Year: 1861

THE EFFECT OF CURSE.


The effect of Imagination, as shown in the
case Of hyd;ophobia on the West Side recalls
to our mind remarkable Circumstance which
occurred many years ago, and in which an ex-
cited imagination brought about a miserable
life and a terrible DEATH The affair occurred
near the place of our nativity, and partly du-
ring our boy oyhood, and as we do not remember
ever seeing it recorded in print, we will give it
in the shape that it is impressed on our memo
ry


A young man named Comyn had for some
time paid attention to girl who was the belle
of the village, and they were at length formally
engaged Elizabeth was of an ardent temper
ament, loving Comyn with her whole heart and
sensitive to the slightest appearance of cold
ness or neglect


A "lovers quarrel sprang up for some slight
cause There was a coldness for day or two,
and on Sunday afternoon Comyn escorted an
other young woman to church. Elizabeth saw
them pass her window, and the coldness ofdes-
pair chilled through her Recovering from the
shock she took down her prayer book, and,
turning down leaf, sent it to Comyns house.
That done she went to a neighborng wood and
hung herself.


On returning from church her lover had
presentimnnt of evil and went to her house.
She had not been seen for two or three hours.
A terrible conviction flashed to his mind and he
exclaimed, Good has heavens she DESTROYED
herself" Hewas told that book had been sent
to his house, and on running thither, he found
the prayer book with the leaf turned down to
the l09th Psalm, and the following passage
marked.


"Let his days be few; and let another take his Of
Let his children be fatheress and his wife awidow
/ Let his children be vagabonds, and beg their bread
let them seek it also in desolate places.


Let the extortioner consume all that he hath and let
the stranger spoil his labor.


/ Let there be to pity him, to have compass
sion upon hi, fatheress children.


Let his postery be destroyed and in the next gene
ration let his name be clean put out"


While reading this terrible malediction word
! was brought of the discovery Of Elizabeth's
/ body and of the manner of her death. Comyn
rushed from the house. saving he was ruined


for ever and ever, and for days and nights he


wandered about the neighborhood half crazed


with remorse and fear.


Years passed away, but brought no allevia-


ton to his mental torture. He was afraid to


enter a church, least he should hear the dread


full words read The sight of bible or prayer


book would drive him from the house. Dsas-


ters and misfortunes of various kinds befel him,


all owing, he claimed, to the curse which hung


over him. His nights were disturbed by fright


full dreams The dead girl appeared to him in


mis- sleep with her features distorted by stran-


gulation, and her finger pointed to a prayer


book, open at the terrible curse. At such time


he frequently Shrieked in agony, 80 Betsey,


my dear Betsey, shut the book-shut the


book ~


His friends persuaded him to marry, hoping
/ thus to break the spell that weighed him down.
T At length he assented, and offered his hand to
a young girl. She turned from him with hor-
ror, asking if he wished to bring down the cur


ses of the dead girl on her head. Two other


offers refused in the same manner, but at


length the chance Of good settlement out


weighed the superstitous fears, and woman
/ was found to accept his offer.


That wedding was described to us by an eye
witness. They were married in the church, and


the way to it lay across an open track. When
, about midway a sudden and violent storm


sprung up. Crashing thunders, incessant fash
: es of sheeted lightning and bowling winds
5 daunted even the least superstitious with their
| i'll omens. Comyn threw himself to the ground


on his face, and groveed in convulsive agony
:, shrieking to he protected from the dead girl
. who, he said had come with thunder and light
e ming to destroy him. He was led helpless to
!. the church. and passed through the marriage
s ceremony in a stunted and bewildered manner
For two wears after the marriage Comyr
dragged out u ullseIuuIC ON'StSHNNJ OOul oii'
e mind wearing rapidly away together. He be


came the father of two children, both of whom
/ died shortly after birth. At length be died, hi
70 end being embittered by terrible visions, tn
IS horror of which threw him into violent conyul
= sions. To the last, the vission of the praye
r book, open at the Tooth psalm, seemed to sea
f. his eyehalls, and he died shrieking for his at
,f tendants to "make her shut that book" +"
ID The singular condolences that had terrific,
lie him during life did not cease at his death. II
in was buried on Sunday afternoon, and accord
,e ing to the custom of that neighborhood, tn
IN coffin was placed in the aisle during the reading
W of the regular Sunday afternoon service.
ne was the 22nd day of the month, and the lO9t
of psalm formed one of the psalms regularly ap
n. pointed for that afternoon. As the villager
~. looked at each other in astonishment at this &C
~ r. incidence, the church clock struck fourth
" very hour at which Elizabeth Lampen had gon


out to destroy herself!


Singular as the above story is we can youc


for its entire truth, and there are several othel
ot now living who can confirm it in every Wort
= 1t is but another proof that "truth is strange
ne than fiction. Ciereidnd Herald