Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-02-22
A WOODEN LEGGED GHOST.
"ReaI True ry."--SpirftuaIfty
and its Agents.

A"Real True Story..--spirftualfty
and its Agents.
Correspondence N. Y. Times
In my Times of this morning, in an
editorial article, I was forcibly struck
with the remark, that
Most people turn willing ear to
every revelation of the marvellous.
Superstition and credulity can scarce
ly be regarded as salient features of our
nineteenth century civilization, and yet
few of us would like to confess how,
after all we have given our faith of the
supernatural Ghost stories which have
not lost their secret ~,
wisest as well as the simplest Of
course, in the light of science and of
reason, all these things, are nonsense ::
but after all, it is nonsense for which
we cannot help keeping a soft spot in
our hearts
I think it was Charles Lamb who
reasoned that science had established
the fact that the subject of ghosts was
not theory, or anything of that indef-
mite sort, and he "worked it out" in
this way:
cit is now admitted to be scientific
truth, that at the end of every seventh
year of every mal's life, or every wom-
ans life, not particle of physical hu-
manity remains in their system which
was in it seven years before"
Every seven years, therefore, a man
or woman is "not that man or woman,
but another man or woman. Every
seven years. there has been peeled off
from each a concentric ring, as from
the concentric ring of an onion, shad-
owy representative of the individual
person, which is wandering in space,
increasing by one at the end of every
seven years. And this was Lambs the
ory of ghosts. Every seven years
. mans ghost left him, to appear after
ward anywhere, and at any time, and
"nO questions asked, Of cold night,
as in the poor buried King of Den
marks case. Now, reader, has not this
thought, so forcibly expressed by
Joanna Bailey, sometimes entered your
mind2
shall the departed gaze on thee again2
Shall glide past thee in the noontide hour,
And thou perceive it not? or think'st perhaps
'Ts but the mourful breeze that passes by7'
Sitting beside a winter fire of an
evening in roundabout chair upon q
solitary hearth, in house where the
unwonted sound of a footstep is to be
heard only after the summons of bell,
have you never encountered those
"ministering spirits2" I think YOU
have, / know / have.
The fact is, that there is not one fam
lily in ten but has its traditionary ghost
story, which, when narrated to the
group that gathers round the winter
hreslde, excltes, according to the age
and character of the listeners, terror
sympathy, doubt, incrednhty and ridi-
cule. Still the old story is kept alive,
and cherished in after life; for it per-
tains to that world of untried being,
which approaches toward us with it's
slow and noiseless but irresistible and
overwhelming movement.
The incident narrated below, by an
old friend and correspondent of mine,
was told first to me at his own most
hospitable hearth, and afterward, at my
earnest request, reduced to writing,
from which the present narrative is
greatly reduced, yet contains in COM
pact form, all that is necessary for the
full understanding of the reader The
important point made by Lamb, as to
the eccentric theory of escaped ghosts,
Tin rings, every seven years, in a wood
en- leg, which does not expand, and
bourgeon, and fade, and vanish, in
shadow with the human system that
is the question" The very remarkable
incident took place in the Island of Do
minica, In relation to which there is at
present some national agitation, which
promises to increase as time goes on.
During period of considerable ex-
citement, arising from season of great
mortality among the inhabitants of the
island, in the year -, a veteran Scot
tish regiment was stationed upon the
high bluff of land which forms one
point of a crescentular bay, and over
looks the town and harbor. Inland, to-
ward the east, small plain extends it
self, while, on the west and north,
which is nearest the shore, and almost
overhaneing it, are several low, one
story buildings, hastily erected, of
wood, for the accommodation of the
officers of the corps, and consisting all
of three or four rooms in each end, with
piazza on the side toward the sea, ex-
tending the whole length of the struc-
ture, and forming shaded and agreea-
BILE promenade during the earlier part
of the day. The rooms opened upon
the piazza and communicated with each
other by means of a side-door, which
was occasionally kept open for the freer
circulation of air.
In one of these barracks were quar-
tered three officers of the regiment
Major Hamilton, Capt. Gordon, and a
third, whose name / cannot at this mo-
ment recall.
Major Hamilton's apartment was in
the center. He had lost a leg in the
service; and usually wore wooden pin
or stick shod with iron, and being an
alert r1an, fond of exercise, used to
walk up and down this piazza for hours
together, stopping occasionally at Cor
don's door or window, and sometimes
looking In at that of the other officer,
exchanging cheerful word with them,
as they sat, each in his apartment, en-
deavoring to beguile the time with
dressing, reading, writing, thoughts of
promotion, of home, and of speedy
aud happy return to Britain.
Tne sound of the Majors step was
peculiar. It was only the blow given
by the iron ferule at the end of his
wooden leg that was heard; for, altho'
stout man, he trod lightly with the
remaining foot, and heavily only with
the wooden substitute, which gave forth
its note at short intervals, as he paced
to and fro so regularly that there was
certain pleasure in listening to it.
Sounds that strike the ear in this
measured way affect us more than 9TH
ers The attention becomes engaged,
and they grow emphatic as we listen.
The calker's hammer stroke, as it flies
from the dock-yard of the busy port
across some placid bay into the green
and peaceful country, is an instance of
this truth Associated with this meas
ured movement of the Major, was his
deep CHEEKY voice, that made light of