Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1855-02-24
UNCLE BENJAMlN's GHOST.

In a mixed company the conversation
CHANGED to turn upon ghosts. Most o.
the company stoutly disbelieyed then
existence altogether. There was, how
ever, one grave looking stranger, dres'
sed in funeral black, who, though he ac.
knowledged he had never encountered
ghost, had implicit confidence in then
existence.
The dispute growing warm, it was
decided to collect the opinions Of those
present. AT length it came to Uncle
Benjamih's $ turn.
sDo you believe in ghosts, Uncle
Benjamin. ,,., u, s-ss-,7.
Il do said he, 'and for the best Of
all reasons, because l have seen one
sIndecdp said the funcralstranger,
pricking uphis. ears, would yoube kind !
enough to favor. us with an account OF
the circumstances f,',
80, do tell, Uncle Benjamin? was
echoed on all sides. l.i bst
Thus adjlred, he settled himself into
.anscasy attitude eland 'commsncea@6tl
1T was perhaps thirty years ago,
when business called me to certain
town some twenty miles distant from
my own. There were no cars in those
days, and was obliged to hire a horse
and chaisc from ncighbor.
Being detained to later hour than
I anticipated, it was past u o'clock
when 1 got back with the horse and the
chaise to the house of the neighbor of
whom l had borrowed it. Having left
lit, 1 proceeded on foot towards my own
house, which was perhaps mile fur
ther on.
sBeing, as you may readily suppose,
very much fatigucd, l considered whe-
therr it would not bepossible to shorten
nv walk. There was solitary path
across the fields which would diminish
the distance fully one half. There was
onc objection to it however. 1t led
through graveyard!
.This thought, however, did not for
a moment deter me. l was not super
stitious. Ihad always laughed at the
idea of ghosts, and considered them
mere fgments offs disordered Brain
But l was doomcd-howcver l will not
anticipate. 1 got as far as the grave
yard without meeting any hindrance,
and With a bold, confident air leapcd the
stone wall which served as its boundary
and found myself at once within the
precincts of the dead"
tsay whatyOu will, continued Uncle
Benjamin, his voice becoming deeper
and more solemn, there is feeling OF
awe, scarcely to be resisted, which steals
over one, when he finds himself in the
gloom of midnight surrounded with the
relics of frail mortality, and considers
that ere many years he shall be as
those around him.
'But the ghost" suggested the stern
looking gentleman, who was apparent
ly very much interested in the dcnou,
mcnt.
the reply.
wall, and proceeded, notwithstanding a
slight feeling of awe, with tolcrablc
boidness, till l had got, 1 should think,
about the centre of the yard.
SWcll?' said one.
AT thispoint, from behind d tionu
mcnt which stood beside path: there
suddenly strobe d figure clad in ghOstly
white. The arms we're extended, anc
one of the hands contained something
but what it was could not discover.
! Il shall never forget tic horror o
that moment. 4 sensation of freezing
terror crcpt over me, ahd'paralyaedal
my limbs; though l would have giyeE
worlds to have moved from the spot
there was fixed, and all the while d
five feet distance from me stoodthEs ae
puIcEral ficro,