Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-07-30


era,ly gets sick whenever she talks 10 it. and
she has been known 10 quit the house PreelPi-
tateIy when she has heard it alone in the house.
No, long since however, she quoted to i, pas
sage of Scripture, which pious friend point
ed GU, and advised her 10 memorise for that pur'
pose, Il lin i. XIV and it babe her hold hef
Jaw. but she persisted in quoting the passage
until i, hushed, and has not spoken TO hef since'
Since SO man! persons wen, to hear II, mas
become very shy and is seldom heard "heh
many persons are about, or when any person Is
in the house except the smaller children. hey
have never been able to ascert,in who, or what
it is, or the object Of its visit. II has told lis
name repea,rdly. but cannot be unders' God. II
will not answer serious or religious questions
When asked whether i. was man or woman,
il said il was The foolishest question IL ever
heard, and appeared 20 laugh :,
The Rev MIR. Hodges vIslts the family sew
eral times and held meeting a. their request,
withou, hearing any thing, However, on we
a5,h of May, Mr. II. being in the neighbor
hood, and calling at The house of MIR NJ; Mrs
N. informed Mr.. H. she had JUS been to Mr..
Burnetl's and heard the voice Mr.. n. Imme-
dia,ely rode over in company with Mr.. I'M
Shepherd. MIR S went up TO the house ms,
10 get the children in the house 10 ak H.,
and after it commenced upon signa' given,
Mr. II. wen, up to the house and seated MINI
self IN The piazza A li'iie boy eigh: or nine
wears OF age Stood just inside OF lie door 10
ask any questions which where suggcs ed to
him by the company |, initiated .V'ri"us nois
es in whsle, such as The Growing OF he.cock,
clucking Of hen, noise Of patridge, &sS and
answer ed variety of simple questions. There
were bat few answers that Mr.. H. could under
stand, bu, wht u interpreted by the family, who
were more accustomed to hear il, he could 'beD
trace out some resemblance. Some words
bowever,were pronounced very plain, such as
kitten, yes, no, goose quill, &c. The lamty
say, hat il E. morally sp Ike much more DIS
,nc,ly and could be much better understood
than On This occasion. Mr.. Shepherd says
the same II was understood however, TO say
l. knew Mr.. H pronounced his name tolera'iy
distinct, said i, got acquainted with MIN there,
and that it did not like him. When MI. h.
spoke and said, SCI have come 20 du'e you
away it was understood 10 reply DO 1t you
dare" During rhe conversation" W tn 1t, which
lasted abour an hour, no person was present
exc-n, Mr. Burne,t's wife, Mr. Shepherd and
Mr. Hodges with The small children. III,
oldes, vs.. the lirtle girl above mentioned, who
was 10 III, yard with the little children. N"
lutte boy who asked the questions. The rea.
sou why ae was put there 10 ask questions was,
bee au e for some lime il had ceased 10 speak
to any but the children. There Was also in
he kitchen, abou, twenty PAGES distant, ne
gro woman and an idiot girl spin g and wea'-
ing, who could not have heard what passed III
the w hqRs fl tie hf%o otr S and Mr. f. liter
The conversation ended, examined he house
and found nothing Daring the time Of t.
conversation il was asked TO sing songi'
said i, did no, know any. Mr.. Hodges whisied
sacred tune, bu IT said hat would'n, do
then whis led Yankee ID IDLE vsry distinctly -
When Mr. II. FIRST hs ard OF The Circumstance
he very naturally was led 10 suspect thai j,
proceeded from some one in The neighborbood
or family posse of he ar, Of ventrii' quism
Bat agains that opinion lie the following OBJ
je, ,ions, VIZ: ls. II is cer:aiHthat il is no one,
rot Of he family as no such person has beep
seen ,hereab"uts 4, the times when il was heard,
and no person coull be there always w,thou,
being seen especially in sbe day time. ID.
Mr.. Burnett and wife, whose word will BE- ia
KIN, by al who know them, state that no one
individual OF the f-mily, who could possibly be
suspected of.uoh thing, rs always presrn at
such times. They state possibly, il has been
heard when the negro woman Uhe only SER
want about the nou.e) was in he field al
work 1t has been ncard When the TWO older
sons, who are nearly grown, were absent. as
was he tact when Mr.H. heard it. 1t has
been heard whsn all The other children were
at school, except The two youngest, one Of which
IS about three years old, the other an infant.
The ideot girl has not the intelligence which
his invisible being manifes's, according TO the
Z, s,imony of ali who have heard it Further
more, even surprising any OF the children pos
sessed his faculty, aud had the disposi'on to
carry on he dect p'ion for so lung time, to
the evident disquietude and distress Of the
f4mly, is it, RATIONAL superstition, 'ha, this
could be done without bring suspe, ted by he
parents! Or would no, the individual DE dis
posed 10 ny its pranks a, school, or among 9th.
er children to Brighten them, as well as at home?
There is another circumstance which contra,
diets this snp2osition. Abou; two months
ago, Mr. Burnett, at the suggestion of some
oue nut a Testament in m, nlare whence