The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-11-08

STRANGE AND vEI TRUE.
When the evening lamps are lighted, or,
rather inst before that operatiou-sav, In the
It,ls interval which follows the retirement of
the lsdies from the dining room, and precedes
"a. appearance of the laughing. skeptical faces
leh temporarily below-a grain of ghost talk
uingles, not inharmonionsiy, with the gentle
and domestic topics invoked by the suhdued
Iyh, snd confidential feeling of the hour. The
trss,mens of the subject is necessarily superb
cjsl Twenty minutes will not suffice for a
dive into philosophic deepe. Facts are simply
atiuoed Theme and proposition are laid bare,
ANA lef 30 for any after manipulations pro
.oupder thinkers please. Nevertheless, from
the pabulum toften exceedingly raw supplied
by these little conversations may be deduced u
whole garden of thought worthy the attention
of the most earnest sage.
Whstever be the cause, the fact will hardly
be disputed that u taste for the supernatural
has greatly augmented of late among the edu-
Gated classes of society. Ii has, indeed, as
might be expected, abandoned its ancient form
Of bald credulty. We neither believe in the
ghost nor shoot him, We require to know
some.hing of h.s nature who walks unnvited
into our-}welling, and what may be his imme.
date business there, but not with rudeness nor
intolerance In word, the indulgent spirit
Of the time is the welcome child of progress
A. every age stamps itself upon the roll Of
tine with the zeal of some grand discovery
- every successive year reveals its halfsus-
pected wonders-the mind becomes less and
less inclined TO impose limits upon that vast un-
explored ocean, which, like the natural hori
son, seems 10 know no bound but God-and
man. as hs grows wiser, grows humber
To this improved feeling, and this better dis
Gplns Of reason, we are indebted for many an
interesting narrative which would else have
never passed the bounds of family circle :;
or, il doing SO, would have at least been care
fully deAuded Of such corroboration as name,
paaes. and time afford. In the incidents here
afsr 10 be related these have been supplied
without scruple, and without desire for any
greater retlcence than the editor in his discre
ton may impose The circumstances of each
esse have been verified with unusual care be-
eslse another object than simple curiosity sug-
sssted the inquiry. Still it may bs proper to
"a! attention to the fac, that pers0us " ho have
be9n, or who have conceived themselves to
have been, the witnesses Of so called super
natural appearances, are, in recalling the oc-
currence, never wholly free from thu dominion
Of tha, exalted feeling which accompanied it,
and which is ill calculated for miuuts and ac-
eu-ats detail He, therefore, who undertakes
70 relate ghost story at second -haa3 may have
tbs difficult task Of rendering iIaQhsrspces in
su manner as shall not bring down unjust
do.bl upon what is no less correct tLap clear
% assist analysis, we must compare. To
ait comparison, the least possible rsserve
should unite with the closest pelGbIs adhe.
renee to facts, 90 far as facts can n ASCERTAIN
% after passing through strongly susceptible
iuaginations. Even were these 1xira natural
occurrences not explicable twhish We hold
them in every case to be- there u sursly no.
tang terrible or revolving in the plrsuit Ii
is, for example; simple. touching, and beau
.iiul faith that the last earthly regards of the
liberated spirit should be fixed upon its best
beloved If such be the work of mocking
sprit, il Wears wonderfully heavenly dress
Il an ghost, says Wolfram, in the Fools
Tragedy;
TfeRble not. Fear not ne:
shs dead ever good aid innoesot
And love the living They ere cheerful crestu,ss-
Al; quiet as the sunb.sms-Rad Il 1T Ike
In grace ana patent love, a,d spotlsss beauty,
Ihe newborn OF mankind.
10 proceed at once TO illustration, here are
two Instances Of intuition both brief and
true, The fret is supplied by gentleman
well known in French literary circles, whom
II induced TO bestow much attention on that
Ind Kindred subjects.
III 1915 he WAS visiting lady Of his acqnaint
ance al RoIen They were engaged in ear
prospec;s Of the lady's children, the Youngest
81 whom-a girl of eiehteen-sat working
reside them Suddenly the latter started from
hsf seat with loud shrek, and threw herself
INTO her mothers arms. On being questioned
- 70 the cause Of her agitation, she pointed 10
SOFA, aud, weeping bitterly, declared she had
sesh descend upon it the figure Of her elder
asler, Rosalie, then on a visit to some rela-
hons at or near Havre. The conntenance Of
= arvn IL
ihs occurred ut 4 O'Clock in the afternoon of
Inc l7th September. Two days after, tidings
arrived that Rosalie r. had been unhap.
tlil drowned in boating excursion at Havre,
~ III Was afirmed) the precise moment of he
Appearance
Az another instance, here is q circumstance
infinitely related by Monsieur M, re-.
ursd French officer, in letter to friend:
Lett an orphan at an early age, WAS
brought up under the care ofa kind hearted god
mother, who could scarcely have cherished me
lGfs l.G had ! been her own offspring. She re-
'ided al Harteur, and, being in easy circum-
s'.nees, refused me nothing that could con-
noale to my youthful pleasure, keeping my
pockets withal mfortably lined with that
Material which rendered my frequent visits to
We Sunday fetes in the neighbOrhood doubly
agreeable. On one occasion l had started, as
asaai, In company with band of young vaga-
sohas like myself, to attend fete at Quiile-
'oal' on the opposite side of the Seine.
contrary to my natural habit, l felt un-
10y and depressed. An inexplicable feeling
VI gloom hung upon my mind, and neither nv
WE efforts nor the rsillery of my companions
Souia drive it away. l had indeed left NV
Eooa protectress confined by illness to her bed,
.u' Was not aware that she was in any dan.
fr. However, the cloud upon my mind, far
mom oisperslng, momentarily increased If
!Yined as usual in tho different sports, was
ny~ v~ ana unskillful; and in the war Of wit
s-as Gsnefslly acconlpsnied our games had not
rwdt 70 say Tor myself We had engaged in
~. In OF skittiss. 1t was my turn TO deliver
~; 80. oali, and was standing, half pensively,
r..n6 ~ IN my hand, when 1 distinctly heard
.nS voice pronounce my name. l started,
s1"ls .au turned round, hastily asking who bad
Nobody, replied those around me.
80. Mns'sted that had hearda woman voice
"bah you're dreaming. Play away'
a hardly had the ball quilted my hand wben
'scohd time ! heard my nsa,e pronounced
- son and plaintiye tons, but {sinter than
"s ,ormer Again inquired who called me-
NO ono present had heard the sound.
sEeck me that some one Of the partv
s. Pasy,ng trick npon me, in order 10 in.
uocsN ae my evident meIsncholy. Nevertheless,
~ IIa ,h .ns innuence Of some Impression caused
~ 10 Iour.1'n ,s,niass AZ sgq9oa,. isfassd p play
Tnsur. QpIpsekfl ~ Qodmother's house
d,,;nna s aasoskad = te:LSassAiat shs had expired
swiss:. "a "a s ssessESss s; ss.etag p asas