Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-04-01

, setting forth what good and brave fel
low he was, which was all as true as goS
pei But there was no grave-digge
> there, nor no open grave, as Tim had fan
: cied. L went back, and found Tim am
the doctor together, Tim not lOokin;
quite so wild and white as before, but ba(
and i'll, all the same.
'Well?' inquired the doctor
I" Well?' | replied. There's nothing
to be seen. It's just as I thought. Poo
Tins fancy has cheated him, and it s MY
opinion the poor boy is not well at ALL
An what am | to do about reporting
him p
You must report him, of course,
said the doctor; but | don't think much
harm will come to him out of that
OLoghlin, you must go into the hospita
for day.Or two, and viii give you some
stuff that will bring you cut again right
as triyet, and you will see no more
ghosts.
| "Tim shook his head, and was taken
quietly to the hospital, and put to bed
| The brandy had done him good whether
it was all brandy, or whether there WASH t
drop of sleeping stuff in it, | can't say,
but it svery likely there was, for the doc,
tor told me the longer he slept in reason
the better it would be for him. And
Tim had long sleep, but not very quiet
one, for all that same, and tossed about
for the matter of dozen hours or sO.-
But he never got out of bed again. When
| saw him at noon the next day he was
wide awake, and very feverish and excl
table.
{" How are you, Tim, my poor fellow
said |, taking his hand, which was very
hot and moist.
I've seen him again, he replied
| see him now. He is sitting at the
foot of the bed, and pointing to the grave
yard | know what he means.
60 Tim, it's crazy that you are, said |.
He shook his head mournfully.-
Monaghan, he sighed, rather than said
we've been kind friend to me. Give
that to the little girl in Ireland-you
know And he drew Photographic pOr-
trait, of himself from under his pillow.
tied round with blue ribbon, from which
depended crooked sixpence with hole
init. In few days yell be laying me
in the ground alongside of the captain
Do you see him now? he is leaving the
room, smiling upon me, and still pointing
to the graveyard | am no longer afraid
of him. He means me no harm, and It
is no blame to him if he is sent to tell me
to get ready.
Tim, you are cheating yourself
What you re telling me is all waking
drame. | can see no ghost.
OF course you cant, said Tim, the
spirits never appears in two persons at
once. But Patrick Managhan, he added,
let us talk no more on the subject, but
send Father Riley to me, that | may I'M
burden me sowl, and die in peace
9 1t would have been cruel in me to
have argued the matter with the poor af-
ficted creature, and him such friend of
my own too, so | left him to 90 in search |
of the doctor first, and of Father Riley |
afterwards. They both came What |
passed between Tim and the holy father, |
of course | never knew but the doctor |
told ME distinctly that Tim was in very |
bad way The stomach was wrong, the |
nerves were wrong, the brain was wrong |
in fact, he was wrong altogether, and had |
a fever which the doctor called by very |
grand and high-sOunding name, which
did not hear very plainly, and which if L |
did | am unable to remember. Tim sur |
vivd1 three days after this, sleeping and
doing and talking in his sleep, and eve
~ now and theu saying, amid words |
which / could not well put together into
any meaning, | ain coming. | am COM
ing. Just before he died, he grew more
collected, and made ME promise that he
should be buried in the grave
that had been dug for him by the side of
the captain | knew that no such grave
had been dug as he said, and that it was
all delusion; but what was the use Of
arguing with dying man? SO | prom
ised of course, by my honour and by my
sowl, to do all | could to have his last
wish gratifed. The doctor promised also,
and 50 did Father Riley, and | think poor
Tim died happy His last words were
something about the ribbon and the crook
ed sixpence, and the captain, the very
last syllable being | come
I'VE buried the poor lad in the place
assigned by himself, and | was so affected
altogether by the sadness of the thing,
that | could have persuaded myself, in
fact | did persuade myself, that ] saw
Captain Percival in undress, or fatigue
uniform, Just as he had appeared to poor
Tim walking past the sentry box before
the door of Government House, and stop
ping every now and then to point at the
grave; and the more closed my eyes to
avoid seeing him, the more permanently
and clearly he stood before me.
And are you in any doubt on the sub
jeet now?" | enquired.
. And indeed ! am, replied the ser
geant, shaking the ashes from his cigar
with the tip of his little finger. :. Tim
must have seen the ghost, and must have
believed in him, and if l only saw it af
ter Tins death, it is but another proof OF
what almost everybody knows, that two
people never saw the same ghost at the
same time And ghost or no ghost, 1t Is
quite clear that Tim died Of him, and
might have been alive at this moment but
for the ghosts extraordinary behaviour.
But it ) one of the questions that all talk
in the world can't settle y
DO you think Tim would have seen
the ghost of Captain Percival, or any
body else. if he had been sound in mind
and limb, if he had been a strong hearty
man with good appetite, and an undis-
ordered stomach p
Cant say" replied the sergeant, tax
ing a sip of his liquor " The doctor
thought not :; but doctors don't know eve
rything and if there were no ghosts,
why, | should like to ask, should the
spirit of Samuel appear to Saul, and an
swer his questions?
"Well, sergeant, said |, "if you are
going to the Bible for arguments, | shall
shut up. Finish your glass, my man,
and let lis say goodnight
He finished his glass, he said good
night, and walked away with the air of
man who thought he had had the best of
the argument. Selected from BurrOao's
Ef.f1 |