Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-06-24
Effect OF the Imagination.

Effect OF the Imagination.
10 an essay entitled "Notes on Ghosts
and Goblius" in his recently published
volume, The Borderland Of Science, I"
Richard A. Proctor gives an instance Of
optical Illusion experienced by himself,
which aptly illustrates the way in which
a belief in the appearance Of ghost
might originate in superstitious age, or
in any case where person experiencing tho
illusion happened to have weak nerves or
feeble wits. Mr.. Proctors mother had
died some months before the time Of which
he writes. he was then a Cambridge
student, aud the scene of the occurrence
was his college, Il had on one evening
been particularly, l may say unreasona.
bly,, low-spirited. 1 had sat .brooding for
hours over dismal thoughts. These
thoughts had followed me to bed, and /
went to sleep still under their influence
| cannot remember my dreams--I did
dream, and my dreams were melancholy
but although had perfectly clear re-
menbrance of their tenor on first waking,
they had passed altogether from my rec
objection the next morning. 1t is to be
noted, however, that l was under the in
fluence ofsorrowful dreams when awoke.
At this time tac Light of u waning moon
was shining into the room. opened my
eyes, aud saw without surprise or any con-
scious feeling of fear, my mother stand
ing at the foot Of the bed. She was not
in he. habit as she lived but clothed in
white samite, mystic, wonderful Her
face was pale, though not with the pallor
of life; her expression sorrowsul, and
tears which glistened in the moonlight
stood in her eyes t
land now strange mental condition
followed. My reason told me that was
deceived by appearances F; that the figure
| saw was neither my mothers spirit nor
an unreal vision. ] felt certain was not
looking at phantom ofthe brain which
would show itself without aud | felt
equally certain that no really existent
spirit was there before me. Yet the lon.
ger | looked, the more perfect appeared
the picture. racked my memory to re-
call anv object in my bed room which
might be mistaken for shrouded ghost,
but my memory was busy recalling the
features of the dead, aud my brain
against the action of my willy was track.
ing those features in the figure which
stood before me. The deception grew
more and more complete, until l coall
have spoken aloud as to living person.
Meantime, my mind had suggested, aud
at once rejected the idea of t,ick played
me by one Of my college friends. l felt
perfect assurance that whatever it was
which stood before me. il was not breath.
ing creature self.restrained into absolute
stiffness. How long l remained gazing at
the figure l caDnot remember, but know
that / continued steadfastly looking at it
until l had assured myself that Ito my
mind, in its probably unhealthy condition)
the picture was perfect in all respects. At
last l raised my head from the pillow, in.
tending to draw nearer to the mysterious
figure. But it was quite unnecessary. l
had not raised my head three inches be-
fore the ghost was gone, and in its place
or rather, not in its space, but five or six
feet away-hung my college surplice. +"
1.-The tears which glistened in the moon
light" Mr.. Proctor accounts for in this
way: cover my susplice, had hung a
rowing belt, and the silvered buckles
(partly concealed by the folds of the sur.
plice) shone in the moonlight.