The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-12-25 00:00:00

THE GHOST ON THE HEARTH.

By " Author of " Oddment Papers," &c.
Strange it is, yet true, that although Chriarnaa is
Called a merry time, a h.,ppyr time a retrospeetive
time, yet it is also a ghomily si ••••• res rise on
every site of us. We see them in the fire, at the
festive boar,l—everywhere. S, we have a ghostly
Christmas' as well as a merry or happy one. It Ja the
birthday of the Prince of Peace, or we cclehrate it as
such, is it that slim ',Milne, of the Cro,,s float about
the tiny form? 14 there faint °vend] !owing', f trials,
meckings, and cruel sonirgings th around that
first Christmas' Day, and yet -in..fc s will an indis-
tinct kind of gluts? If so, it onnut st to be. The
Resurrection on :lit to clia• aa,•ty 'base shadows.
But, so it is, whatever may he the reason, ghosts do
certainly banns. thin time especially. Is there a
Christmas husk you take up, without some allusion to
shoats! Is it at the rule t expect a ghost story at
Christmas? Yes. Well, here is one.
Poor oil Peter Morrison sat at him lonely hearth; it
was by no mean,' a poor hearth -for it was his library,
furnished richly and substantidlv. The walls were
covered with books; and the rest of his house was
furnished luxurously, yet, for all that, although he
owned a large esta..e, had money in the fund., every-
thing heart caul,' wish, yet •l'eter Morrison, Enquire,
was poor. There he sat that Christmas Eve, and
there sat his ghost. People often wondered what was
the matter with him, they called him prowl, they called
him stingy, his to lies murmured consoling words to
his face, and dis-respectful ones behind his back.
Ali ! but none of Ciese knew of the ghost on the
hearth, and Peter was too proud to tell anyone of it.
He always knew he should find it home. When he
was busy with hie steward, or his bankers, anywhere,
the ghost was always in his mind ; and always ready
for him by the library fire. Why did he }to there? you
may ask. Why do people go lo often where there is
supposed to be the most to fear? Why do timid
women read the most horrible mordlens, and then
tremble and eptalte in their beds at terwarda ? There
is, a sort of fa•cination in it that human nature cannot
get over. So night after night Peter sat by his fire,
and the Qhmit kept company with him.
On this particular Otristmas En- of which T write,
Peter was more than ever ilepreasiva. lie could hem
the band ',laying gaily, he hat seen the shops smartly
decked out, he ha.l heard the merry laughter in the
streets, yet was he sad—the ghost, on the c eitrarY.
appeared very lively tomight, awl the poor old man
felt a slight tremor of fear rim through him. At
last, to his surmise, the ghost spoke.
" Peter," it said, "do you remember this night 20 ,
years r
"Yes," replied Peter.
"Do you remember a woman on her knees to you—
yes, actually to you -begging and praying you to
have pity on your Ron r
"Yes," with a groan.
" You would not Money! money I money I was
your cry. Because he would not wed the rich woman
whom von wanted to be his wife, you drove him from
your door -where, you did not care. Now lo.ik, and
Peter obeyed without wondering at the scenes that
arose before him. A tangle of tropical plants met his
view ; and eagerly conversing together waa a group of
negroes, gesticulating furionaly, and evidently in a
savage state. In the distance could be seen the house
of a planter ; but stay, the old man gazes eagerly at
one part of the scene, where a white man La crouched
amongst the plants, liatenine eagerly, fear visible on
every feature. Peter recognise him as his son. A
Maas of infuriated men—although black—now met his
view in the second scene, who were recklessly assault.
lug the house of the planter. threatening to burn it if
he would not let them in. Sullenly one appears at ft
window, with 'serene brow, holding a hook in hie
bawls. There is a hush, for all those wild men—
made mad by wrongs—recognise the Book; for mesa
had tan:ht them its precepts, and these were peace-
, able measures. The white man spoke to them. and
they all walked slowly away. calmed, awed by the
, power of that speaker, awl again Peter recognise,' his
eon.

Quite a different scene met Peter's view now—no
less a vermin than himself, lie is seated in that same
bbrary, a it younger man, reading letters. One
bears a foreign post mark. On the other sisle of the
hearth sits, no ghost, but a pale lady, whose anxious,
yearning love in dumbly spoken in her eyes. 0 such
,lye ! mother's Ime for her only shill. Peter's double
carefully avoids looking at her; to ids the letter, awl
throws it into ths, fire. '' 0 won't you let me see it ?
I hir only child's letter!" and she suatliest the burning
lett -r from the tire, and rushed from the loom. For a
long time the figure sat by the tire, anst then the ghost
first Illa !e its appearance. Scenes passed before the
01,1 man that tried his very heart—trings. lie Saw his
wife on her slyingdiesi, even then praying that MT
husband would take his son back again to his heart.
Site could not see the love for him that did fill his
heart, fr it was hedged about by pride. But -and he
thanked Owl for this—he slid grant her prayer. Ile
promised to seek Milt his an, n,l bring him home
again. " And I shall see him Mere, not her. lint
give him his mother's love. 0, my husbantl, pet have
male use happy," and so she 1161 ; MI Peter knew
that his pride hal hastened her sleath. Well, be had
written to the place from whence the letter tuut been
a Idressed, a twelvemonth hal ism“eil, and there Wirt
been no answer. And ssn this Christmas Eve he sat a
lonely, cheerless man, with a heavy burden on his
mind. And there sat the ghost as ghostly as ever.
Said that visitant—" My time here is short. I have I
been your visitor a long time. Don't forget the lessons
I have taught. Yoss called me here, and yon have
kept me here; but for you I should have been away
Img since." And then Peter went to best. The next
morning was Christmas Pay; HO brightly the sun
shone; so merry seemed everyone, except Peter, the
rich man. Welt, he thought he would go to church,
awl he went. The vat was—" Like as a Father
pitieth his children. so the Lorsl pitieth them that fear
Him." It almost broke Peter's heart. Had he pitied
his buy? How ihen csiuld the Lord pity him; and
lie knew how sally he needed pity—the gentle, divine,
ain.covering pity. He felt very humble. Pride bad
fled, and he acknowledged how sinful he had been.
When Peter arrived home he was greatly puzzled at
the unwonted Its ninth that met his ear. " Ish that my
pantlfaver?" he heard a childish voice any in a very
audible whisper.
"If you please, sir, here's a gentleman and lady
emne to see you, and some childran, too," said a
servant breathlessly. He knew who it was. He
walked up-stairs, to be met by his son—his tsng lost
son. What a meeting was that. Anil then there was
the gr-indchildren, and the fair wife, who was ready
to receive him as her father. 16 et may be sure the
"fattest calf" was killed, and that they were very,
very happy, yet there was a sadness as father an.l son
looked at the full-length painting of the wife and
mother who had so prayed and longed for such a
reconciliation as this.

EXTRAORDINARY DIVORCE SUIT.
In the Divorce Division on Wednesday, the case of
Pateman v. Pateman and Seir was heard. The
petitioner, who is in the service of an insurance
company as an inspector of agent'', married the
respondent at Newcastle-on-Tyne, in May, 1865, and
they lived together first at Hammersmith and after-
wards at Shepherd's Bush. In June, 1875, the
petitioner's duties took him to the eastern counties.
He was accompanied by his wife and another lady and
made Harwich his head-quarters, when he remained
for about a fortnight. His wife had been for a long
time cold and indifferent towards him, but no cause to
excite the suspicion as to her fidelity arose until a
month or two after their return from Harwich, when
be found in her pocket a letter from the correspondent,
a draper's assistant at Harwich. He slid not make
known the discovery to his wife, but he resolve! to
watch her ; and so matters remained until the 15th of
November, 1875. On the evening s'f that 'lay he
returned fatizued by his labours to his home, and the
respondent, who became suddenly affectionate, pressed
him to have cap of tea and prepare! it herself. On
partaking of the bevereage he was struck with its
bitterness, and placed the half-emptied cup on the
mantelpiece. Very shortly afterwards he became
unwell, and instantly went to a chemist, who pro-
nounced his symptoms to be those of opium poisoning.
On his return to his house the respondent prepared a
cup of c &fee for him. He was afraid, however, to
partake of it, and took it and the tea which remained
in the cup to the chemist, who had them analyses!,
The analysis showed that, taken together, the
would have contained from 12 to 13 grains of opium.
The petitioner thereupon taxed his wife with having
attempted to poison him. She denied that she had
done so, and accounted for the presence of the poison
in the cups by stating that she might have stirred
both the tea and coffee with a spoon from which she
herself occasionally took laudanum for indigestion.
Cohabitation between her and the petitioner then
ceased. Shortly afterwards the petitioner discoveeed
the address of the co-respondent. He aecordingly
went down to Harwich on the 15th of December.
1875, and the co-respondent then gave up to him all
the letters which he had received from the resp indent.
The character of the letters led the petitioner to
believe that a criminal intimacy had subsisted
between his wife and the co-respondent, and he in
consequence filed a petition for divorce on the ground
of her adultery, or, in the alternative, a decree of
judical separation on the ground of her cruelty. It
appeared, however, that the co-respondent, who is a
young man, had been innocently lured by her into the
correspondence, which on her part was of a most
voluminous character, and that he had also been
induced to visit her at Shepherd's Bush ,rt Sunday,
the 10th of December. 1875; but he leclared on his
oath hat he believed (and her letters w.srranted the
belief) that she was a single woman; that his visit
was in the way of onirtship, and that no impro-
priety had ever passed between them. Some amuse-
ment was created by the reading of the respondent's
letters to the co-respondent They were full of
extravagant and amusing falsehood,' as to her position
In life, the society in which she moved, and her
connections, among others the eminent novelists
Dickens and Thackerav being claimed by her as
distant relations—a statement which elicited from the
learned President the remark that she was, also
evidently a " writer of fiction." The adultery charged
against her was alleged to have been committed with
the co.reap indent on the occasion of his visit to
Shepherd's Bush. The only evidence in support of
the charge was certain letters in which both recalled
with pleasure the memory of this meeting; and in the
amuse of Mr. Middleton's address the jury inter-
posed, and intimated that in their judgement the
evidence did not support the charge. The President
said he quite concirred in the opinion of the jury.
The whole tenour of the letters showed that the
respondent was a designing, artful woman, amusing
herself in practising on a young man an elaborate
deceit, He was satisfies!, however, that she did
administer 'plum to her husband with the intention
of doing him some miachief, and the petitioner was
therefore entitled to, the decree of judicial separation
for which he prayed. The jury then found as their
verdict that the co-respondent ha not committed
adultery with the respondent and the co-respondent
was accordingly dismissed from the suit, with costa

Fm.— Erimrnc Fm oft Faximo SICKNESS. A
certain method of cure ham been discovered for this di..
Messing coniplaint by a physician, who is desirous that
all sufferers may benefit from this providential discovery;
It is never known to fail, and will cure the moat hopeless
case after all other means have been tried. Full particulars
vrill hermit bypart to any person free of eheree—Address
Wiwaul,lll, Oaf md Terrace. HT& Park. London.

EPP/1.1 COCOA. Gummi. AND Comrorensa
"By a thornugh knowledge of the natural law,
which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition,
and by a careful application of the line properties of
welleelecael c.r.cia, Mr. Boon has provided our break.
feet t... 1 lee with a delicately fl ivonrel bevenwe which
taw cave no In vh. ..vy d hill. It in by the
ju cct.at, one of owl' arci .i.na of diet that a cciontitu-
ttata mcy he urvloa!ly built up until stroll: enough to
resist every tendency to agorae. Hundreds of wattle
maWadies are fl .ating around cm ready to att.ick
wherever Caere in a weak pint. We mar enema,
manv Ui shaft by keeping mu-Helves well f .rtified
with. our) latoni and a roperly nonr'shed (rime."
—Civil r Gazdtc.—Aolol only In Packets Is elled
—"
JAMES EPPa and Co., Homoeopathic Cheminte,
Loudon "

FANCY GOODS OP INOLDIR MVIVFACTCRE.—It is pleas-
ins to hail that Buzlaud bolls her own sgainst the keen
comprititon of foreigners in these articles, the demand
for which at this time of year is enormous. We are told
that Lola'bury's, the makers of the Celebrated Cocos
ence, have sent out nearly two millions of their
exquisite little boxes of Chocolate since June, and they
will form a welcome present to many of our children
during the coming Christmas festivities
RICCICI/TN PARIS BLaa—The marked superiority ef
this Laundry Blue over all others, and the quick ap-
preciation of its merits by the public, has beer'
attended by the usual results—viz., a flood of imita-
tion's: the merit of the latter mainly consisto in the
ingenuity exiirted, not Kinkily in imitating the square
shape, but making the general appearance of the
wrappers resemble that of the genuine article. The
Manufacturers beg therefore to caution all buyers to
see" Reckitt's Paris Blue" on each Packet.
Hoia.owar's Orcrtsgrirr A@D PILLS. —Chest Preserve-
fives. —At all seal.so of the year the rate of mortality
fr.era liaea.rs of the longs is very great. HAloway's
Oinincnt well rubber' upon the chest, aided by his Pills,
arrests all mischief. These.
_cleansding n2eslicaraeae,

e—x-ercise The m Malutary and reetorativ; influence WIN
the entire content of the needoral cavity. Airetubek
nerroa, bloirlyeards, awl all other tiasues feel tbeir
wh„le,omely potent power, more particularly in their
thoroughly nitrifying both venotre and arterial blood, to,
pYlneinting free cireulation of air. Neither Ointment not
Pilk contain any 130Xi01111 ingredient whatever, but their
ivtleamic nature nourishes rather than irritating the
vyetem, anti kindly albino untoward aymutoens till all is
well once mom

BOROUGH OF DORCHESTER.

TO FARMERS, AUCTIONEERS, AND OTHERS.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,—That
the fitting up and laying out of the New
Fair and Market Ground of the Borough being now
complete, th.. BYE-LAWS for the REGULATION
and MANAGEMENT THEREOF will be strictly
onoerved on and after the Flan • HAY of JANUARY
next, ard that all SELLERS .4 STOCK within the
Borough will he required to conduct such Salea in the
New Market Ground provided for the purpose.
G. SYMONIg4,_.

Town Clerk.
Guildhall, Dorchester, 17th December, 1877.