The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-10-05
5tlettta Galts
From ide Ne,o- York Dutchn,an.
g ALMOST
A GHOST STORY.
ny PHIBBs.


those days, SO few in England, when it is
both safe and agreeable to sit in open air,
three friends were taking their desert un.
der some lofty elms which shaded the
smooth lawn Of a pretty villa near Lon
don. They were all elderly, and had no,
MOI until that day for several years.
They had talked over old tines-the plo.
rlous times Of boyhood-given u sigh to
the memory of many good fellow gone
before them; commented on the funds,
discussed the cornlaws, the progress OF
the age, railroads, and the Crystal Palace,
and now, as the shadows heightened, the
talk began to flag, when one OF the three,
named Walton, happened to mention the
no7 circular theory Of winds.
"Circular theory Of winds !" exclaime
the most elderly of the three, Mr.. Parker;
why, there, might be n circular theory OF
\ every thing. From the pirouetting ope.
r''-dnncer TO the great globe ITSELF al
turns round. The commercial traveller
goes has rnund, the school.boy eats hi,
round Of bread and butter, and we all
live orr round Of life; and precious dul
round 1t IL. But not only individual
minds, tie universal mind describes n cir.
Gle; and as the earth in Years time re-
turns to exactly the same spot in spac.
So does the human mind revolve in ar
orb't-rot yet mapped. Is there not a
constantly recurring, superstitions age, as
constantly followed by scep,icali do
not the pulling down and the reconstruct.
ing ages alternatei Also the puritunic
and the licentiousl Yes, error, like dull.
ness, born goddess, never dies r. For
instance" continued he, after n pause
when We were young, the belief in ghost.
and spectral appearances was confined tu
ignorant servant.maids or credulous old
people, and now, in the second half Of the
nineteenth century, We have educated, in.
telligent people arguing for their reality
Witness the 'Nightside Of Nature and
may literary TITLES tending to show which
way the tide i, setting in.'
III can only say never saw a ghost"
observed the most taciturn Of the three.
II once thought did," said Walton.
Ills friends laughed, AMI asked him
when.
when was about twenty-five year,
Of age"
"fou were in chambers, then, remark.
ed the quiet gentleman. "Was il tho
ghost Of clientr
III did spend the vacation in chambers, !"
returned Walton; "however, Us l have
finished my cigar, aud you have botl,
hghted fresh ones, suppose tell you all
about itT
The Others asscnte1, and Walton rela.
ted rs follows:
Thirty years have slipped away since
then, but fresh as ifit were but Yesterday
in my memory is the visit paid that va.
cation to some relations residing in n coun.
~ bordering on Wales. The name of the
family was Somen--flr off cousins of mv
tnother--with whom, until then, 1 had
been quite unacquanted. As il was, !
did not see mach Of Mr. Somers, wko, as
Jar as remember, was closely engared
IN electioneering matters. Mrs. Soners
was great invalid, and about as well
read aud intelligent q woman as ever
knew. remember attempting, in nv
London conceit, TO enlighten her regard.
!ng the literature Of the day, and after
holding forth considerable time, findinp
she knew Tar more Of il than did; and
above all. l recollect little Lucy Somen'
arch look on the occasion, and how sbe
ansormed me, very significantly, that 4
sppereilious young gentleman from tow
once inquired whether they ever saw
the Loadon newspapers Aft
a charming little creature was Lucy
Somers! An only child, aud tf course
considerably pctted and spoiled. In con.
sequence Of her mammals III health sbe
had been ieft pretty much to find her own
amnsen,ents, and she gaIloped about on
her pony, carcssed her great dogs, rowcd
herself IN her own little pleasure boat, and
had slie been . tall. raw boned woman,
woald infallsbly have been pronounced
masculine but who could bestow such an
spithst Oh little oreatirs with blue eyes
and blonde hnglets On, mo : her iade.
pondcnt manners rendered her a thousand
times moro piquantc and attractive.