weeks, the senses of sight and hearing were again restored. But a mere remarkable visitation of Providence awaited me. A little before the expiration of the twelve weeks, one morning, when I awoke, I had lost all recollection of everything. My understanding with an imperfect knowledge of speech remained; but my father, mother, brothers and sisters, and the neighbors, were altogether strangers to me. I had no disposition to converse either with my friends or with strangers. I had forgotten the use of written language, and did not know a single letter of the alphabet, nor how to discharge the duties of my domestic employment, more than a new-born babe. I presently, however, began to learn various kinds of knowledge.

I continued five weeks in this way, when I suddenly passed from this second state (as, for distinction, it may be called), into my first state. All consciousness of the five weeks just elapsed was totally gone, and my original consciousness was fully restored. My kindred and friends were at once recognized. Every kind of knowledge which I had ever acquired was as much at my command as at any former period of my life; but of the time, and of all events, which had transpired during my second state, I had not the most distant idea. For three weeks I continued in my first state. But in my sleep the transition was renewed, and I awoke in my second state. As before, so now, all knowledge acquired in my first state was forgotten, and of the circumstances of the three weeks' lucid interval, I had no conception. Of the small fund of knowledge I had gained in my former second state I was able to avail myself, and I continued from day to day to add to this little treasure.

From the spring of 1811, till within eight or ten years ago, I continued frequently changing from my first to second, and from my second to first state. More than three quarters of the time I was in the second state. There never was any periodical regularity as to the transitions. Sometimes I continued several months, and sometimes a few weeks, a few days, or only a few hours, in my second state; but in the lapse of five years I, in no one instance, continued more than twenty days in my first state.

Whatever knowledge I acquired at any time in my second state became familiar to me when in that state, and I made such proficiency, that I soon became as well acquainted with things, and was in general as intelligent in my second as in my first state. I went through the usual process of learning to write, and took as much satisfaction in the use of books as in my first state. Your father undertook to reteach me chirography. He gave me my name, which he had written, to copy. I took my pen, though in a very awkward manner, and actually began from the right to the left in the Hebrew mode. It was not long before I obtained tolerable skill in penmanship, and often amused myself in writing poetry. I acquired all kinds of knowledge in my second state, with much greater facility than a person who had never been instructed.

In my second state I was introduced to many persons whom I always recognized in that state (and no one enjoyed the society of friends better than I did), but if ever so well known to me, in my first state, I had no knowledge of them in the second, until an acquaintance had been again formed. In like manner all acquaintances formed in the second state, must be formed in the first in order to be known in that.

These transitions always took place in my sleep. In passing from my second to my first state, nothing was particularly noticeable in my sleep. But in passing from my first to second state, my sleep was so profouni that no one could awaken me, and it not unfrequently continued eighteen

or twenty hours. had generally some presentiment of the change for several days before the event.

My sufferings, in the near prospect of the transition from either the one of the other state, were extreme, particularly from the first to the second state When about to undergo the change I was harassed with fear lest I should never revert so as to know again in this world those who were dear to me My feelings in this respect were not unlike those of one who was about to be separated by death, though, in the second state, I did not anticipate the change with such distressing apprehensions as in the first. I was naturally cheerful, but more so in this than in my natural state. I believe I felt perfectly free from trouble when in my second state, and, for some time after I had been in that state, my feelings were such that, had all my friends been lying dead around me, I do not think it would have given me one moment's pain of mind. At that time my feelings were never moved with the manifestation of joy or sorrow. I had no idea of the past or the future. Nothing but the present occupied my mind. In the first stage of the disease, I had no idea of employing my time in anything that was useful. I did nothing but ramble about, and never tired walking about the fields. My mother, one day, thought she would try to rouse me a little. She told me that Paul says those who would not work, must not eat. I told her it made no matter of difference to me what Paul said, I was not going to work for Paul or any other person. I did not know whe Paul was then. I had no knowledge of the Bible at that time.

As an evidence of my ignorance of any kind of danger in that early period, before I had attained any information of right or wrong, danger or safety, as I was, one afternoon, walking a short distance from the house, I discovered, as I thought, a beautiful creature. Insensible of danger, I ran to it, and, in attempting to take hold of it, it eluded my grasp by running under a pile of logs. It was a rattlesnake. I had my hand upon the rattle; but fortunately my foot slipped and I fell back. I heard it rattle, and was still very unwilling to go home without it. I put my arm a considerable distance under the log where the snake had crept.

It may be remarked that whenever I changed into my natural state, I always felt very much debilitated. When in my second state I had no inclination for either food or sleep. My strength at such times was entirely artificial. I generally bad a flush in one cheek, and continual thirst, which denoted inward fever.

When I was last down at home I was reading some letters which I had received from dear friends with whom I had corresponded previous to these changes, and who had been the companions of my younger days; but their images are now entirely erased from my memory. It would be a source of gratification to me if I were in possession of my former recollection.

*

*

In the early period of my disease I used to talk in my sleep, and tell my plans. Sometimes my friends would overhear me, which would cause them to watch my movements, and by that means I have been saved many unpleasant trips in my sleep. MARY REYNOLDS.

NOTE 1. Miss Reynolds could pronounce a word after any ore, but could at first make no use of it herself.

NOTE 2. The hand-writing of Miss Reynolds in her second state was as fifferent from her hand-writing in the first as that of two individuals

NOTE 3. At about forty years of age these changes ceased, and she lived on to the end of life in her second state. She would, of course, have nc remembrance of her life previous to these changes. During the last part of her life Miss Reynolds taught school, and proved a very successfu teacher.

In addition to the above Mr. Bates has obligingly procured for me the following memoranda from Rev. Mr. Reynolds:

Miss Reynolds was about forty years of age when these transitions ceased. Until the time of her death, at the age of sixty-nine, she continued in what she terms her second state. Hence, all the early part of her life was a complete blank. Her entire disregard of danger gradually disappeared, until there was, in this respect, nothing remarkable. Her two states were never in any measure blended.

One circumstance alluded to by Miss R. is thus stated more particularly by her nephew. "It was her habit, immediately after going to sleep, — and she usually dropped asleep very soon after retiring, to begin to recount aloud the duties and incidents of the preceding day. She would go through all that she had done during the day, in the exact order in which it had occurred. She would frequently stop and comment upon things that had occurred, and would laugh heartily when she came to anything that pleased her.

"After going through with the duties and incidents of the preceding day, she would then lay her plans for the day to come. When the day came, she would begin and perform everything as she had planned. It seems that she was not aware of having formed any previous plan of action, as she frequently used to wonder how her friends could divine what she was going to do during the day, as she found that they evidently could do. This habit was of much service to her friends, as it enabled them to foresee and prevent her from doing many acts of mischief. This habit continued for more than a year."

Miss Reynolds, as I have mentioned, continued for nearly thirty years of her life in the second state. "She, however, ceased to manifest any of those symptoms bordering on insanity which she exhibited during its first periods. She taught school for several years, united with the church, was a consistent Christian, and performed all the duties of life in a way which exhibited nothing else than a perfectly rational state. No person would have discovered anything unusual in her manners and conversation. There was, perhaps, always rather an excessive measure of nervous excita bility, that is, an excess above the average."

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