The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-02-28
MISCELLANY.
Ghost Story.

At town In the west of England twenty
four persons were accustomed to assemble
once week, to drink, smoke tobacco, and
talk politics. As at the academy OF Rubens,
at Antwerp, each member had his peculiar
chair, and the presidents was more elevated
than the rest. As one of the members had
been In dying state for some time, his chair,
whilst he was absent, remained vacant.
When the club met on the usual night, in
quiries were naturally made after their asso-
ciate. As he lived in an adjoining house, a
particular friend went to inquire after him, aud
returned with the melancholy intelligence that
he could not survive the night. This threw
gloom on the company, and efforts to turn
the conversation from the sad subject before
them were Intellectual. About midnight the
door opened, and the form, in white, of the
dying or dead man, walked into the room and
took his seat in his accustomed chair There
he remained In silence. and in silence was he
gazed at. The apparition continued a sufii-
cient time In the chair to assure all who were
present of the reality of the vision. At length
he arose and stalked towards the door, which
he opened rs if living; went out aud shut the
door alter him. After pause, some one, at
last, had the resolution to say, "If only
one of us had seen this, he would not have
been believed but il Is impossible SO many of
us can have been deceived The company
by degrees recovered their speech, and the
whole conversation, as may be imagined, was
upon the dreadful subject which had engaged
their attention. They broke up and went
home. In the morning inquiry YVES made az
ter their sick friend. 1t was answered by an
account OF his death, which happened nearly
at the time Of bis appearance In the club
room. There could be little doubt before but
now nothing could be more certain than the
reality of the apparition which had been sim
ultaneously seen by so many persons. 1t is
unnecessary TO say that such a story spread
over the country, and found credit even from
infidels; for, in this case, all reasoning became
superf1uous, when opposed TO a plain fact at
tested by Internationally witnesses. To
assert the doctrine of the fired laws Of nature
was ridiculous, when there were so many peo-
pie OF credit TO prove that they might be ul-
fired. Years rolled on, and the story was al
most forgotten.
One OF the club was an apothecary In the
course of his practice he was called to an old
woman, whose business it was to.attend sick
persons. She told him that she could leave the
world with a quiet conscience, but for one thing
which lay upon her mind. do you not remenl-
Der Mr., whose ghost has been so much
talked OF? Twas his nurse. On the night of
his death left his room for something wanted.
am sure had not been gone long; but at my
return found the bed without my patient!
He was deirious, and ! feared had thrown
himself out of the window. l was so frighten-
ed that had no power to stir; but alter some
time, to my great establishment, he entered the
room. shivering, and his teeth chattering, laid
himself down on the bed and died! Consider
Ing my negligence as the cause of his death,
kept this secret, for fear Of what might be
done 10 me. Though Icould have contradict
ed all the story of the ghost, dared not do it.
l knew, BY what had happened, that it was he
himself who had been in the club-room lper-
haps -ecolecting that it was the night of meet
ing;D but | hope God and the gentlemans
friends will forgive me, and shall die content
ed"