Year: 1867

The following remarkable circumstance,
which occurred number of years ago,
shows the terrible effects which an excited
imagination may have upon a life. The
affair, occurred near the place of our nativity,
and partly during our boyhood. 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 memory:


A young man named Comyn had for some
time paid attention to a girl who was the
belle of the village, and they were at length
formally engaged. Elizabeth wa, Of an ar
dent temperament, loving Comyn with her
whole heart, and sensitive to the slightest ap
pearance of coldness and neglect. A . low
er's quarrel" sprang up, for slight cause
= There was a codness 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
of despair chilled through her. Recovering
from the shock she took down her prayer
book. and turning down leaf, sent II to
Comyn's house. That done, she went to a
neighboring wood and hung herself


On returning from church her lover had q
presentiment of evil, and went to her house
She had not been seen for two or three
hours. A terrible conviction flashed to his
mind. "Good heavens she has destroyed
herself" He was told that book had been
sent to his house, and ON running thither be
found the prayer book with the leaf turned
down TO the 109th Psalm, and the following
passage marked:


" Let his days be few and another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless and his wife widow.
Let his children be vagabonds and beg their bread


let them seek it also in desolate places.
Let the extortioner consume all he hath, and let


the stranger spoil his labor.


Let there be to pity him, nor to have com


passion his fatherless children.


Let his posterity be destroyed, and in the next


generation let his name be clean put out.


While reading this terrible malediction,
word was brought of the discovery of Eliza
beth's body and of the manner of her death.
Comyn rushed from the house, saying he was
ruined forever and ever, and for days and
nights be wandered about the neighborhood,
half crazed with remorse and fear.


Years passed away, but brought no alle-
Walton to his mental torture. He was
afraid to enter church, lest he should hear
the dreadful words read, The sight of a
Bible or prayer book would drive him from
the house. Disasters and misfortunes of
various kinds befel him, all owing, he claim
ed, to the curse which hung over him. His





The dead girl appeared to him in his sleep
with her features distorted by strangulation,
and her finger pointed to prayer book open
at the terrible curse. At such times he fre
quently shrieked in agony, 30 Betsey, my
dear Betsey-shut the book"


His friends persuaded him to marry, hop
ing thus to break the spell that weighed 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 the curses of the dead girl on her
head. Two other offers were refused in the
same manner, but at length the chance of
n goud settlement outweighed superstitious
fears, and a woman was found to accept his
offer


That wedding was described to us by an
eve witness They were married in the
church, and the way to it lay across an open
tract When about mid way sudden and
violent storm sprang up. Crashing thun-
ders incessant flashes of sheeted lightning,
and bowling winds, daunted even the least
superstitious with their i'll omens. Comyn
threw himself to the ground on his face, and
groveled in conEulsed agony, shrieking to be
protected from the dead girl, who, he said,
hadbcome with thunder and lightning to de-
stroy him. He was led helpless to the
church. and passed through the marriage
ceremony in q stunned and bewildered man
ner.


For two years after the marriage. Comyn
dragged out miserable existence, body and
mind wearing rapidly away together. He
became the father of two children, both of
whom died shortly after birth. At length
he died. his end being embittered by terrible
visions, the horror of which throw him into
violent convalsions. To the last the vision
of the prayer book, open at the l09th psalm,
seemed to scar his eyeballs, and he died
shrieking to attendants to g make her shut
the book ~


The singular coincidence that had terrified
him during life did not cease at his DEATH
He was buried on Sunday afternoon, end
according to the custom of that neighborhood,
the coffin was placed in the aisle during the
reading of the regular Sunday afternoon ser
vice. 1t was the 22d day of the month, and
the 109th psalm formed one of the psalms
regularly appointed for that afternoon. As
the villagers looked at each other in aston
ishnent at this coincidence, the church clock
struck four-the very hour at which Eliza
beth Lampen had gone out to destroy her
SELF


Singular as the above story is, we can
vouch for its entire truth. and there are sew.
eral others now living who can confirm it in
every word. 1t is but another proof that
truth is stranger than felton,