The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-11-19 00:00:00, page 2

\Territfc legends they with wonder bear,
And half.-feen ohjidtj f.!i their minds with fear
I r sometimes happens, in th.e long
evenings of the winter season, that par
ties oi weak-minded persons amuse and
terrify each other with tales of th.e ap
pearance and exploits of ghosts. lua
Jiy v. ho do not altogelh r believe rela
tions cd to is kind, hear such a multitude
ol tales relative to extract'd inarv sights
and actions, they can scarcely resi t the
conclusion, that so many persons could
not be deceived. I nless these good
natured souls meet v ith something to
counteract such impressions, thev m.iv
be brought to swell the munbe r of those i
unhappy persons, v, ho, believing • uc’n
. tones, have long been tormented by
superstitious fears and unnccessai v a
larms. They will then fear that hob
goblins are not ’.css numerous, at night,
than the stars or heaven, and that cn h
ol them io as full of mischievous designs
as Aaron liurr’ brain was this time last
year.—Fort^o benefit of those who do
not know what to think of dicse fright
ful stories, and ol those who are duped
L) them, we select the following
a: u
Os SPF.CTRAI. ArP \ HIT f ON 3.
/ ; a Letter to the Jh/iior of the Young
(> mile man anJ lMth's A' guzinc*
Sip,— i he verv interesting account
v.hich . ppeared in a former mimber, of
kite magnificent S/n-it’U" of the Bro/tt
tan l tin: observations that vou added r- -
apcc ting the non-cxistonci: ( I superna
tural apparitions, have induced me to
:.d Ivt-ss you upon the subj< it.
On this, as well as on cverv other to
pic concerned with human cvr.or, th
controversy been.,, not i>v inquiring
whetln r the first r. Intors of m incredi
11 st ry mi',,' t r. ,t fi msclves be de
v. ived, even though due\ profess to ha\
to-ii the circunv *.\nce with their own
< v -s, but In supposing thru, if tlv store
i.-, falsi, .he narrator must, i t r. < in ,
be a knave, a liar, or a fool. Now ,
j T have ever 1) on a positive im
l)clie\'el* ^VJ Vt'*<'le' hobrohlin creed;
yet i iucntl> ]vA 1 11,1
t unity, dutin^' tv*all'U p<-iaruv»h,vi
6ns, of seeing lion* easily a person pre
viotish believing their existence, might
receive such cccular demonstration as
should justify him in pledging all his
veracity upon th account that he might
give of his adventure.
I t ke it lor granted, that few persons
who habitually credit the reality of such
anpearan . s, would wait the approach
ol' the object of terror, much less ad
vancc to examine, touch, or strike it.—
Now, I declare to sou, that It ad I omit
ted such investigation, my memorv
would by this time possess a collection
ol adventures, of v. hioh I should suv, at
least, that they were extraordinary and
unaccountable. About nine o’clock in
one ol the evenings of last summer, 1
returned to t \vn along the Wvcomb
road. On a waste I discerned through
the tv.-ilic'.., a formless something, that
advanced in r:t oblique line towards the
road. One 1 imagined it to be a bov,
creeping on, hands and knees ; but pre
sently I fancied that it moved with too
great rapiditv, and at the same time e
venness of motion, to he anv animal
w hatever. 11 seemed to me to he a large
black ball, of between two and three i'cet
in hei: ht, which came rolling regulurU
and swiftly on. I continued my wa\ ,
ard gained that part of the road that was
intersected In the line in which the ap
pearance travelled. After waiting a
few minutes, I found a woman advan
cing, v. hose grev cloak was of the same
tint nidi the grass, and had therefore
mingled with it in the obscuritv of the
ni' lit, whose lit ad was lost in the dark
hori/.on, aid the lower part of whose
b'lack pettic >at, vliich was all that the
cloak did n it cover, had appeared to me
so e\tr lordinarv.
It i i uv'ous to observe with what fa
cil'uy my imagination had supplied
‘eon thi ig ol tl.« marvellous to the pel
pi 'mg (>’), cr. i'ne extreme rupiditv
oi iis inn ion was entmdv ialse ; ami \ t,
during the ti m* that 1 uiisun lers'ood
the nature of the thing, i absolute! v
1 llioM' :.t thei moved with u e on.non
| swiltm ss. I lie truth is, ail otir percep
tions, v In tin r e.mmal ( r mental, are !i
;b!c to d ceptb n. I h w e frequently
found ii at tin ere is re a y to s< c aims i
anv thing that the imagina ion suggest .
IIo’v mar.v h. s and ioims may . m *
di a o\ ef i;i the streaks < i r. u ’ le, in the
Iroi-t-work on our v, iu- oa s, and in «h
| clouds oi h awn, « 1 of v. ich v.i;s i) ns
icon as we ih ur;e the th ught ; and ii
I their ii ... ., .t t j in ■' 1 i.
dividual, iic discovers in them images
totally different.
In the vc ry sumptuous volume of Bri
tish Birds, engraved on wood, is given
a vignette that represents a passenger
terrified by the forms of branches,
trunks, and roots ol trees, the profiles
of which present the most horrible
shapes. To the justness of this picture
I c an hear t- stimony. With all my in
credulity, 1 have been more than once
alarmed bv mile-stones, posts, and
branches ; c e cially v. la n the moon has
least upon the obj . ct the most fantastic
; and uncommon lights. All the ordinary
! laws ol optics are then destroyed. The
retiring parts glare forward, and the.
j pro]’- ciing are frequently cast into shade,
[ so that then' usual appearance is wholly
I alter d. W hen the ey es are thus dis
tracted, v. c must apply to the other
j senses h r dec ision. Naturalists ob
sor\ , thattl.i understanding of animals
[depend i upon their power oi feeling,
and the capacity ol clasping and ascer
taining th • dimensions oi objects, by
mean1' ot arms, fingers, a d perhaps
mouii.s ; anu 1 oem-ve uuu me uu uc
touching, even through tin- medium of a
slick, will nlwav; inform us at once of
'• hat the c\ cs could not comprehend.—
I ii member that one evening in a part
of the r.nuh between Hampstead and
H< colon, I v. as much startled by what,
! in the ; pace of a minute, assumed seve
ral forms to my imagination. 1 landed
it a pig, a calf, a man in ambush under
a bank. At length, probability was re
jeete 1 ; I thought it something like a
sc. 1. A large - >un 1 head with two lore
pav-, and .. tail, the extent and contour
! ol which was undetermined, i put an
[ end to tl.:chimera, by touching it with
i mv stick. Immediately it v, ..s nothing
! I a po t, the top of which, painted
I m hue, had aj pearetl to me a head, and
1 globular.
• he or; .in of stories of apparitions, is
win pert . tlhle. They are generally
j s-.-. id to here been n in the night,
: v- la n, a v. ^ h; ve shi v. n, the i \ < s arc so
i h: jK t ) d» c •. j lion. To night and dark*
| r . we haw ceitainly an instinctive a
'\-i :un : igiu ranee, taking advantage,
1.:«..•> Idled them villi t< i ror. The C-n
a <t intended night lor the season
j '•! . : ; ■ aval to \ i\c constant intimation
e , ■. i. :nce di
; I >K . I ).rkm. ss i. even painful to
We aev that the puj it, • nj <>
fid io a strong 11 hi, contracts; and
t. 4 • coUiiuectoii Ve knot i n L c ^ a .til ul^