Nathaniel BOSTWICK

                   (Extended history of Reuben Bostwick's children, pages 145-147.)
In connection with the death of five of Reuben Bostwick's children within a few days, th e following story is copied from a manuscript written by Electa, the eldest daughter.
A few months before her death Lois was often found with her book in her hand reading an d talking with Electa about dying.  One day she said, 'I believe there will be sickness in ou r family, before long, and I believe that I shall be sick and shall die, and one of the famil y will die and be buried with me, but which of them I cannot tell'.
Electa asked, 'Will I be sick?'  She said, 'I believe you will, but I don't think you wil l die'.  Then she said to Electa, 'How will it make you feel if Ishould die and Reuben, Ezra , Almon and Mabel?'
Not long after this she related to Electa that she awoke in the night and 'lay awake som e time, and heard a knocking at the chamber door.  At first it knocked three times; the secon d time twice.  Then a light appeared in the chamber for a quarter of an hour, which exceede d daylight, and then vanished away'.
A night or two after this she related:  'I dreamed that a man came to me and taking my han d, led me into another which appeared lighter, then into a third room which was very light, a nd the pleasantest I ever saw; then he led me into a fourth room, which wxceeded all the res t in brightness.
Then I was led up four steps which appeared to lead to a high mountain; when we stopped th e man said, 'Look down and see hell.' and I saw it, for it looked terrible, and I heard the d readful crying of them that were there.  While beholding this, I saw a man pitch headlong dow n into the lake of fire'.
Electa asked if she knew him.  She said, 'No, but I thought I had seen him in our meeting- house'.  'Then I was led along until I came to the gates of heaven, and I saw all the glory , exceeding all that I had ever seen, and I heard the singing, which exceeded all the musi c I ever heard.  And I heard the words they sang, but I have forgotten them.  Then I though t of Dada and Mama, and all of the family, and wished they were all with me.  then I asked th e man if I might go into heaven.  He said 'Not yet, but before long you may.'  The man said , 'I shall let go of your hand and you will awake,' and I did, and was sorry to part with hi m for he was the pleasantest man I ever saw, and he talked with me all the time he led me b y the hand.  When I awoke out of sleep I could not help feeling of my hand with my other hand , and I thought it felt warm'.  A little while after tis, one evening, Lois desired to go wit h Electa to Mr. Platt's to see them.  Electa was not willing to go, but Lois urged, saying sh e did not think she should ever go there again unless she went that evening, and she wished t o see them once more.  They went, and stayed about two hours at Mr. Platt's, and, on their wa y home, Lois said, 'I believe Almon and Mabel will be sick when we get home'. Electa asked he r why she thought so, but she only replied, 'I don't like to tell you now.'  When they reache d the two children were sick, and Lois said, 'Did I not tell you they would be sick?'  Elect a asked , 'What made you think so?'  She replied, 'I almost knew they would be, and they cert ainly will die'.
The children Almon and Mabel were taken sick on the 2d day of January, 1777, and they bot h died on the 14h of the same month, at which time Electa, Lois, Reuben and Ezra were sick .  Lois was asleep when Mabel died, and when she awoke Electa asked her if she knew Mabel wa s dead. She said, 'No, is she?'  Electa said, 'Are you not sorry?'  She replied 'No, why sho uld I be sorry, for they are better off than you or I, for they are both in heaven now, an d I think it will not be long before I shall be with them.'
Almon and Mabel were both buried in one coffin.
Some time before these two children were sick, they got up in the morning and told their mo ther that some one knocked on the bedroom door in the night four or five times.
Their mother told them it could not be for the doors were all fastened.  They said it wa s somebody, and that, they said that if they should be sick, they would die.
When they were sick, and one died, the other asked to go with her, and did not want to liv e here.
Lois and Ezra died on the 18th of January, 1777, and Reuben on the 20th, two days later .  Lois was in her eleventh year, Reuben in his eighth, Ezra in his seventh, almon in his fou rth, and Mabel in her second.