Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-04-06
A NOVEL GHOST R
The Spectre OF an Elderly FemaI
and How She Frightened the Cat

oHu AhON Sho EEtbhteneu ttlo Oht
In a new volume BY the Rev. j. s.
Wood, entitled Man and Beast Here
aud Hereafter, occurs the following
striking ghost story, which the reader
may credit or not, as he is accustomed
to do in regard to legends Of this sort:
There are, as we know, many persons
who cannot believe that, as they put it,
the living should be able to see the dead.
Neither do | believe it. But as the spirit
lives, though the material body no longer
inclOse it, surely there can be no diff
Guilty in believing that the living spirit
within an earthly body may see a living
spirit which has escaped from its mate
rial garment. We do not doubt that
after the death of the body the spirit will
live aud see other spirits similarly freed
from earth, and it is no very great mat
ter that the living should see the living,
though one be still enshrined in its
earthly tabernacle and the other released
from it.
This being granted-and it is not very
much to grant-it necessarily follows
that if the lower animals possess spirit,
they may be capable of spiritual as we'll
as material vision. That they do pos
sess this power, and that it can be exer-
cised, is shown by the story of BALKAN.
There we find it definitely stated not
only that the ass saw the angel, but that
she saw him long before his master did.
Now, the angel being a spiritual being,
could only be seen with the spiritual eye;
and it therefore follows that, unless the
story be entirely false, the animal pos.
sessed a spirit, and saw with the eye of
that spirit.
| should think that none who believes
in the truth OF the Holy Scriptures land
| again remind the reader that this book
is only intended for those who do SOY,
could doubt that here is a case which
proves that the spirit of the ass was ca
pable of seeilg aud fearing the spiritual
angel Aud if that be granted, | do not
see how any one can doubt that the
spirit which saw the angel partook of
his Immortality, just as her outward eye,
which saw material objects, partook of
their immortality. Shortly afterward
the eyes of the prophet were opened,
and he also saw the angel; but it must
be remembered that the eyes Of the
beast bad been opened first, and that
she, her master and the angel met for
the time on the same spiritual plane.
| have for a long time had in my pos
session a letter from a lady, in which she
narrates e personal adventure which has
a singularly. close resemblance to the
story OF BALKAN. 1t bad been told me
Immediately after | threw out my
[" feeler" in the Common Objects ofthe
Country" As | had at hat time the in
tention of vindicating the immortality
of the lower animals, | requested the
narrator to write it so hat | might pos
sess the statement authenticated in her
own handwriting:
"At the time Of the occurrence the
lady and her mother were living in an
old country chateau in France.
ut was dhripg the winter of - that
one evening | happened TO be sitting by
the side OF a cheerful fire in my bed.
room, busily engaged in caressing a fa-
vorite cat-tbe illustrious Lady Catha-
rine, now, alas, no more. She lay in a
pensive attitude aud a winking state Of
drowsiness in my lap.
Although my room might be without
candles, it was perfectly Illuminated by
the light of the FIRE. There we're two
doors-one behind me, leading into an
apartment which had been locked for
the winter, and another on the opposite
side of the room, which communicated
with the passage.
Mamma had not left me many min
utes, and the high backed, old-iashioned
armchair, which she had occupied, re-
NAMED vacant at the opposite corner of
the Fireplace Puss who lay with her
head on my arm, became more and more
sleepy, and | pondered on the propriety
Of preparing for bed.
"Of a sudden | became aware that
something had affected my pets equa
nimity. The purring ceased, and she
exhibited rapidly symptoms Of
uneasiness, | bent down, and eudeav-
ored to coax her into quletness; but she
instantly struggled to her feet in my lap,
aud splitting vehemtntly with back arched
and tail swollen, she assumed a mingled
attitude of terror and defiance.
THE change in her position obliged
me to raise my head; and on looking up,
to my indispensable horror, | then per-
ceiyed that q little. hideOus, Wrinkled old