The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-06-21
A Chest Story.

In all ages, persons OF weak intellect
have believed in apparitions yet we may
confidently affirm that stories of ghosts are
mistakes, or imposi;ions, and that they may
always be detected by proper exercise of
the mental faculty. In all relations of this
kind there is manifestly an endeavor 10 make
the events as supernatural as possible, TO
lence all objections which might be made
to their credibilily. 10 compliance with
this custom we will recount ghost story,
which seems TO possess all the requisites.
AT town in the West oil England twenty
four persons were accustomed TO assemble
once week, 10 drink, smoke tobacco, and
talk politics. Like the Academy of Rubens,
at Antwerp, each member had his peculiar
chair, and the PRESIDENTS was more elevat
ed than the rest. AS one OF the members
had been in dying state for some time,
his chair, while he was absent remained
vacant
When the cIub met on the usual night,
inquiries were naturally made after their
associate. As he lived in the adjoining
house a particular friend went 10 inquire
after him, and returned with the me!an-
choly intelligence that he could not snrvive
the night. This threw gloom on the com
pany, and all efforts TO turn the conversa-
ton from the sad subject before them were
Intellectual. About midnight the door OPEN
ed, and the form, 10 white, OF the 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 suf-
6cient time in the chair 10 assure all who
were present of the reality OF The vision.
Al length he arose, and sialked towards the
door, which he opened, as if living went
ont, and shut The door after him. After a
pause, some one, al last, had the resolution
TO say: ''lf only one of us had seen this be
would not have been believed but it is
impossible so many of US can have been
deceived The company, by degrees, re-
covered their speech, and he whole con-
versalnn, as may be imagined, was upon the
dreadful object which had engaged their
! attention. They broke up and went home.
Ia The morning inquiry was made after
their sick friend Il was answered by an
account Of his death, which happened near
ly about the time of his appearance in the
cluh room. There could be lille doubt be
lore but, now, nothing could be more GER
Iair than the reality of the apparition,
| which had been simultaneously seen by so
many persons Ii is unnecessary to say that
such story spread over the country, and
| found credit even from infidels for in this
case all reasoning became superauous, when
! opposed TO pain fact, atlesied by hree-
! and-lwenty Witnesses. To assert the doc
trine Of the fixed laws OF nature was ride
ulous, when there were so many people oil
credit TO prove that they nigh! be unfxed.
Years rolled on, aud he story was almost
forgotten.
One of the club was an apolhecary. In
The course OF his practice he was called 10
an old woman, whose business it was TO
attend sick persons She told him she
could leave the world with a quiet con-
science, but for one thing, which lay upon
her mind "Do you not remembe Mr. -,
whose ghost had been so much talked Of
was his nurse. On the night of his death
| left his room for something | wanted
am sure had not been absent long but al
my return fonnd the bed without my pa
lienl he was delirious, and feared that
he had thrown himself out of The window
was so frightened that had no power to
stir but, after some time, TO my great as
toaishment, he entered the room, shiveirug,
and his teeth chauering, laid himself down
Oh he bed, and died Considering my neg
igence as The cause of his death, kept
this secret, for fear o! what might be
done 20 me. Though could have contra
dicied all tie story Of the ghost, dared not
DO H. | knew, by what had happened, that
il was he himself who had been in The club
room (perhaps recolleciing it was the night
of meeting J bul hope God, and the poor
geuteman's friends, will forgive me, and |
shall die conlented'
DEFINITIONS onulomerate m a &c