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Death and its Mystery, At the Moment of Death; Manifestations and Apparitions of the Dying – Camille Flammarion

From Thomas James Norris, Dalkey, Ireland published in Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research V and about his mother Mrs Dorcas Norris

Sixty years ago a Mrs Carleton died in Leitrim County.  She was my mother’s intimate friend, and a few days after her death she appeared to her in a dream and told her that she would never again see her thus, save on one occasion which would be 24 hours before her death.

In March, 1864, my mother was living with my son-in-law and my daughter, Dr and Mrs Lyon in Dalkey.  The evening of March 2nd she went up to her room, in very high spirits, laughing and joking with Mrs Lyon.

That same night, or rather the following morning, my son-in-law heard a noise, awakened his wife and asked her to go and see what was happening.  She found my mother half-way out of her bed, with an expression of horror stamped upon her features.  They soothed her as best they could.

The morning of the next day she breakfasted, as was her habit, in bed and very gaily.  In the course of the day she took a bath.  Having sent for her granddaughter, she told her that Mrs Carleton had at last, after an interval of 56 years, come to speak to her of her death, which was imminent, and that she would die in the morning of the next day, at that same hour.  She added that she had, as a precaution, taken a bath to make unnecessary the washing of her dead body.

She then began to sink, little by little, and died the morning of March 4th at the time she had specified.

The doctor and Mrs Lyon corroborated this account.  My mother had always told me that she would again see Mrs Carleton just before her death.