The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-12-31
IFrum BIackrcod,s
Wy Penny Dip.
~. I. OBssTrsT.

What was it? \ tallOw candle, TO be sure.
The gas wouldn't burn, the kerosene strangled
me with It's nOxiOus OdOr, the fluid sputtered,
burned blue, and went out. | am afraid of the
dark that ghostly blackness which makes ones
eyes ache with It's want Of light, that palpable
gloom which seems to beat like a roomful Of pal
pitatiCnS of the heart around you, above You,
about you, everywhere that visible nothing,
which holds the tables, the chairs, the portraits
you are familiar with, yet hides them in its
black veil from your view that empty fullness
through which you thrust out your cropping
arms, then shrink back, oppressed with a presence
you can neither hear, see. nor feel.
Miily," / said 10 my little maid, 40 run some
where and get me Il light"
She ran to the grocrr's wife, and came back
with 4 penny dip in u brass candleStick.
As she placed it on my table, went out and
shut the door. the little boy III bronze on my
mantle raised his hammer and struck the figure
of time twelve ringing blows upon the heart. 1t
was midnight.
The candle burned clearly. [ resumed the
old volume of German legends l was reading,
and rs | laid my finger on Il paragraph, and
paused 70 wonder on the possibility of spirits re-
turning 10 earth to wreak vengeance on foes or
work veal to friends, heard a deep sigh at my
elbow.
/ turned and beheld the ghost of my grand
mother.
l knew her from the resemblance to her por-
trait. She wore the same white cap with its
DOA1Il Al lJuAil lEL ldCE-lhC t1< III III
dress with which l had grown familiar in the
picture.
She died twenty years ago. I was named for
her.
1 drew up the rockine-chair for the ghost.
She sat down in it. y pillow could not have
eank more noiselesSly than she did. She kept
her hands in the same position on her breast tat
somebody tied them twenty years ago.
She fixed her keen black eyes upon me-beau-
tiful eyes. which | had always admired in the
portrait NOneof her descendants had such eyes.
II could not come she said, in deep sep
ulchral tones, - in gas light. Ghosts and gas
lights are at war always As for Kerosene oil.
We grcan in spirit az its use. How mortal noses
can, night after night, inhale the Odor it emits.
is a wonder. IL Is worse than birthstone. We
have put our cold lips under your chimneys,
and blown our ghOstiy breaths into the fame.
We have seen the c~himneyS blacken with smoke,
and apartments fl with disgusting fragrance.
People only said the lamp is in L draft. They
moved II and bore with il We shall have 20
yield. kerosene i a modern discovery. Ghosts
are old fashioned. To be out Of date i TO be out
of mind. Your tallOw candle pleases me. We
ghosts like the light OF other davs around Us.
We always, IN the body, burned tallow candles"
The sne eyes OF my grandmother gazed at nv
penny dip steadiastIy for n moment. She seemed
to see visions and dream dreams.
My dear she said, .'yOu are the first of the
family that has returned 70 candles since the in
%novatIon of gas. You are indebted 70 your dip
Ut my presence. How hollow | would have
booked under a chau.elier-h.w bloodlss. how
white, ~ il Is. I think I am .o0kinr verv nat
ural. am | uOt?'
She glanced up At D. ? P1r;rai, cY -aited nv
reply.
Il little pale, Grandm- yer" | said =. but
tell me-, dear maiam, n y1tr pursuits IN the
other world are Of such a nature shat they admit
OF your returning u this 40 any time p
by no means. ! an permitted q appear in
this sIhere but seldom. Nv influence I can
make felt often. ! have not been seen before
since my coffin lid was closed. am come 20 tell
you there arose q yell IN P~audem1uiGm. looked
in 20 see whence II came. ! found the great
chamber assigned TO littIe children, and which is
always fill Of little ones Of all sizes and ayes.
a -.-. - .H
crawling into corners three wear old toidlers
were @ t-erjug out Of tIa wag. Older ones were
hastily Gu-rg =sst-. aud al faces wore 4. I:-gn-
IN -zpr=sslCn. 4 small voice WAS saying -
&c" II was m fauI, ~ minA thar brought mo