Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-03-03

Facts About the King Of Terrors
and the Terror of Kings.
1t IN easy to die. the physicians say.
dead easy, and it does not hurt Nor
is il fearful thing for the man or the
woman doing it. On the contrary, 1t is
the most natural of all things except
birth. OF the two episodes. birth and
death, birth has all the pain, as those
who are born declare by weeping.
Those who die never weep. So the
Persian proverb hath it: You wept
when you came into the world, while
those about you laughed; so live that
when you die you smile and those
about you weep" The Persians were
q great people in the days OF this prov
erb. and, speaking generally, the world
has Uyed up to the ancient injunction.
1t could not live in any other way.
Physicians, nurses in hospitals and
clergymen ere By more often than ~
er folk when persons die, and aey
testify to the painlessness of death,
and even to its restfulness. One ply
sician of experience says that, except
rag what newspapers call casual
ties," death comes easily ard without
terror.
81 knew a man IN a western town."
ne said, who was haunted with the
fear Of death. He could not throw off
the feeling of dread, do what he
would. He became almost a monoma-
MAC on the subject, and without APP
parent reason for he was strong and
hearty, had a good wife a good ap-
petite and a prosperous business. |
knew him for years and until eight
cen months ago he was all right eX-
cept for this terror OF death. Finally
and most unexpectedly, he was taken
i'll an1 died. When he was first down
he was in 9 fearful state of mind, but
as ne grew worse the terror left, and,
when he knew there was practically
no hope for him he was quiet enough,
didn't worry, but put his affairs in or
der, said goodbye and went to sleep
far more peacefully than he had done
when he was well.
"a man is not exceedingly i'll so long
as he is afraid to die. 1t is when he
comes to the don't care stage that the
end is near. The sicker he is the less
he cares. When his desire to live
weakens there is not much for the
physician 20 do unless he can stimu-
late him TO mental effort. The dying
man Is tired and would rest; it is more
difficult to stimulate him mentally
than it is 10 keep a sleepy child
awake. Sometimes the shock OF sur
prise will do it. I remember the case
OF g widow who had left to her the
charge of farm cut in Michigan. She
was a good business woman and did
wonders with the land until it was
one OF the best pieces of property in
The country. Then, having worked
long and hard, she fell i'll and her ply
siciSn, giving up hope OF her recovery,
advised her TO make her will. She
was low and could only whisper when
the lawyer came. lie had great diff
Guilty in catching her words, and had
to keep his ear close to her lips to u1I-
derstand what she was talking about.
She went over list OF trinkets and
household belongings she wished rela
tives and friends to have for keep
sakes, and then, after q long pause,
which made the lawyer and doctor
think the END had come, the articula-
ted whisper began again. The widow
was telling what she wished to have
done with the farm. But you have on
ly life interest in the farm, said the
lawyer. 1T does not belong to you to
beQueath.
" 'Whatr said the woman on the
edge Of the grave, raising her head
from the pillow, DO you mean to say
this farm I've worked in for the last
ten years and made the best one III
all the country, amt my own to do
just what l like withY
" only yours to live on, said the
lawyer.
" Then l amt going to die
"And she didn't. She lived nearly
twenty years longer and made enough
money to buy two more farms. which
she took much satisfaction in declar,
ing were her own to will as she
would. If death is ever painful. it is
rarely-I am convinced of that
MIR. Myers, the London essayist,
tells of a clergyman whom he knew
who died and came back to life again.
This death was as real to the clergy
man as anything in his life had been.
He was climbing the Alps with a par
ty of friends and guides, and feeling
tired he laid down for little rest. He
fell asleep and soon was freezing. AS
he froze he felt himself leaving his
body, pulling out from the feet first.
and gradually drawing up into the
head. Then ne stepped out entirely, all
but thin thread He could look down
on his body and see distinctly tie
thread-li&e connection, He could also
see what would have been impossible.
had he stayed in the body that is his
friends and the guides going on up the
mountain They were hidden from
view from the place where his body
lay. He liked being out and he
watched his friends with interest. He
chuckled TO see his own guide stealing
some of the lunch. After little he
saw the party turn round looking for
him. Then some of them came back
and found his body stiff. They We're
alarmed. and began rubbing him and
giving 20 him stimulants He did not
like it, for he did not wish to go back
into his body. But there was no help
for it. His friends were so persistent
in their efforts that he had to return,
When he found himself back he
awoke and told what he had seen.
They were astonished. for he had seen
everything just as it happened. He be
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