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Death and its Mystery, At the Moment of Death; Manifestations and Apparitions of the Dying – Camille Flammarion
Letter from C Triery and the girl herself in the story now Madame Marie Jacquet ;Charmes 1893

C Triery

About thirty five years ago a young girl who was staying with me had gone with her mother to take over an inheritance of an old uncle, who was dead – the parish priest some leagues from there.

She was a child of from 12 to 15, of a very nervous – I might say a rather over-excitable – temperament, which she got from her family.

One day, seated by the fire, self absorbed, her head in her hands, she saw, as though inwardly, what was going on at her father’s home; she saw him dying, was present at his death and the attendant happenings.  That very day she told the persons of her immediate circle of this strange vision.

Naturally they did not believe what they considered wild statements.  But she persisted in declaring that her father was dead, though she had left him in good health; and she harassed her mother to such an extent that the latter was obliged to take her back home.

Up to that time they had heard nothing of the father.  When they were some kilometres away – seven or eight – and had received no news and since no one believed in her vision, she thought she had been the victim of an illusion and began to sing, to shout, to gesticulate, child-like to show her joy.

But then it was that a native of the region, coming from their neighbourhood, shouted at her;

‘You’re right to make so much noise; your father is dead’

It was true, her father was dead; what she had seen was confirmed.  In this case, then, there was not the least deception.  This person is still living and is the mother of a family

Madame Marie Jacquet

You ask me how I saw Papa die?  In this way; I was seated before the fire, my head in my hands; in thought I was at home; I saw my father in his bed, looking as though he were dying.  Suddenly I saw his eyes roll, the I cried; ‘Oh, heavens, he’s dying!’  I was like some one crazed.  It was for this reason that I wished to leave at once.  All along the road, as soon as I saw a person, I said ‘There is a messenger they are sending us’.

O the hill near Portieux, Monsieur Pasquier passed by and saw us ‘So, it’s you my poor ladies’ he said to us. ‘They are waiting for you, for the funeral; he was ill with an attack for 24 hours; he received the last sacraments and asked for you again and again’