The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1866-01-17


Noticing my manner, the patisnt Oh.
served:
"lrs nothing. You must ge, used to
It, Doctor"
81 should not be content unless I could
explain them, as well as become iudiffer,
ens to them." replied.
This opened the way 70 long conver.
sa,ion, during which probed nv pa
tents mind 10 the bottom, but without
detecting shadow OF belief. Speaking
Of his wife, he said
"You heard Helen promise 10 warn me
Of my tisue to def
al did-but do you believe her 7"
mo. II it is possible, she will keep
her word, in spite Of heaven or hell. Bu,
it is simply impossible. She promised
to come in body aud speak to me. |
shall accept no other warning from her
save the literal meaning of her words"
And what thsnl'
SLOW much Of her holy is there left
even now, Doctor and she has not come
yet. She promised TO come from the
grave. Can she do it! NJ, no; il is
all humbug- a delusion. Poor Helen
Thank God, Doctor, the devil which so
haunted Ler life, and stood between her
soul and mine, cannot reach her now ~
But if she shouLd come! You NAV
be deceived"
81 cannot. Others must see her too.
and hear her. shall believe no spectre
if there are such thirgs. Her BODY rs i,
is. or will he, let tina, speak If j, cany'
From t"a,A1H mp to the hour Of bis
death | WAS with him amos, constantly,
and was daily introduced to some new
and startling phenomenon. The neigh.
bors had Learned to shur the house, ard
even The vicinity, as they would the
plague; and arrange .siories travelled
from gossip to gossip, acquiring more of
the marvellous at every repetition. Never.
lh"Iess, my practice increased.
On the morning Of March 20, I called
earlier than usual. D3nng the visit, the
manifestations OF Supernatural presr
enee were more frequent, wild and VIC
lent than ever before. | was informed
that they bad been exceedingly violent
during the preceding night. Their char.
acIer. too, had greatly changed. Beside
the mosing Of all movesble articles, the
tinkling OF glasses and the rattle Of tin.
ware, there were freqnen, and startling
sounds, AS OF whispered convec cations.
singing and .subduel iaughter-alI per.
fec: limitations Of the human voice, but
too low to enable me TO detect the words
used, il words they were. Sill, however
none OF :hese uDusu ual sounds bad enter
ed The sick room. They followed the
footsteps Of Mrs. q, cen like demon
echo, but paused on the threshold Of that
room, as # debarred by a superior power
from entering there.
found Mr.. Hayden was worse, and
sinking very fast. lie had passed a bad
night. Doubtful whether be would suri
vive TO see another morning, I left him
promising to call at evening and spend
the night With bin, resolved, in NY Sc
cret thoughts, to be ''in at the DEATH.
II there was TO be q ghostIy warning,
meant TO hear it, and, il possible, to solve
the strange enigms.
The lay had been exceedingly cold
and stormy, and the night had already
set in, dark and disma', with a fierce
gale, and driving storm Of rain and
hail, when | again stood beside NY pa
tisnt. The moment | looked a, him,
perceived unmists ksble indications Of the
near approach Of death upon his features
lie was free from p,in, his mind perfectly
clear; but his life was ebbng away with
every feeble breath, like the slow burn
ing out of an exhausted lamp.
Meanwhile the storm rise to tempest
and the gloom grew black as death in
the Wild night without. fhe wind swept
in tremendous gusts through the adjoin
ing forests, rafting the icy branches Of
the trees, and came wsiling and shrek.