The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-06-30
GAsPAR.

"At Worcester, a few weeks since, ac-
cidentally met, at the house of banker in
that city, lady whom I had not previously
known and from her lips heard story
of character so extraordinary that no COM
mon place voucher for the veracity of the
narrator would suffice. in the eyes of most
people, to establish its authenticity.
Nor was it an ordinary testimonial
which, on applying to our host, he furnished
to me. He had known the lady, he said,
for more than thirty yeats. SO great is her
TRUTH he added, SO easily proved is her
uprightness. that / cannot entertain doubt
that she herself believes whatever she says
Blameless in her walk and conversation, he
regarded it as incredibility that she should
seek to deceive. Of strong mind, and in
telligent upon all subjects, it seemed almost
as difficult for him to imagine that 10 the
narrative he had himself frequently heard
from her lips-clear and circumstancial as
it was-she should have been self-deceiy
er. And thus he was in dilemma. For
the facts were of character which he was
extremely reluctant to admit; while the evi
dence was of stamp which it seemed i'm
possible to question.
"My own observation of the lady, stran-
ger as she was to me, confirmed everything
which her friend the banker had told me in
her favor. There was in her face and man
ner, even in the tones of her voice, that
nameless something, rarely deceptive, which
carries conviction of truth. As she repeat
ed the story, l could not choose but trust
to her sincerity and this the rather because
she spoke with evident reluctance. 1T was
rarely the banker said, that she could be
prevailed on to relate the circumstances
her hearers being usually skeptics, more
disposed to laugh than sympathize with her.
add to this, that neither the lady nor
the banker were believers in spiritualism,-
having heard, as they told me, next to no
thing on the subject.
Il commit no breach of confidence in the
following communication. IF you speak
of this NATTER said the lady to me, I will
ask you to suppress the name of the place
in France where the occurrence took place
This have accordingly done. I may add
that the incidents here related had been the
frequent subject of conversation and com
ment between the lady and her friends.
Thus promising, proceed to give the
narrative as nearly as l can in the lady's
words:
"'About the year $780, she said, we
were residing at the seaport town of -,
in France, having removed thither from our
residence in Suffolk Our fs's1.ily -oonsi5ted
of my father, mother, sister, young broth
er about the age of twelve, and myself, to-
gether with an English servant Our house
was in lonely spot, on the outskirts of the
town, with broad, open beach around it,
and with no other dwelling, nor any out
buildings, in its vicinity.
"'One evening my father saw, seated on
a fragment of rock only few yards from
his own door, figure enveloped in a large
cloak. Approaching him, my father bid
him "good evening" but, receiving no
reply, lie turned to enter the house. Before
doing so, however, he looked back, and, to
his very great surprise. could see nc one.
His establishment reached its height, when,
on returning to the rock where the figure
had seemed seated, and searching all round
| it, he could discover no trace whatever of
the appearance, although there was not the
slightest shelter near where any one could
have sought concealment.
/ "'On enteringtthe sitting room, he said,
'children, have seen ghost pat which,
as may be supposed, we all heartily laughed.
THAT night, however, and for several
succeeding nights, we heard strange noises
in various parts of the house,-sometimes
resembling means underneath our window,
sometimes sounding like scratches against
the window frames, while at other times it
seemed as if number of persons were
scrambling over the roof. We opened our
window again and again, calling out to
know if any one were there, but received no
answer.
q After some days, the noises made their
way into our bedroom, where my sister and
myself (she twenty and 1 eighteen years of
age) slept together. We alarmed the house,
but received only reproaches, our parents
believing that we were affected by silly fan
cies. The noises in our room were usually
knocks, -sometImes repeated twenty or
thirty times in a minute, sometimes with
the space perhaps of minute between each.
''At length our parents also heard both
the knockings in our room and the noises
outside, and were fain to admit that it was
no imagination. Then the incident of the
ghost was revived. But none of US were
seriously alarmed. We became accustomed
to the disturbance.
"'One night during the usual knockings,
it occurred to me to say, aloud, eff you
are spirit, knock six times" Immediate
ly heard six knocks, very distinctly given,
and no more.
: AS time passed on. the noises became
so familiar as TO lose all terrifying, even all
disagreeable effect; and so matters passed
for several weeks.
but the most remarkable part of my
story remains to be told. | should hesitate
70 repeat il to you, were not all the mem
bers of my family witnesses of its truth
Ny brother-then, it is true, boy only,
; now man in years, and high in his profss.
sion-will confirm every particular.
Besides the knoekings in our bedroom
we began to hear-usually in the parlor-
what seemed a human voice. The first time
/ this startling phenomenon occurred. tbs
voice was heard to join in one of the do
mestic songs of the family. while my sistei
$ was at the piano. You may imagine ou
establishment. But we were not long left il
Z doubt as to whether, IN this instance, oul
imaginations had deceived us. After
time. the voice began to speak to US clearl.
and intelligibly. joining from time to tim
N in the conversation The tonoe xz,cra low