Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1868-01-09

/ Seeing ghosts!' replied the girl
every day 1 saw little child il
white playing about the house, and
all said there was no such child
though there had been one, but he
was dead. Mistress said l pretend
ed to see it for the sake of imperti.
nence and she discharged me, but ]
knew by her trembling that she
thought had seen q ghost. Invent
to the doctor and he called it optical
delnsion, and it would soon pass
away; and sure enough, have not
seen it since + left the house
1t Was . queer story; but Mrs.
Culyerton believed it, and before she
left the eHlce, hired Jessie to fill
Johannah's place, for the space oI
one month from that day. Thai
evening she came and went to work
with . will.
Dinner time passed comfortably
and tea tlms came. The Culvertcn's Z
never ate anything but biscuit oil
cake at this meal, and cups were
handed about in the sitting room
Jessie came in at the appointed hour
with her tray, served every one, and
then stood smiling before Mrs. Cul.
verton as she said:
please, ma'am, let me pass YOU,
the old gentleman has not been help.
ed. Yes, sir, in a minute
tThe-old--gentlemanr cried Mrs.
Culverton.
Yes, ma'am--behind you in the
corner there, please.
There's no gentleman, young OIL
old, there said the lady. 4 can't
imagine what you took for one
The girl made no answer, but turn
ed quite white and left the room
Mrs. c., followed.
At first she could extort no expla
nation, but by and by the girl declar-
ed she saw an old gentleman sitting
in an arm chair in the corner, who
beckened to her, and she fancied in a
hurry for his tea.
What did he look like?' asked
Mrs. Culverton.
He was thin and tall said the girl,
his hair was white and very long,
and / noticed that one Of his knees
looked stiff, and thick, gold head
ed cane beside him.
uncle Hiram!' cried Mrs. Culver
ton, upon my word you've described
my great grand uncle, whe has been
dead for twenty years
Jessie began to cry.
4 shall never keep place, she
said, you will turn me away now
See as many ghosts as you please
she said, 'as long as you don't bring
them before my eyes, and went back
to her tea without saying q word to
any Of the family on the subject, al
though she was extremely mystified.
Surely if the girl had ever seen her
uncle Hiram--which was not likely
considering time-she must have
seen something in the ghost line, and
if, indeed it were her uncle Hiram &
spirit, why should he not come to
aid them in their trouble? Mr.. Cul-
verton alwaysihad little superstition
hidden in her soul, and she soon beg
gan to believe this version of the
case.
The next morning she went into
the kitchen, and shutting the door,
said to Jessie:
My good girl do not intend to
dismiss you, SO be quite frank with
me. l do not believe that these
forms are optical illusions. ] feel
sure that they are actual spirits
What do you think?'
Il think as you do she said.
'Our folks have always seen
ghosts, and grandfather had the sec
ond sight for ten years before he
died.
IF you should see the old gentle
man You told me of again. said Mrs.
Culverton, 'be sure and tell me. I'll
keep the story from the young folks,
and Mr. Culverton would only laugh
at it, but you described my dear old
grand uncle, and my belief is you
saw him.
Tho girl promised not to mention
any thing that might happen her mis-
tress, and from that day an inter
change of glances between them, and
a subsequent conference in the kitch-
en- was of regular occurrence.
The girl saw her apparition seated
on the sofa in the parlor, seated at
the dinner table, walking in the gar
den, and so llfe-like was it, that she
found it impossible to refrain from
passing plates, cups and saucers to
it, to the infinite amazement of peo-
ple'who saw only. the empty air in
the same spot.
BY and by she invariably spoke of
her ghost as the old gentleman, and
was no more affected by his pres
ence than by that of a living person.
If it were an optical illusion, it was
the most singular on record.
But all this while-ghost or no
ghost, the figure never spoke, and
never did anything to help the Cul-
verton's in their dilemma, and the
lawsuit was nearly terminated with
out the shadow of a doubt in Jabez
Hardy's favor.
In three days all would be over,
and the Culver.on's who had earned
their property, if ever mortals did
by kindness and attention to their
aged relative-whom they truly loved
and honored-would probably be
homeless.
One morning Mrs. Culverton sat
over her breakfast after the others
had left the room. thinking OF this
when Jessie came in.
.I've something to tell you, ma am
There's a change in the old gen'ie-
man.
What do you mean'' asked Mrs.
Culyerton.
I've seen him twice at the foot OF
nv bed in the night, and though al.
wsvs before he has been kind and
" y l. frA-nu and