Dickory Cronke | Page 7

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 have been deprived of almost sixty
years, and I am satisfied you are sincerely joyful to find me in the state
I now am in; but, alas! it is but a mistaken kindness. These are things
but of short duration, and if they were to continue for a hundred years

longer, I can't see how I should be anyways the better.
I know the world too well to be fond of it, and am fully satisfied that
the difference between a long and a short life is insignificant, especially
when I consider the accidents and company I am to encounter. Do but
look seriously and impartially upon the astonishing notion of time and
eternity, what an immense deal has run out already, and how infinite it
is still in the future; do but seriously and deliberately consider