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

or fifteen people at Harneur and at Quiile.
bosuf, mos Of whom are atill (in l8Sal living
and were 10 live fifty years the sound and
the Impression viii never depart from my
memory" But, of course, these so-callsd
facts had their common source I'M the nara.
tor Therefore, a. question of evidence, no
corroboraticn 10 gained by their being known
to the dozen or fftecn people still living.
The heroine of our next illussrstion is Nra
D., al Euglish lady.
When, Ave years ago, Mrs D became
. widow, 1t pleased the brother Of her nus.
band to dispute the dispositions Of the latter 9
will..-a proceeding the more annoying as the
provision made for the widaw WA already
extremely moderate. Ultimately an appeal
was made to Chsncery. The suit lasted three
Year,, and caused Ars D. the utmost
vexation and anxiety, when at length the law,
finding those claima indisputable, which had
never been anything else, decided In her ia
vOr Some short time after this, Mrs. D
was residing in L. Place, Brighton. A
friend, Miss -, usually shared her bed
room. Both were lying awake one morning
about s o'clock, when Mrs. D., with some
surprise, saw her friend rise up suddenly in
bed, clasp her hands. and sink back again on
the pillow in u profound sleep Strange as
seemed the movement, 1t was 30 evident to
Mrs D that her friend was really in a
tranquil slumber that she made no effort to dis
turb her. a minute elapsed, when the door
quietly opened, and there seemed to enter a
figure which she believed to be supernatural
She describes her feelings with great minute
ness. She owned that, by nature, she was
somewhat nervous; her Impressions, as she af-
terward remembered them, on this occasion
had not the slightest intermixture of fear She
WAS conscious Of reverential awe, such az
might become the witness Of a revelation over.
ruling the accepted law of nature, united with
a feeling of intense curiosity as tot the object OF
the apparition Gliding through the subdued
light, the figure had all the appearance gait and
manner other deceased husband: until, passing
round the room and sinking down into an arm
chair that stood nearly opposite her bed, turned
slightly aside, the figure presented it profile land
Mrs. D instantly recognized her connection
and late opponent, Mr.. W. D., at that time
residing in the North. No sooner had the mys
terious visitor sat down than he raised hii
clasped hands, a. in passionate entreaty; bn
though the spectral lips appeared to move, II
i'll harmony with the gesture, no sound was au
dible. Three times the hands were lifted III
the same earnest manner, then the figure rose
and retired as 1t came. Some nervous reaction
followed its disappearance, for Mrs. D.,
maid appearing minute or two later, foupC
her mistress trembling violently, and mucl
agitated. Nevertheless, she quickly regained
her selfpossession, and calmly related wha
she had seen both to Miss Il and tht
maid, the former being unable to recall any
thing unusual, and only knowing that she hat
fallen asleep again contrary to her own iuten
ton
The succeeding day WAS cold and stormy
and neither Of the friends quilted the house,
In the evening some neighbors called. As the,
were taking leave one of the party suddenly
inquired:
blythe bye, have you had any recent new,
from the North? A rumor has reached US,
hardly know how, that Mr.. w. D. is dan
gerously i'll, some say dying, even (but it ii
He Is dead,' said Mrs. D., quietly. III,
died this morning
"You have telegram u
"You shall hear"
And Mrs. D. told her story to the won
dering friends.
As quickly as news could reach Brighton
che received intimation Of Mr.. D-'s deatl
at the hour Of his appearance.
A singular and suggestive statement is, tina
the scene witnessed by Mrs. D. at Brighton
was being enacted in the death chamber Of Mr.
w. D., hundreds Of miles defiant. Hi.
mind wandered somewhat as the end drew
near, but perpetually returned to the eubject o.
the unhappy lawsuit. Mistaking his sister fol
Mrs. D., he addressed to her the most fer
vent enifeaties for pardon, avowing his bitter
regret, condemning his own injustice and GOV
etousness, and declaring that he could not di,
in peace without her forgiveness Three time
the dying man raised his hands in the nanne
she had witnessed, and 30 expired.
One morning. some years since, the lady o
distinguished London physician was lying il
light. and she was broad awake The doo
opened, but LADY,, concluding it was he1
maid, did not raise her head until remark 1
bie-lookins figure, passing between her bet
and the window, walked up to the fireplace
when, reflected in the mirror which hun.
above, Lady - recognized the features o
her step son, DR.. j. c., then attached to
foreign embassy. He wore long night dress
and carried something on his arm,
"Good Heavens! is that you, John and il
that dress Z" cried Lady -, in the first sur
prise.
The figure turned slowly round, and she thel
became aware that the object he carried wa
dead child. the body being swathed round an,
round in large Indian scarf of remarl abl
workmanship, which Lady - had preseute,
to Mrs. j. c. on the eve of her departure
As she gazed the outline Of the figures becam
ndistinct-invisible. They We're lost in tn,
familiar objects of the room. Lady - nei
ther tainted nor shrieked, nor even rang the bell
She lay down and thought the matter over
resolving to mention it to no one until the re
turn of her husband, then absent in attendance
on an illustrious household. His experienc,
would decide whether her physical health of
fered any solution of the phenomenon. Al
for its being dream, it may be taken as al
accepted fact that, though nobody is conscious
of the act Of going to sleep, every ybody knows
by the sudden change Of scenery, and snap
ping OF the chain of thought alone, when b,
has awakened
On hearing her story her husband immediate
ly looked at his lady's tongue and felt hel
pulse. Both organs perfect. OF her nerves
hehad seer proof. Touching veracity she wa
sruth itself All his skill could devise nothing
better than recommendation to patience, aIlt
to See what came of it, In the mean time the
day and hour were noted down, and the mex
sdvices from + awaited with more thai
usual interest.
ed his father that their child-an only one
had died on such day THAT Of the apparitionl
and that his wife, anxious that it should bt
laid TO rest in the land of its birth, had begged
that 1t might be forwarded by the next ship
ln due course it arrived embalmed, but inclos
ed in coffin 90 much larger than was required
for tue tiny occupant that the intervening
spaces had to be filled up with clothes, etc.
while the Indian scarf had been wound il
many folds around the child's body.
A favorits theory lays it down as law that i,
requires two minds to produce one ghost
There must be, on the one side, the power OF
protraction of the image; on the other. that OF
receptivity. Unless the mirror be specially
prepared, the object, though at hand, cannot
become visible. Yet here is an example of the
substitution of one, certainly in no such con
dition Of special preparedness, for another un.
questionably Interested.
Colonel -, who perished, with a party o!
his men, in the lamentable burning Of trans,