The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1861-06-12
A Curious Story.

the distinguished Prof Tholluck, of Halle,
who received it from the lips of DR.. De
Wette himself who was his personal
friend:., r., L.. ~. r...., .u,.t
"Dr DeWette, the famous German
biblical critic, returning home one evening
between nine and ten o'clock, was sur
Eprised, upon arriving opposite tie house
in which he resided, TO see bright light
burning in his study. In fact he remem-
bered TO have extipguished the candles
when he, went out, ,an hour or two previ-
ously, locked the door and put the key
in his pocket, which upon feeling for it
was still there. Pausing for moment
TO wonder for what purpose and by what
means any one had entered the room, he
perceived the shadow of person appa-
rently occupied about something in re-
mote corner. Supposing it to. be a bur
glar employed in riting his trunk, be was
on the point Of Alarming the police, when
a man advanced to the window into full
view, rs if for the purpose of looking in
to the street. II was De Weae himself!
the scholar, author, professionals height,
size, figure, stoop- his head, his face, his
features, eyes, mouth, nose, chin, every
one--skpll cap, study gown, necktie, all,
everything, there was no mistaking him,
no deception whatever. There stood DR..
De Wette in his own library, and he out
in the strect--wby he must he somebody
else. The doctor instinctiyely grasped
his body in his hands, and tried himself
with the physiological test of selfcon-
seiousness and Identity, doubtful if he
could believe his senses and black were
not while, that he longer existed his for
mer-self, and stood perplexed, bewildered
and confounded, gazing at his own like
ness looking out of the window, which
occurred in a few moments. De Wette
resolved not TO dispute the possession of
the study with the other doctor before
morning, and ringing at the door of a
house opposite, where an acquaintance re-
sided he asked permission to remain over
night! ~ .a.-a...... .,.
"The chamber occupied by him com
manded full view of the interior of his
library, and from the window he could see
his other self engaged in study and medi-
tation, now walking up and down the
room, immersed in thought, now sitting
down at the desk to write; now rising to
search for q volume among the book
shelves and initiating in all respects the
peculiar habits of the great doctor engag
ed at work and busy with cogitations.-
AT length, when the cathedral clock had
finished striking, first four lhen, eleven
strokes, rs German clocks are wont to do
an hour before twelve, De Wette number
two manifested signs of retiring TO rest
took out his watch, the identical large
gold one the doctor in the other chamber
felt sure was at that moment safe in his
wais.coat pocket, and wound it up, re-
moving q portion of his clothing, came
10 the window, closed the curtains, and,
in few moments, the light disappeared.
De Wette number one, waiting u little
time, convinced that number two had dis
posed himself to sleep, retired also to bed
wondering very much what nll this could
mean. .. ....... ..,,.. ......
+" Rising the next morning, he crossed
The street and passed up stairs TO his IL
brary. The door was fastened; he ap-
piled the key, opened it and entered. No
one was there, everything appeared in
precisely the same condition in which he
had left it the evening before-his pen
lying on the paper as he had dropped il
on going out, the candles on the table and
mantle piece, evidently not having been
lighted, the window curtains drawn aside
as he had left them; in short, there was
not single trace of any persons having
been in the room. Had he been insane
the night before? He must have been,
He was growing old; something was the
matter with his eyes or brain anyhow; he
had been deceived and it was foolish IL
him to have remained away all night.
Endeavoring to satisfy his mind with
some such reflections as these, he remem.
bered he had not yet examined his bed
room. Almost ashamed 10 make the
search, now convinced that it was n hal
lucination of the senses, he crossed the
narrow passage way and opened the door
He was thunder struck. The ceiling, @
lofty massive brick arch, bad fallen during
the night, filling the room with rubbish
and crushing his bed into atoms. De
Wctte, the apparitiou, bad saved the lif(
of the German scholar Tholluek, wher
relating the anecdote, added upon con
cluding, 81 do not pretend to account
for the phenomenon; no knowledge, sci
entifcal or metaphysical, in my possess
ion, is adequate to explain,it; but | have
no more doubt it actually, positively, lit
orally did occur, than i have'of the exist
ence of the sun in HimDaeL d." hHs
nrN Gcorr Tho philadalnhia Ted0