Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-04-11
MI s G ELL N Y.
ADRRADFUL GHOST.

NJ AVrHok oT JOHN HALIFAX, okSrLAHAN'
Such . dreadful ghos, .-oh, such .
dreadful gbos,!'
Ny wife, who was luckily sitting Sy ne.
was st 6pt a. much frightened - ! vas.
bot gradually sh. succeeiet in quie'ins both
me and herself. which indeed she has won.
dcr!ul faculty for doing
When she had drawn from me the eause
Of my terrified ordinations, We discussed
the whole matier--in which We differed
considerably and on ,hi. subject We in'A-
riably and sGectionately do. She ma per.
fcc,ly matter of.fact. unimaginatirs. and
interpretations individual: quite sa,i'6cd
that IN the invisible. as in the visible world,
tao and two must make four. and cannot
b, any possibility make f'c. Only being.
with NIL her grntleness, q little pigheadsd.
che does not sce the one aa~ IN her other.
~i.e very seos'ble argument. namely. the
taking for granted that ~o hni,s cros,urrs.
Who are % liable 20 error even In material
things, can in thins- immAierial decide ab-
solu,ely upon what is t~o anil ~hs, !. iour.
Ther, 1--we. mot, faith 10 hose., doob,.
Relieve me. ,h.a In half your o',.d.
And u i. jus, po..ible that when the Devil
tempted our for-faiher To ea, Of the tree OF
tpo~lc,is.. b. was laughing. as maybe he
often laughs now. 10 think what sslf con.
ee,tsj fool man mus, be. ever 20 suprOss
,ha, he ron know everything.
when preach ,hi. to my hslpms,e--
Who |. ,h- humbr.t and sweetest OF women
she replies, in perhaps the safest way .
woman can reply to an Argument. With q
smile q. ,h- did. when. having talked over
and ,,es-i on Ail nic- nv Dreadful Ghost.
.hs advised me IN mako IL public, for the
good Of community: IN which ~e agreed.
though differing She considered l, would
prove how very silly IL 10 TO believe in ghosts
a, all. I considered-ba, my story will eI.
plain that.
She and we're. I thought, invited to q
strange hou.s. With which. and with the
family. We wer. only acquainted by hsar-ay
II wa.. in fact, one Of those invitations on
business such as literary persons like my.
scli continually get and which give little
pleasure, rs We are perfectly aware from
what motives they spring; and that II We
could pack up our reputation IN Por,man.
iesu. and our head 10 . hatboI. 10 would
answer exactly the came purpo.c. and be
equally satisfactory TO the inviting parties.
However. the prr.ent case wa' IN exception;
since though We had h.ari that they were
DOT o 'bos loving. literary liou.hun,ins
household, but really family: affection.
.,ely united among themselves. and devoted
to the memory Of the la's'y los, head. lie
was 4 physician. widely esteemed. and also
. man Of letter.. whose death had created
. great blank, both IN his own circle and in
the literary world =, large. Nov. after .
years interval. hi, widow and thre d.ugh.
iers were beginning to r-sppear in society !;
and the British Association meeting. held
at the large town which need not pa''ieo
lar,.e. had opened the door. OF their lons.
bo.yitsble house TO my wife aud ms.
Being strangers, We though, II bes, TO ap'
pear. a. would ad,i.e all stranger guest,
To do. at ,lo tailsud oi the day when Gao.
dlelish, aud freight cast kindly mystery
over all things. and the few brief hours OF
askwariaess and un'aniliari,y are followed
by the nocturnal separa,iOu-~hen each
party has time to think over and talk over
the oiber-mee,ins neI, morning with the
kindly feeling Of lhoss who have passed q
nigh, under the same friendly roof.
M my vile and stepped IRON our cab.
the dull day VA. ALREADY closing into tai.
light. and the Ere only halfillumined the
room into which We were shown. IL wss
On oldfashioned. rather gloomy apartment
half study, half .i.tiusroom one end be'ns
fitted up as = library, while at the other
pleasant ,houeh,fuln-ss, which already
warmed our hearts towards our unseen
host. was spread out tha, bee, Of all meals
Tor weary traveller, . tea dinner. 81 hun.
cry were we. that this welcome, well sup
piled. elegant board was the only thing
We noticed about ,hs RON except one 9th.
er thing which hung close above the teata.
ble on the ranslled wall.
I, Wa. a large. full length portrait, very
we'll painted tie sor, Of portrait At which
one says ut once, wha, good liksnes. that
mos, to- IL had individuality. character
the soul OF the man as welt as bis body
and =. he sAi in HI. chair. looking directly
., you. In = simple. natural attitude. you
felt what . beautiful soul this must have
been one that eren at siIty years Of age
for the portrait seemed thus oli-uould
have shed . brightness over any home, and
any society where the person moved.
suppose that mus, be the poor Doctor.
said my vile. a. her eyes and mine both met
upon the canvas face. which glImmered In
the frrl,gh, with q mo.t lifeliks aspect, the
eon,le. benevolent eyes seeming to follow
one across the room, as the eyes OF mos'
well.psin,ed full lace portraits do. You
never SAN him, CharlesT
No; but this 10 exactly the sort Of man
he must have besn.'
And our conviction on the matter VAS u
strong that when the widow csms In, W
sbs,siped from {. king the question, lsss W
strangers might touch painfully On scarce
ly healed wound.