Year: 1865

known of the future vaguely impresses


itself upon the present? l think so. II


not, how do we get that prescience oi


good or evil that SO strangely elevates us


with hope or depresses us with fear that


throws over our spirits the serenity of a


placid lake. or the wild agitations Of a
stormy sea?


From my earliest recollection l had


always been afraid of being buried alive,


I do not remember that the fear of death


had ever troubled me-only the fear ol
entering the grave while yet living man,
and becoming conscious of it when too
late. Of all the horrors which the mind
can conjure up, this to me always seemed
the most dreadful, and the fear Of it fast
ened itself upon me with all the power OF
haunting spectre, and it became one Of
the deep concerns of my life to guard
against it. At twenty-five years of age,
l ordered my coffin and purchased my
tomb. The coffin was SO constructed,
that living person, closed up in it could
touch certain springs and throw it all
apart and the tomb was contrived with
proper ventilation, and provided with
blankets and key inside so that, in case
Of life returning after burial, could secure
myself against deadly chill and speeds
ly find my way out.


Why had / these fears to lead me to
these precautions, unless the coming real
ity had cast its shadow upon me? My
monomania, as many termed it, was
known to all my friends, every one Of
whom had been separately charged to
see me positively dead before burial
But what are precautions taken against
fate? | was doomed to be buried alive
after all.


At the time ! speak of, | was twenty
seven years of age, and living in my
native place, an inland city. Urgent
business called me 10 Boston, where l
had only one acquaintance, a very dear
friend, who had often invited me to come
and make him visit. Unfortunately be
was at this time out of town; but his
family insisted upon my making their
house my home during my stay in the
city, and would not in fact permit me 10
90 elsewhere. On the third day | had
finished my business, and, as it was the
last of the week, l decided TO remain
some two or three days longer, and per-
haps get sight of my friend before leav-
ing.


On the following morning l was found
dead in my bed-at least it was SO re-
ported-and h e strongest evidence i
have against it is the fact that j am liy-
ing now. The people of the house, Of
course, were alarmed-their physician
was called in, and afterwards the coro-
ner. 1t was at length decided to put
me in a coffin, and place me in church
vault till the return of my friend, who
would of course have my body conveyed
to my native place for final interment.


Thus it is seen that all my precautions
availed me nothing-for, abroad, almost
among strangers, l had taken on the
semblance of death, and had been coffin
ed and entombed in the ordinary way.


Ireturned to consciousness in the night,
in the vault of the church. Of course i
knew not then where / was. My first
sensation was one Of strange pressure and
confinement. / fanced, as in a dream,
that had been seized for a maniac, a
strait jacket put upon me, and then forced
into a narrow cell. This idea did not
long hold its place. AS my mind grew
clearer, l began to recall what had hap
pened during the past week-my leaving
home, going to Boston, transacting my
business. and so on. / remembered be-
ing at my friends house, and of deciding
to remain longer than / first intended,
hoping for his return before my depar-
ture. All this gradually became clear,
along with the last pleasant evening |
had spen. with his family. Bot then
came blank. What had happened
since I? and where was l now? at
tempted to rise, and found myself shut
up in some narrow place, that scarcely
allowed of any movement Whatever
How did get there? what did it mean


Suddenly my old life. long fear return
ed upon me with new terror that no
language can express. Perhaps the
dread horror of years had come, and !
been buried alive The thought was so
appalling that for some moments l re-
NAMED paralyzed. Then seemed
gathered into one great agony, which
sent forth the most wild and piercing


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