The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-08-16
a Ghost Story.

1870 'N oci'e'ou III appar1tlOnS, yet
we may confidently affirm, that stories
OF ghosts are mistakes or impositions.
and that they may always be detected
by proper exercise of; the mental
faculty. In all situations of this kind
there is manifestly an cndeavor. :,
make the events as supernatural. won
derf'f, and as well attcsted as possible.
to prevent the suspicion of trick, and
to silence all objections which might
pc made to their crcdibility. In coin
Phahce with this custom, we will re-.
COUNTS story ofa ghost, which seems
to possess all the requisites.
AT town in the west Of England.
twenty-ieur' persons were accustomed
70 assemble once a week, to drink,
smoke tobacco, andtalkpolitics. Like
the ecademy Of Ruben, at Antwerp.
each membrr had his peculiar chair. and
the president g was more elevated than
the rest. As one Of the members had
been III dying state for some time
his chair, whilst he was absent. re.
mnined Vacant:
When the club met on the usual
night, inquiries were naturally made
after their associate. AS he lived in
the adjoining house, particular friend
went to inquire atter him, and re,u ned
with the melancholy intelligence that
he could not survive the night. d.
This threw gloom on The com.
pany, and all efforts to turn the con.
verzation from tile sad subject before
them were Intellectual. About mid
asGat t.S cocr opened; and the form,
in white, of the dying or the dead
man, walked into the room, and took
his seat in his accustomed chair.
! There he remained in silence, and III
silence was lie gazcd at. The appari.
tlon continued sufficient time in.the
chair to assure all who were present
OF the reality Of the vision. At length
nc arose, and stalked towards the
door, which he opened, as If living
went out and shut the door after hini.
Alter long pause, some one, at last,
had the resolution to say, -
| u only one of us had seen. this, he
"ouid not lave been believed: but IL
is impossible That SO many can have
| been deceived -.
ihe company, by degrees, recovered
their speech; and the whole .celiYerss.
ton, as may he imagined, was upon
their attention.
lhey broke up, and went home
In the morning, inquiry was made af.
ter their sick friend. it was answered
oy al account Of his death, which hap
Pcned nearly about the time of his
appearance in the club room. There
could be little doubt before; but now,
| nothing could be more certain than the
apparition, Which had been simultanc-
ously seen by SO many persons.
| 1t Is unnecessary to say, that such a
story spread over the country, and
found credit even from infidels; for in
this case, all reasoning bccume super
huous, when opposed to plain fact,
attested by three.and twenty witness
es. 10 assert the doctrine of the fixed
laws OF nature, WAS ridiculous, when
there were so many people Of credit to
prove that they might be unfixed.-
Years rolled on, and the story was
almost forgotten.
One OF the club was an apothecary.
IN the course of lis practice, he was
called to an old woman, whose busi
ness it was to attend sick persons
/ She told him that she could leave the
world with quit conscience, but for
one thing; which lay upon herimind. !.
| DO you not remember Mr.. =.
whose ghost has been so much talked
off was his nurse. On the night
Of his death, left the room for some.
thing wanted. | am sure had not
been absent long; but: at my return, +
found the bed without my patient -
He was dclirious, and feared that he
had thrown himself out Of the window.
| was SO frightened that had no pow.
cr to stir; but, after some time, to my
grca! astonishmcnt, he entered the
room, shivering, AID his teeth chatter,
ing, laid himself down OH the bed and
died
Considering my negligence as the
cause of his death, kept this secret.
for fear of what might he done to me.
Though could have coltradic,ed all
the story of the ghost, dared not to
do it. knew by what had happened,
that it was he himself who had beer
in the club.roon', (pcrhaps recollccting
it was tho night OF mceting;) but |
hope God and the poor gentleman's
friends will forgive me, and Shall die
contentcd."