The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-18
MRS. HARDINGE'S SHADOW.
ONE or THE VERY sTRANG EST or
STRANGE STORIES.
Carrying on n Courtship through n Spiritual
"Donbio" The Presence that Haunted and
Tormsntod n Weli-Kuown LADY Lecturer.

from ne B1nner Of LI0h
Some time about the year 1850, Mrs. En-
ma IardinRe received n number OF most unao-
eountable epstles. dated from Boston. and
signed John O. the name being slven in
full The writer addressed Mrs. HardinRe In
terms Of enthusiastic admiration, and referred
70 numerous interviews which he purporied to
statements that Mrs, Hardinee al Gr.t believed
some DESIGNING woman m ust have assumed her
name, while the leuers had, by mistake. been
forwarded 10 herself. Hut illusions to her c.
lures. dresses. and even scenes OF private life
known ouly to her immediate home circle, at
length connected these mysterious dvcum cnts
exclusively with herself. Greatly perplexed,
Mrs. HardinRs began to scrutinize the commu-
nications more closely, and soon found, to her
smazefnent, that they betr9yed an Intimate
knowledge OF her very thoughts. no less than
Incidents and words OF the mOst private nature
these letters not only followed her from place
TO place In her timer mt career. but seemed to
emanato from one as well acquainted with her
movements IA herself. Tho darkest part OF the
mystery was that though the langu 20 Of these
epistlcs was refined aud occasionally eloquent,
the constant illusions to Interviews aud CONVEX
satiOns whtrn were assumed to have transpired
between tho parties, by seeming to place them
on terms OF the most endearing intimacy, sug
Restcd the horrible suspVipn that tho whole was
plot concOctcd by unpfincipled enemies to de-
strpy The char. ctor oil young girl wnoso repu-
tatlOn and usefulness would alike have been
bghted, were these Infamous letters 20 fall into
other honls than her own.
In the deepest distress Of mind. occa.loned by
III is inscrutablo mystery Mrs. III. consulted sew
eTal Of hei friends. among them the late veuer-
able md e'prcled magistr to. MIR Fletcher Of
sist her IN MS Judicial ca Hcity, .dyiscd her To
collect and keep the letters she received
them, promising her, whenever an opportunity
occurred, to render her all the legal assistance
Ia his power. To discover and punish her perse-
rendered by Sir. Newali 4. Foster. late Mayor Of
portland, In whose house. "a euest, Mrs.
Hafdingc was residing when she received seyo-
ral Of these Offensive inissives.
MYSTERIOUS VISITATION.
beside consulting with these and several
pursued course OF observation on her own
part which led to very extraordinary cnnciu.
siuns liabitnaliy accustomed to nee and Gun
verso with spirits Mrs. II. did not reg .rd their
visitatons with either rpr SO or fear. Ono
exception to tuis comrlncrnt feeling. howev, r,
occurred H. the "pproith OF dark, un fenned
shapc. who began II, quenty TO manifest his
presence uf nisht ana always inspire the u ost
unmiligdied feeling OF loathiug and terror. Net
Their the form nor features uf this MYSTERIOUS
vsitant could be distinctly observed In TACT
tine whole Manifestation Appealed Father to
perception tnau sight, and was a presence rather
than an alp "a ion VINO ur wnlt u might he
was profound mystery. Mrs. Hardinve earn
estiy QuesuoAe1 her spirit friends and guides
ON the nature OF thus dreadful haunting. hut
could out.un from them no other explanation
than that it ian evil or undeN Oped
spirit over whom they nad no power
Al length TIVE tcrruts accompanying this OBJ
session became in~uppurtatla aid injurious
hlikc To uealth ana mental hAanCe. Their I'M
furIun1te .utjcct could ALWAYS recoinize the
ing OF horror ana thr cold .hiverings which per-
vadfd hc. whole frame. sometimes sensation
nothing OUT 'ie lh'"i' ortani' dread u becJin-
Ing uncOns CtNus cOuiu uVercpm,.
At last another fe ture OF this mystery doomed
up anu the dhrkne-s. he Midnight Visisa-
tions were the unuiist.kablc precursors OF o
not less ahhorcd letters above .luded 10. They
came so CLOSELY aud Invariably IN succession.
and the feelings ex, eucnccd IN The presence Of
the one an tie receipt OF the other were So ex-
hctlN similar. that Mrs n. tegan at last to re- l.
lie that they were rs intimately connected as
the shadow ana substIucr II one uirr system OF
persecution. Wilmer Inpelied Nv ae,nrrnito,,
d her al 4.
hrTIgnted medium could not determine; hut
this IS the method winch she took to solve at
least one portion II th- mysterr. nam ly, the
the connection Of the plant m ana her haled
CORES poudent.
ono nght after returning from lecture.
when II. iSrdinee felt the near approach 81
the inNisinle turin'n.or, and Notwithstanding
ths Tact tlat her terror almost deprived her OF
the power OF motion, Sue hastily snatched M
the nllc six dress which She had lust taken o.
arranging TIE skirt around ner head N tue man
ner of a Veil. MS. Hirdlnce at that time was
featuring In Clnc,nn,t, cato.
Three DAYS la,rr size received ne Of the usual
odious nliseNc. uaiei from Boston, containing
these remarkable words:
How beau,ifu NV angel looked. arraycd in that h nc
Ysl when Tne 20 kindly threw yer heai as rndaT
shamoer.
Still another experiment was attempted, urged
by "a new horror at the shocking possibilities
disclosed In tits sentence.
\ PHANTOM roRMyNroR.
Mrs. Hardnge was returning from lecture at
distance from town, and Vas travelling in a
large covered carriage with three fTionds, late at
night, when the party halted al "A lonely ian by
the waystde To- water aud refresh the horses
Being c"ediigly ia igued. Mrs. Hardnge sat
sill in the carriage while the rest OF the party
ahGhted. suddenly she became aware that a
man seated at her SIDE, ana actually IN con-
tact VITA her. she was on the back Sc I, aud
gong on In from. She was connden:
that no one had enteTet the carriage, nor
would II We ueeu possible for any one to
have done 50 without observation. Yet In an
instant she knew that some Quo was there, and
tue consciousness of thu. mysteriou, compan-
Ions proximity was 80 startling and alarming
that Mfs. II. was on the point II shrieking aloud,
when the dehthlv chIliness which accompanied
her phantom toruentor nTormed her vi his pres
hnce.
Almost psralyz ed as she was, she RENE mbored
enough OF her desperate resolution t. avail her
sell OF another opportunity Tor experiment, and
snatchng the hood from her head she tore a
flower from the bouquet she held In her hand
and tossed IL hastily into her hair. The flower
was cape-jasnine and WAS seized "a the first
th presented Itself Before snc could rec N
her sea Tered senses the figure was gone, and
her fieuds resumed their places In the vehicle.
90 7, piuly had the whole scene . ssed tn
herself 1t must Gave been dream, mere
fancy, vision conlured up by ill-health and
disurdered Imagination.
On reaching her pl 4ce OF destination seve raj
let ers were put into her hands, one OF which
Instantly produced the sense ~ fear and ioath-
Ing which announced her detested correspond
ent. On opening the letter IA faded sprig OF
oipe-j'slnine fell from the envelope, aud theee
Worus caught her eye:
l
titu 10 pla Ia your hair al eleyeu Ocock Mon.
nsy GIT next sprig Of cape Jasmine. any white
dover YOU can procure.
The lecturer looked at her watch-it was
twenty minutes p st eleven, Monday night. Tho
carriage must have stOpucd at eleven precisely.
IL would be needl - to pursue the details Of
this painful case more closely: We hasten there
Tore To relate ts contamination. The time 81
TINS occurrence " the month Of January, 1881 |,
hno Mrs. iiardinRe was delivering "a course Of
lectures in Georgia.
ADVICE FROM SPIRIT FRIENDS.
The day after the receipt OF the missiye no.
ticed shove, Mis-. Hardinge enclosed II with
three Others from the same source In "A lett er
from herself To the Chic oil Police In Boston, IN
which, Omi ting the 81 irltual visltatiOns con.
nected WITH these letters (Which she deemed
would not be understood OF susceptible Of
DrOLD, sne detailed the other circumstances Of
their reception, ana called upon the Chief In his
Official capacity, to use his utmost efforts 10 dis.
cover the writer, With view tn immediate pros
eCutiOn.
When her package was ready for mailing, and
before she could summon messenger 10
despatch &. spirit friend addressed Mrs Har-
dinge, speaking to her II the usual analytical
method adopted By ner invisible guides, a. fol-
lows:
What are you going TO do with your letters1
Mrs. H.-1Ou know very well what they are,
aud why send them hence.
spirit Your nre Is low tho air Is chilli VIII
you Ohlige your spirit friends by meudinR the
nre with those papers