| Show A A foit FOR META in the tha month of 0 november 1815 1845 the tha ship S ehla walk walkr r sailed from houi boston boned the owner Thoo philas and nathaniel walker had invited their blotier bro her inlaw in ln law the rev kev chas walker to go 0 out to palermo as a passenger for tho the benefit liene tit of his health heI tj among the crew was a young man maa named frederick fredarick Fred trick stetson lie iio WM was the eldest son soa of 0 the rev caleb stetson Ste at that time pastor of the unitarian church in medford Med tord frederick had been in a art tore orein in boston but bat not noli being well returned homo home to be under the care ot of a physician his health did not improve and dr beals of meadford Sled ord ad ased it ft sea as most likely to restore his vigor rigor friderick was delighted with this prospect and hla his parents reluctantly consented it was thought best for his health that I 1 is ia should go on board as a sailor but A n contract was made with captain john codman that in case frederick should decoma weary of 0 his datlo ho be should be admitted to the cabin in the capacity of cap talus clerk from the fad blat the revar stetson was MIS a or add friend I 1 became acquainted with these circumstances at tile tiie time tho the man left homo home and embarked on board the sophia walker the father also re r quested my husband to peak to captain cotman codman his former pupil in regard to the youth in common with other friends I 1 thred deeply with mr and mrs stetson a parting partin g front from their son under these painful circumstances s but domestic cares carea aud and other scenes grada gradually ally effaced efte impressions impression until I 1 forgot the length kongth of time he ha expected to be ba unsent I 1 indeed lout loot all of his hi voyage I 1 relate these circumstances in detail hat the reader may understand more fully the remarkable facts which followed during tho the latter part of 0 february 1846 the hie death of my loy molli cr sira mrs leonard woods of andover ads tj by my own dangerous in march I 1 was seized with hemorrhage of the lungs lings and lay for hours hovering between life and death one night when the crisis seemed to have passed a member of my husbands husband 8 church mrs sarah butters batters who had ben been with me retired soon after to give place to my husband hubband who was to watch with me till motUl morning Dg I 1 had taken the medicine prescribed by the chyr physician and was endeavoring t to 0 compose myself to sleep when all aton at abonce on ce with tile the vividness of a flash of lightning the following scene was before me A 1 tremendous storm a frail vessel pitching headlong into the trough of the aaa billow mountain high ready to ingulf her a slender blender youth clinging to he be maat head a more furioni blunt a high wave and the youth whom notwithstanding t the darkness I 1 instantly recognized edas as frederick stetson fell arll into the foaming seething deep As he struck the water I 1 shrieked in agony agon yand and my husband ide expecting to seo see the cri crimson tuson drops again tram my lips my countenance full of horror terrified him what Is tail it he asked I 1 motioned him to balence allence bl bi lence unable to withdraw my thoughts from the scene I 1 still heard the roaring of the ango billows tho shouts ot of the captain and few crew man alan overboard I 1 throw a repel za letdown down the lite life boata its ila no use the sulphas pitched beyond his reach fresh groans fr fram ill my lips brought newl anxiety to my faithful watcher ue he seized my trembling hand placed his Is fingers ou on my pulse arid and olarte I 1 back b ck with dismay when he tell felt thet their fever feverish ah baund what is it are you jamore la more pain shill hall I 1 go for the doctor 01 0 its it dreadful I 1 I 1 grasped 1 11 I cant tell its ita awfully then I 1 passed into a still el more remarkable state heretofore I 1 bad seen been what was vac ou oil at the moment now my mind went forward and aw baw events that occurred two three days two weeks later the storm had abated the vessel thought injured was able abla to proceed on her way it was the sabbath tile the crow crew were bitting billing in silent reverence while the clergyman ROT rev mr read prayed and a funeral sermon caused by the lie late bad sad event every eye was every breath bushed as the speaker recounted tho the connected with fredericks voyage nad endeavored to impress upon the minds of his hearers bearers the bolean truth of the uncertainty of life another scene our own chamber a messenger coming coining in n haste baste with a letter from captain codman announcing fred ericka depth the worda of coald read one more icene I 1 seemed tobe to be again on board the sophia walker mr air stetson was there standing by fredericks opera open chest into which the captain had bad thoughtfully placed every article belonging to ilia hia late clerk the fathers tears teara fell copiously while captain codman dilated on fredericks exemplary conduct daring the entire voyage when they reached palermo ho he had expressed life bis wish to enter upon the duties of a clerk according to their contracts contract If tired fired of a sailors life and since that hour lad had taken ills his place wito wife hie 1110 Offic officers erg in the cabin all his belore my mind with will the rapidity of 0 lightning I 1 uy liy trem trean wing it ing with agitation until startled stirl led to present real realities ill as by my husbands hus bauda voie while ho be held a spoon to my iny lips the first q I 1 asked was wao what jay day of the month is it tile laili of march kreb what did time you come luto into thel the room it was past twelve when I 1 idline after you seemed greatly distressed can ion on tell me I 1 now low what hat it was it Is 19 dreadful I 1 prod gasping between every word frederick derick stetson la drowned I 1 saw him fall into the sea bea oh ob noi 1101 was the ch reply yoa ron had been thinking of liim him end dreamed it I 1 t 11 nol was wide awake I 1 saw him tall I 1 hare not th of him for weeks old oh what will his parents say soon after tiivi by my cyter terrible excitement I 1 tell fell into a troubled sleep when I 1 awoke it WEB dawn and I 1 immediately commenced narrating allce to my husband the scenes I 1 lial hai he making a ruts rote 0 of them and their becse PC 80 late that ahli sacally me MN he left the ilia chamber to lo inquire whether the sophis walker hd come coma tn in port and promised to direct our sona school mate of edward stetson lo 10 0 o wk w k whether frederick had returned arcin his voyage ehla he did thinking thin klug to allay my ner voul vom he fully believed to be the result of a fevered dream at au an early hour dr daniel Sw swan anone one of my PhYsic physicians laMS came to my bedside bed dide iio expressed his hia disappointment at finding my pulse greatly accelerated and nd asked ached the cause I 1 then though not without great ez ex repeat d to him whit I 1 had eon teon t my husband being present mrs butter the lh lady already referred to and a woman aho had lived in my family for years in fit the course cou Maofa ofa week several persons atra made acquainted with these facts thoo gl from the fear lest they should reach the ears of the they were told under an injunction of secrecy in the meantime I 1 listened eagerly to my sous bells dally daily bulletins from his acbo 0 ima to fred Is coming soon mother has his clothes all ready father says he be may be here any day now the sophia walker Is due this week it was two weeks before the ship arrived in port pori but I 1 WM was so BO far convalescent that I 1 was ws permitted to sll up wrapped in blankets for an hoar or two each day oa one of these occasions while mr baker und and the family were at dinn erthe bell yang rang and presently I 1 heard my hns has abdad in answer to the summons of tte the ite mint hurry to the door it was scarcely a minute before he be entered my chamber pale and evidently eviden evidently tl Y tiding to conceal his c motion lie he had an open letter in his hand band upon which his eyes were fastened you yon have captain rodmand Cod mand letter I 1 said yes he answered aud and in III almost the same worda you repeated to me out my hand for the shoot sibet and an 1 my loy tears fell fust as I 1 read the follows following dg lines evidently written in great haste ret bev dr baker MY DEAR SIR 1 I must mast beg you to perform a painful duty duly poor frederick was vas lost overboard in a gale gala on tile the loth you must tell bis his father I 1 can not 1 I never had anything occur that has given me so BO much pall pain was everything that I 1 could desire and I 1 cin can truly say that I 1 never had bud occasion to reprove him aud and that his uniform good conduct won the esteem and love of us all there was this satisfaction that no otis oae of us was so 60 well prepared for death 1 I will faill detail the circumstances at mere leisure le laure but enough to lay ay now he ats lull just from the yard lu in a galo gale of wind and human exertion exe filon could not save him you can best admi alter consolation to his parents pare I 1 8 show them the sermon preached on t the he sabbath following his death which accompanies compa oles this and asure them of my Lwirt Inar sympathy yours truly march 1 I while 11 ll 11 e my y yes eyes glanced oyer over the lines familiar fa il 11 a ra as 8 it i I 1 penned by myself arbak er was making preparations to go 90 to mr stetsons young halt hall brongil it ont he 0 explained x pt pla ined captala codman a wis wished h ad m me 0 to have hare the letter at once lest the parents should hear the tha borrow sorrowing ing in an abrupt manner the sad scenes which followed are too sacred to be even touched upon here mr air baker did not return home for hour a having offered to go to cambridge aud and convey the sad intelligence to Merriam stetson the second son who was a member ot of harvard college 1 I am going III into to boston to see ca captain codman in the morning ho said bald mr air stetson is anxious to see him and I 1 shall ask him to return with me I 1 recalled the last scene inboard onboard on board the sophia walker Walk erand and said eald 1 I thought he himself went in it Is 18 the first thing not 1101 exactly in III accordance with my vision I 1 called it for I 1 wa not asleep and therefore it could not R ot be a dream the next morning when mr baker called at mr stetsons onlo house to take any he learned that im pili ent aud and lorr rather fattier r I 1 had found it impossible to wait and ard taken tha earliest convoy iaea into boston where a acerbo occurred occa like what I 1 had witnessed was waa no longer need ot of secrecy in regard to or tote sight it if mo BO it nia may bo be culled called and it speedily came to the parents parent sears ears persona Perti oua 0 of genco af 6 loth texes and paz aled over it 16 as a c remarkable mental phenomenon unlike most moat revor reworded ded by philosopher in th thi fin i fac AC alria aay ly sitt d of 0 the mind nut oly ia IV wit t was passing at the moment at a a distance ot of hundreds ot of miles but gonz goine forward in ad advance ot of events and foretelling them with minute accuracy I 1 make no effort to explain my mental I 1 atu am entirely unable to do but bat to resume my I 1 flud dud it impossible possIble Ita at this distance of 0 time to recollect all ail tile the p pardons esons to whom these operations of 0 my mind were made known before the letter ot of captain codman gave reality to my vision among them were dr swan and two female friends lends tr who havo have blues passed beyond the scones scenes ol of earth during daring I 1 ills its lifo life my kind physician urged arg d ino to publish an account or of tha th ih a ii remarkable facts my readous for or not doing s si are suggested iu in a letter to ur sart bitou Si tou oa with the reply and testimony ot of other eye and er ear witnesses I 1 tor for the of 0 dhosi who may desire additional proof of tile the strict as curacy 0 of this narrative caleb stetson DEAR SIR 1 11 I auy any apology 13 sary for or my addressing you this note not I 1 trust it may be found la in tho the friendly relations rela tiona which have long exited between 3 jour our family and ours and in our personal relations to the subject of this letter you will no doubt recollect recoil id the mental phenomena which oe burred during my severe illness some weeks before your son fredricks death nud which at the time caused considerable talk lu in literary and circles by some couve with the facts I 1 have been urged to write an all account of them for philosophical inquiry they being consid considered pred in many respects a more re instance of prescience or tor for sight than any on record but tile the tear fear of being ing classified with visionaries vision aries and an has heretofore prevented MO me now however on a fresh application to state the particulars in detail I 1 have consented to do so and would cons consider idor it a great personal favor it if you will carp care fully examine the accompanying statement and so far as memory will aid you add in a note to me which I 1 may be ba at liberty to pa publish blish your corroborative testimony respecting it sir air baker unites with me in very kind regards to yourself and family with great esteem and respect W bakir BAKER dorchester fed lath 1870 1 rev mr St tsun bavin been tick alck for i veal weeks ro requested quested his wife to answer for him she writes DEAR MRS mas BAKER we have road read your manuscript with deep interest you ha have ve expressed clearly and correctly the whole subject as it has lain in our memories memo rief and fo vividly too have you portrayed it that the sad event of bygone years comes to us with the freshness of yesterday JULIA at STETSON feb 1870 other similar letters followed from lucy osgood sarah B butters and rev AR A R baker which we are obliged to omit omat Il arpero magazine |
