Year: 1861

The effect of Imagination, as Shown in
the case Of hydrOphobia on the West Side,
recalls to our mind remarkable circum-
stance which occurred many years ago. and
IN which an excited Imagination brought
about "a miserable life and terrible death
The affair occurred near the place Of our
nativity, and partly during cur boyhood,
and as we do not remember ever seeing it
recorded in print, We viii give it in the
shape that It Is impressed on our memory


A young man named Comyn had for
some til2c paid attention to girl who was
the belle Of the village, and they were at
length formally engaged Elizabeth was
of an ardent temperament, loving Conyn
with her whole heart, and sensitive to the
slightest appearances Of coldness or neg
lect


4 lovers quarrel sprang up from some
slight cause. There was a GOODNESS for
day Or two and On Sunday afternoon Comyn
escorted another young woman to church.
Elizabeth saw them pass ker window, and
the coldncss of despair chilled through her
Recovering from the shock size took down
her prayer book, and, turning down leaf,
sent it to Comvn's house. That done she
went to ne!ghboring Uood and hung her
self.


On returning from church her lover had
4 presentiment OF evil and went to her
house. She had not been seen for two or
three hours. A terrible conviction flashed
to his nina, and he exclaimed, Good
heaven. she has destroyed herself lie
was told that a book had been sent to his
house, and on running thither, he found
the prayer book, with the leaf turned down
to the fO9th Psalm, and the following pas
sage marked;


Let his days be few and another take his office.


Let his children be atherless and his wife widew.


Let ms children be yagabonds, and beg their bread:


let hem seek it also in desolate places


Let the e%tortoner consume all that he hath and


let the stranger spoil his labor.


Let there be no man to pity him, nor to have com


passion upon his fatheriess children.


Let ms p0sterty be desrOycd and IN the next gen


erat!on let hIS name be clean put OUT


While reading this terrible malediction,
word was brought Of the discovery of Eliz-
abeths body and of her death. Comyn
rushed from the house, saying he was ruin
ed forever and ever, and for days and nights
he wandered about the neighborhood half
crazed with remorse and fear.


Years passed away, but no alleviation Of
his mental torture. liz was afraid to en-
ter church, least he should hear the dread
ful words read. The sight of Bible or
prayer book would drive him from the
house. Disasters and misfortunes of var
lous kinds befel him, all owing, he claimed,
to the curse which hung over him. His
nights were disturbed by frightful dreams
The dead girl appeared to him in his sleep
with her features distorted by strangula-
ton, and her finger pointed to prayer
book, open at the terrible curse. At such
time he frequently shrieked in agony-tQ
Betsey, my dear Betsey, shut the book
shut the book


His friends persuaded him to marry,
hoping thus to break the spell that weigh
ed him down. At length he assented, and
offered his hand to young girl She
turned from him with horror, asking if he
wished to bring down the curses of the
dead girl on her head. Two other offers
were refused in the same manner, but at
length the chance of good settlement out
weighed superstitious fears, and woman
was found to accept his offer.


That wedding was described to Us by an