The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-10-16

EFORD, MAINE
sorcerer, are more than a poor colleg
sizar ever possessed; but here are five
which, ii you arc satisfied, ! shall be mos
willing to wager" "a,
The other took up his purse, saying Il
a contemptuous tone: "Young gentle
man, YOU wish to draw backT s.te
81 draw back " exclaimed the student
1Well, if l had fifty guineas, you shoui'
see whether wish to draw backw :
4Herc," said "are four guineas, whicl
| will stake on your wager
No sooner had ! made this proposition
than the rest of the company, attracts
by the singularity Of the affair, came for
ward to lay down their money; and II
a minute or two the fifty guineas wcr'
subscribed. The merchant appeared s.
sure Of winning that he placed all OF tn
stakes in the students hands, and pre-
pared for the experiment. We selected
for the purpose a small summer-housc II
the garden, perfectly isolated, and having
no means Of exit but a window and
door, which we carefully fastened, afte
placing the young man within. Wepu
writing materials on a small table, andtool
away the candles. We remained outside
with the pcdlar amongst US. In a low
solemn voice he began to chant the fol
lowing lines: #.. s...E
"What rise,h slow from the ocean caves,
And the stormy suHf
The ohan,om pale sets his blackened loot
On the ircsh green turf" r ..
Then raising his voice solemnly, hi
said "You asked to see your trient
Francis Villics. who was drowned three
years ago off the coast Of South Ameri
ca: What do you seer ur.
"I Sec" replied the student, "a white
light rising near the window; but it ha'
no form-itis is like an uncertain cloud"
We-the spcctaton--rcmained pro
foundly silent. ..
.Are you afraid 7" asked the mcr
chant, in loud voice. .
al am not" replied the student firmly
After a moments silence, the peddlel
stamped three times on the ground, ant
sang: ,.
aAnd the phantom white, whose clay cold iac'
Was once so fair.
Dries with his shroud his clinging vest
Aud his seato>sed hair"
Once more the solemn question:
"You who would see revealed the mys
tcrics Of the tomb-what do You SCI
nowl" ..
The student answered in calm voice
but like that of man describing things
as they pass before him; "Isc the cloud
taking form of a phantom; its head ],
covered with long veil-it stands still!
"Arc you afraid"
"l am not y.
We looked at each other in horror
stricken silence, while the merchant, rails
inr his arms above his head, chanted in
a scpulchal voice:
nAnd the phantom said, rs he rose from the wave
He shall know me in sooth
4 will 60 TO my friend, gay, smiling aud iond,
As in our tirst YOUTH
.What do YOU sect" said he.
"I see the phantom advance said the
studcnt,-"hc lifts his veil-'tis Francis
villcrs !-hc approaches the tablc-he
writes-'tis his signature.
"Arc you afraid"
A fearful moment of silence ensucd
then the student replied in an altered
voice: ...
~ am not"
With STANCE and frantic gestures the
merchant then sang:
"Aud the phantom said To the mocking seer,
leone IRON the South;
Pu, Thy hand on my hsnd-thy heart on my heart
I'm Thy mouth on my mouth"
"What do you see" I'D.
ale comes-hc approachcs-he pur.
sues me-hc is stretching out his arms
he will have me! Help! help! Save
me!'
.Arc YOU afraid NOW y asked the mcr'
chant, in mocking voice.
A piercing cry, andthen a stiaed groan,
was the only reply to this terrible ques'
ton. ....I .,.... .r ' P.
"Help that rash YOUTH said the mcr-
chant, bitterly. al have, / think, won
the wager; but it is sufficient for me TO
have given him lesson. Let him keep
the money, and be wiser for the future"
He walked rapidly away. Weopened
the door of the summer house, and found
the student in convulsions. A paper
signed with the name Of "Fancis Villers'
was on the table. Assoon as the students
senses were restored, he asked vehement.
II where was the vile sorcerer who had
subjected him to such horrible ordeal
he would kill him! lie sought him
throughout the inn vain; then, with the
speed of mailman, he dashed off across
the fields in pursuit Of him-and We never
saw either OF them again. That, children
is my ghost story! -4. ..u.- .
"And how is It, uncle, that after that
you don't believe in ghostsr 'a..'. -
"Becausc, my boy" replied my uncle
sneither the student nor the merchant
ever returned; and the forty-fvc guineas
belonging to me and the other travellers
continued equally invisible. Those two
swindlers carried them of, after having
acted a farce, which we, like ninnies, be
lieyedt to be real" 'a ........
LocxJAw. II is well known that TIN
is one of the most dreaded and painf,i
complaints that flesh is heir to, and trc
quently battles the power Of medica
science to cure. 1t may be produced u
various ways, but most frequently by run
,;,,, nails into tho frct- Ne have know