certainly have been at home before. In short, she went immediately
to all the places he was wont to frequent, but nothing could be
heard or seen of him till the next morning, when a young man, as he
was going to work, discovered him, and went home and told his
sister that her brother lay in such a place, under a tree, and, as
he believed had been robbed and murdered.
The poor woman, who had all night been under the most dreadful
apprehensions, was now frightened and confounded to the last
degree. However, recollecting herself, and finding there was no
remedy, she got two or three of her neighbours to bear her company,
and so hastened with the young man to the tree, where she found her
brother lying in the same posture that he had described.
The dismal object at first view startled and surprised everybody
present, and filled them full of different notions and conjectures.
But some of the company going nearer to him, and finding that he
had lost nothing, and that there were no marks of any violence to
be discovered about him, they conclude that it must be an
apoplectic or some other sudden fit that had surprised him in his
walk, upon which his sister and the rest began to feel his hands
and face, and observing that he was still warm, and that there were
some symptoms of life yet remaining, they conclude that the best
way was to carry him home to bed, which was accordingly done with
the utmost expedition.
When they had got him into the bed, nothing was omitted that they
could think of to bring him to himself, but still he continued
utterly insensible for about six hours. At the sixth hour’s end he
began to move a little, and in a very short time was so far
recovered, to the great astonishment of everybody about him, that
he was able to look up, and to make a sign to his sister to bring
him a cup of water.
After he had drunk the water he soon perceived that all his
faculties were returned to their former stations, and though his
strength was very much abated by the length and rigour of the fit,
yet his intellects were as strong and vigorous as ever.
His sister observing him to look earnestly upon the company, as if
he had something extraordinary to communicate to them, fetched him
a pen and ink and a sheet of paper, which, after a short pause, he
took, and wrote as follows:-
“Dear sister,
“I have now no need of pen, ink, and paper, to tell you my meaning.
I find the strings that bound up my tongue, and hindered me from
speaking, are unloosed, and I have words to express myself as
freely and distinctly as any other person. From whence this
strange and unexpected event should proceed, I must not pretend to
say, any farther than this, that it is doubtless the hand of
Providence that has done it, and in that I ought to acquiesce.
Pray let me be alone for two or three hours, that I may be at
liberty to compose myself, and put my thoughts in the best order I
can before I leave them behind me.”
The poor woman, though extremely startled at what her brother had
written, yet took care to conceal it from the neighbours, who, she
knew, as well as she, must be mightily surprised at a thing so
utterly unexpected. Says she, my brother desires to be alone; I
believe he may have something in his mind that disturbs him. Upon
which the neighbours took their leave and returned home, and his
sister shut the door, and left him alone to his private
contemplations.
After the company were withdrawn he fell into a sound sleep, which
lasted from two till six, and his sister, being apprehensive of the
return of his fit, came to the bedside, and, asking softly if he
wanted anything, he turned about to her and spoke to this effect:
Dear sister, you see me not only recovered out of a terrible fit,
but likewise that I have the liberty of speech, a blessing that I