Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-06-05
GHOSTS AND GHOST SEEING.

GHOSTS AND GHOST SEEING.
Sometimes the de
cepton of the mind is singularly com
plete insomuch that it is only by the de
termination to approach the seeming Wis
ion that the ghostseer is able to remove the
impression | will cite an instance which
occurred to myself, somewhat APPLY
illustrating the principal circumstances
tending to make such illusions effective
% My mother died during the long vaca-
ton of my first year at Cambridge. 1t
CHANGED that [ was in Germany at the
time and l suffered much distress of mind
from the thought that | had been enjoying
a peasuretour during the days of her last
-. illness. Letters had followed me from
place to place, bet it was only the circum-
stance Of my staying my journey one Sun
day at Heidelberg, which enabled me to
receive news from England; and | only
reached home in time to attend her funer-
al. Yet the full effect of these circum-
stances was only experienced when I
found myself again settled in my rooms at
Cambridge. There is singular mixture
of society and solitude in university life,
which at times Of trouble produces I'M
pleasant feelings Throughout the day
there is abundant opportunity for inter
course with friends; but although anon gst
ones college friends are some who will be
friends for life, yet at the time the inter
change of ideas even with these special
friends relates almost wholly to college
work or college interests. There is moth
ing homelike in social arrangements at
college. So soon as the coax is sported'
for the evening a lonely feeling is apt to
come on, which affects even some of those
who have no recent sorrows to brood over.
There is refuge in hard reading.
But hard reading, in my case, had
come TO an end on my mothers death.
had SO far accustomed myself to
rOlpGn
idea Of pleasure given to her, that
| now looked with aversion on my former
studies. They could longer gain the
prize had alone cared for. l ought, no
doubt, to have had quite other feelings,
but | speak Of the effects | actually ex-
perienced. Now, whether the breaking
up of my old plans for work had upset
me- or in whatever way it happened, GER
* tainly had never found college life so lone
Iy and unpleasant as during the first term
ofmy second year And it seems to me
likely that the low spirits from which
Shen suffered may have had something to
do with the singular instance of selfdecep-
ton have now to relate / had on one
evening been particularly may say I'M
reasonably low-spirited | had sat brood
ing for hours over dismal thoughts. These
thoughts had followed me to bed and |
went to sleep still under their influence |
cannot remember my dreams-1 did dream,
and my dreams were meancholy-but al
though [ had perfectly clear remem-
brance Of their tenor on first waking, they
-- had passed altogether from my recolec-
ton the next morning 1t is to be noted,
however, that | was under the influence of
SOrrOWtul dreams when | woke. At this
time the light of waning moon was shin
ing into the room | opened my eyes,
and saw, without surprise or any conscious
feeling of fear, my mother standing at the
foot of the bed. She was not Gin her
habit as she lived" but clothed in white
samite, mystic, wonderful" Her face was
pale, though not with the pallor of life her
expression sorrowful, and tears which
glstened in the moonlight stood in her
eyes. And now strange mental condi-
ton followed. My reason told me that I
was deceived by appearances, that the fig
ure saw was neither my mothers spirit
nor an unreal vision. | felt certain
| was not looking at ga phantom
of the brain which would show it
self Without and | felt equally Ger.
tain that no really existent spirit was there
before me. Yet the longer | looked the
more perfect appeared the picture. l
Tacked my memory to recall any objects in
my bedroom which could be mistaken for
Il shrouded ghost; but my memory was
busy recalling the features of the dead,
and my brain against the action of my
WILD was tracing those features in the
figure which stood before me. The de-
ception grew more and more complete
until | could have spoken aloud as to a
living person. 0lcdlltiUle my Uliuu utu
suggested and at once rejected the idea of
a trick played me by one of my college
friends. | felt perfect assurance that
whatever it was which stood before me, it
was not a breathing creature self-restrained
into absolute Stiffness How long | re-
manned gazing at the figure I cannot re-
-e~as member; but l know that 1 continued
steadfastly looking at it until had as
sured myself that Ito my mind, in its
probably unhealthy condition. the picture
was perfect in all respects At last I
raised my head from the pillow, intend
ing to draw nearer to the mysterious fig
ure But ii was quite unnecessary
had not raised my head three inches be-
fore the ghost was gone, and in its place,
or rather not in its place, but five or six
feet further away, hung my college surplice
1t was quite impossible to restore the illu-
sion by resumng my former position.
The mind which moment before had
been so completely deceived, rejected COM
pletely even the idea of resemblance
There was nothing even in the arrange
ment OF the folds of the surpllce to Justify
in the slightest degree an illusion which
nevertheless had been perfect while il
lasted. Only one feature of the apparl
ton was accounted for have said that
@ the eyes shone with tears the explanation
~ was rather commonplace; over my sur.
plice had hung rowing belt, and the
silvered buckles tpartly concealed by the
folds of the surplice) shone in the moon.
light.
The event here narrated suggests the ex-
49, PLANTATION of many ghost stories which
= ~ have been related with perfect good faith
believe the Imagination only acts so as
to deceive the mind completely when the
latter has been painfully affected and is in
an unhealthy condition When this is the