at mo
She was In her usual dress, wearing
what was then called "cross over, I"
which was tied behind, while her bonnet,
which she was always In the habit Of TAX
Ing of as she came up stairs, was, as usu-
oil, hanging by tho ribbon on her arm.
She had smile on her face, and dis
tinctly noticed her lovely little white ears,
which were always my admiration. and
which were only half covered by her soft
brown hair.
She stood, minute It seemed, looking
at me- then she gllded toward me, and /,
half apprehensive that she was about to
throw herself ON my bed exclaimed, jump
ing up In a sitting posture:
Dearest, what brings you here so later"
With deep reverence be 1t spoken, but as
soon as these words were out OF my mouth
was irresistibly reminded Of those spo-
ken, holy writ tells us, by st. Peter at
the awful moment Of tho transfigurationl
Awed and daked at the sight of the spirit
ual visitants, we are told he uttered words
mot knowing what he said" These
words of mine also seemed to leap to my
Lips, with but little meaning in them, II
any.
AS soon, however, as my voice had ceased
the apparition disappeared, and remain
cd some moments motionless.
One Of the most curious features of the
case Is that, although was very especial
ly restless and awake at the moment Of
the appearance, ! recognized my friend 50
completely that forgot also to recognize
the fact that she had died, or rather IL
fact to mind. Indeed 1t all took place In
much quicker than can tell It, and she
that till she had disappeared really be-
iieved / was seeing her In the fieshi OF
course, as soon as I had time to reflect ]
remembered and realized what 1t was
had seen.
I was not frightened. but felt colder
than had ever felt In my life, and ] have
fo1 r,lA hvrt ho vvNrt tcfp
seemed to pour of my body. I called no
one TO my assistance. All I realised was
that God had permitted me to see her once
more, and that perhaps he might send her
to me again. But he has not done SO, and
probably now he never will.
I lay awake all night afterward, hoping
for and, / think, almost expecting, her
again, and after the day had dawned I
fell asleep.
Before telling my story 10 any one, and
dreading unspeakably all the doubling
and sarcastic speeches which such narra-
tion would inevitably call forth, sent for
my doctor, On old and trusted friend, and
after making him talk nationally to me
for some time asked him whether he con-
sidered me In an exalted state, or whether
had ever betrayed any hysterioal tend
encies. He reassured me heartily on these
points and then asked my reasons for such
questionings.
] thercupon opened my heart to him,
and he neither ridiculed nor disbelieved,
but on the contrary, told me another case
of the same kind which had lately happen
cd to friend of his, but be strongly ad-
vised me to keep my own counsel at pres
ent, which did for some time, and kind
ly added that he not only did not look
upon me as lunatic, but simply as wo-
man for whom one corner Of the curtain
which guarded the unseen had been lifted.
In conclusion, I repeat I am ready to
vouch for the truth of every word here set
down, and also, should 1t be required, to
give names, In private, to satisfy those
who doubt.-Strand Magazine.