Ambrose Bierce

Can Such Things Be Ambrose Bierce

For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown. Whereas in general the spirit thatremoved cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in theform of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked. And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hathno natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate. Also, it is known that some spiritswhich in life were benign become by death evil altogether.-Hali. ONE dark night in midsummer a man waking from a dreamless sleep in a forest lifted his head fromthe earth, and staring a few moments into the blackness, said: "Catherine Larue." He said nothingmore; no reason was known to him why he should have said so much. The man was Halpin Frayser. He lived in St. Helena, but where he lives now is uncertain, for he isdead. One who practices sleeping in the woods with nothing under him but the dry leaves and thedamp earth, and nothing over him but the branches from which the leaves have fallen and the skyfrom which the earth has fallen, cannot hope for great longevity, and Frayser had already attainedthe age of thirty-two. There are persons in this world, millions of persons, and far and away the bestpersons, who regard that as a very advanced age. They are the children. To those who view thevoyage of life from the port of departure the bark that has accomplished any considerable distanceappears already in close approach to the farther shore. However, it is not certain that Halpin Fraysercame to his death by exposure.