Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-02-26
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THE APPLE-TRnE TABLE
OR ORIGINAL SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS
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During the meal, in vain was conversa-
tion started again and again; in vain my
wife said som thing brisk to infuse into
others an animation akin to her own
Julia aud AnLa, with heads bowed over
their tea-cups, were still listening for the
tick | confess, too, that their example
was catching. But, for the time, nothing
was heard. Either the ticking had died
quite away, or else, slight as 1t was, the
increasing uproar of the street, with the
general hum of day, SO coHtrasted with the
repose of night and early morning, smoth-
cred the sound. At the lurking inquietude
of her companions, my wife was indignant;
the more SO, as she seemed to glory in her
own exemption from panic. When break
fast was cleared away she took my watch,
and, placing it on the table, addressed the
supposed spirits in it, with a jocosely def
ant air: 'sThere, tick away, let US see who
can tick loudest!"
ALI that day, while abroad, thought o:
the mysterious .able. Could Cotton Mather
epeak truei Were there spirits! And
would spirits haunt tea-table? Would
Ile Evil oue udiS cuOH hic SiOfCu IOOS IN
the bosom of an innocent family. shud-
dered when thought that myself, against
the solemn warnings of my daughters, had
wiIfully introduced the cloven foot there
Yea, three cloyen feet. But, towards noon,
this sort of feeling began to wear off. The
continual rubbing against so many practi-
cal people in the street, brushed such chime
ras away from me. | remembered tha: /
had not acquitted myself very intrepidy
either on the previous night or in the morn
ing, fresolved to regain the good opinion
of my wife.
To evince my hardihood the more sig
pal:y, when tea was dismissed, and the
/. three rubbers of whist had been played, and
no ticking had been heard--which the more
encouraged mel took my pipe, and, say
lng that bedtime had arrived for the rest,
drew nv chair tow ards the Ere, and, remov-
ing nv slippers, placed my feet on the fem
der, looking as calm and composed as old
Democriius in the tom bs OF Abdera, when
one midn pht the nj chievous little boys of
the town tried to frighten that sturdy philos-
opher with spurious ghosts.
And thought 20 myself, that the Worlhy
old gentleman had set good example to
all times in his conduct on that OCCASION
For, when at the dead hour, intent on his
studies, he heard the strange sounds, he did
not so much as move his eyes from his page,
only simply said: "Boys, little boys, 60
home. This is no place for you. You will
catch cold here" The philosophy of which
words lies here: that they imply the FORE
gone conclusion, that any possible investi-
gation of any possible spiritual Phenemena
was absurd; that upon the first face of such
things, the mind of a sane man instinctively
affirmed them humbug, unworthy the least
attention; more especially if phenomena
appear in tembs, since tomos are peculiarly
the place of silence, lifelessness, and soil.
tude: for which cause, by the way, the old
man, as upon the occasion in question, made
the tombs of Abdera his place OF study.
Presently was alone, and all was hushed
laid down my pipe, not feeling exactly
tranquil enough now thoroughly to enjo!
it. Taking up one of the newspapers,
began in a nervous, hurried sort of way, Il
!. read BY the light of a candle placed on