The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-03-20

A ii the goSsipS in New York are in flutter of
excitement. DR.. CoGswELL has seen ghost Not
one of those sheeted phantoms which were wont
of old TO scare the belated villager at that
--'witching time of night
When church-yards yawn'-.
nor yet 'blood-botered'' like the spectre which
MACBETH piteously besought to take
"Any other form but that"
but quiet, respectable, gentlemanly ghost dress
ed in modern habiliments, and though rather in
trusive yet still evincing unmstakeable signs of
good-hreeding. 1t was the ghost of physician
that DR. CoGswELL saw-a. physician once of
New York but whether driven earthwards, unre-
lentia2ly pursued by the spirits of his former pa
tents, from a desire to claim a closer acqaint-
ance with the learned Librarian of the Astor Lii
brary than he possessed during lie-who can tell?
This remarkable apparition was not at all 'tof the
'earth, earthly 1t had none of the smell of
damp mould about it; did not seem TO have been
familiar with charnel houses, to have ''re-vis-
"ed the glimpses of the NOON for any special
purpose Ordinary ghosts have nearly always
'1ike HAMLErs father" secret TO unfold, but this
appears to have had none. Some ghosts in spite Of
their orthodox etheriality, make terrible hubbub
among SuUSlitllldl AOuScuOlu uleuSllS, Without
ever indugng the scared inmates with the sigl
of their countenances. The Astor Library ghost
was evidently on his good behavior, and DR..
CoGswELL, to his honor be it spoken, accosted his
spectral visitor with all the quiet GOODNESS of an
accomplished man Of the world. The story briefly
told runs thus: Late one night, about two
weeks ago, the learned and indefatigabe librarian
was busily employed in the compilation of cata-
logue, upon which he has been engaged for MANY
months. With the exception of the janitor, he
was alone in the building. Wanting TO refer to
some books, he quilted his desk and taking his
candle in his hand-for the place was otherwise
ghted-proceeded in quest of them He had
threaded several passages and, while standing in
distant alcove in the southwest part of the older
portion Of the building--in stating facts of this
kind it is eminently right and proper that we
should be particular as to details-he suddenly
discovered a strange individual, whose eyes were
intently f xed upon a shelf of books Under the
impression that he was about to be robbed of some
of his cherished treasures the librarian moved
cautiously forward when, TO his surprise, he re-
cognzed in the supposed robber the features of
physician who died some six weeks ago Well
acquainted as DR.. CoGswELL must necessarily be
with all the approved formulas for exercising per-
turbed spirits, he used none of them. Perhaps
at the moment, they escaped his m emory-per-
haps he thought that modern ghost would dis
dain the medieval form of adjuration, or he may
have reflected that as he was about to address the
dsembodied semblance of a gentleman simple
remonstrance upon the indelicacy of reappearing
in such IA questionable shape" would produce
the most salutary effect. However this may be-
the sturdy librarian said very calmly to his spec
trail vlsitant: 'Dr. -, you seldom if ever,
'visied this Library while living, why do you
''trouble us now, when dead ~ This was evil
IDENTIFY poser for the ghost, which, not venturing
upon reply vanished forthwith, without waiting
for cock-crow. 1t was a pertinacious ghost,
nevertheless, and by its subsequent conduct
showed itself still disposed to be intrusive. The
next night the Librarian being at his work as
usual, found it again necessary to refer to some
books; and there in the same acove, by the light
of his solitary candle, he encountered the ghost
of the preceding evening, every calmly and pla-
"cidly surveying the shelves" This was GER
tainly very annoying, and it threatened to
interfere very seriously with the customary night
ly pereginations of the studions CoGswELL. he
was not disposed to put up with it. He was a
man of nerve, but he was, moreover, polite
man, and by 10 means desired to wound the
FEELINGS of quondam acquaintan CO. He, there
lore contented himself with saying-though with
d h'ue more emphasis than on the previous occa-
sion-"Dr. =, again l ask you, why Won. who
'never visited the Library while LIVING. tronble
lit now when dead?'' What could the moor
ghost answer? He had been told when first ad-
dressed, that, as he had seldom if ever, visited
''the Library" while in the body, he. ,bera-
fore, could have no possible business there
when dead, and he had tacity adj
mitted the fact by making a speedy exit
from the premises. He was now told that he had
''never," at any previous time, even looked at the
backs of the books, and of course could claim no
peculiar posthumous privileges. To the second
address Of his imperturbabe interrogater the ghost
vouchsafed never word, but silently disappeared.