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

Letter 2499 from Rene Johany Delestre Paris June 21st 1914

The first days of last April I learned to know a young girl of my own age [18]; she made an indefinable impression upon me, casting a vague sadness over me, which I tried vainly to dispel.  I saw her, now and again, in the evening, never for more than thirty to thirty five minutes save on April 15th from seven to eight o’clock in Buttes Chaumont.  It was a marvellous spring evening; we strolled along slowly.

Suddenly, for no reason, we began to talk of death; I pointed to the stars and spoke of the soul, of its survival after death, of its progressive evolution in the worlds in the sky, as well as other topics of the far side of the grave.  Our walk ended in this way.

The next day she took to her bed, since she showed symptoms of typhoid fever; her condition necessitated her being taken to the hospital, where I found her unconscious.  Each day I had the grief of learning her malady’s progress.

The night of May 5th-6th, I half awakened and I had an impression which may be put into the following words ‘It is ended’.

I wished to get up, to note the time, but I went back to sleep suddenly – a leaden sleep caused by the nervous reaction of the day’s anxiety.  The period of this semi-wakefulness was very short; I might estimate it as only 4 or 5 seconds.

I am extremely sorry that I did not get up to look at the time; however that may be, it was black night.

At five o’clock I awakened.  I rose hastily; I hurried to the hospital, where I learned what had happened.  She had remained for several hours in a coma.

The dreaded catastrophe came on May 6th at a quarter past one.

The blow stunned me; I am barely beginning to emerge from the torpor into which I fell.