The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-03-01
ny UNCLE BEN.
From the Beigravia Annual )

but DGlSAdNAd AIdtfot".
NV Uncle Ben believe in ghosts? Ot
course he did; he used to say: mo
modern mansion of stuccO and plaster
for Hie, give me a grand old house, all
covered by ivy, and hidden by trees,
whose walls are hung with the tapestry,
and passages, extending from room
10 room, make the blood curdle with
their gloom and length. Why, sir,
there is something enlivening even in
its decay; the dampness of its walls,
and the cracks in the discolored CELL
iDgs, which only suggest to the vulgar
mind ague and rheumatism, are evil
dences to me of It's venerable age and
respertability. The very mice that
scainpeF mp and down in the time
worn waihseotiag, give me a friendly
greeting that 1 never meet in your
new-fashioned houses, built for race
of -worshipers who have
made their wealth out of shOddy and
petroleum.
"People mourn over the various ills
| that flesh is heir to, over the loss OF
money, land, and health, and other
| insjgnifiGaut things, but | mourn over
| the decline in the race Of our ghosts
| that is u real loss: but what can sou
expect? they are sneered at by fool
ish skeptics, and insulted by dictiOna-
ry-concoctOrs like Walker; what de-
cent spector would feel any respect for
himself when people call him spectOr?
| IT is enough to make him cOntempti-
bic ip his own eyes, and cause him to
LET himself out to be exhibited at an
| eIltagtaipment combining instruction,
Amusement, aud horrors, for the small
sum of one shilling per head. What
honest gentleman ghost, who yves III
a quiet, respectable country house,
| would have any connection with the
disreputable rowing spirits that can be
called by any charlatan or rimposltor 10
play oh q cracked accordion, TO make
stupid jokes, 10 i'Iatle KNOTS ana u
wrap out ghastly revelations from q
dirtv deal table! An old-fashiOned
! arisfocratic phantom would despis6
| the tricks of such nonladic nOnenities,
as he eaUdeTs through the dreary cor
riders of the haunted house, or re-
| mains in his garnet OF cellar, thinking
| over the good old times when he ap-
peared with eiapkiRg chains TO fright
en- weary wayfareTs, aad make tho
awe-strIIck folks Shudder us they sat
in the chimney corner.
HT'tilk of the thrilling interest he eX-
,.ited when he revealed to the true
heir the place where the money wa:
Concealed, that he had robbed him o
bcfnre he left this life for the land o
| s,,.ies. Such u ghost was well wortl
knowing; and SO was the good Ole
| scholarly pbautomr who required yoI
to speak to him in latIp, Wig ap
| peatcd only ut the canonica! hoE 2
liz, aud Who could not be got rid u
with your furniture, but remained on'
of the fixtures Of the ancient man
sion.
"To have such a ghost in your fam
lily is the only criterion of age and re
spectability; once man was know
TO be q gentleman 10y the house he IN
habited, by his carriage, and his coat
of-arms. Now Mr.. solomon Stubbs
, the retired cbcesemonger, buys thi
house of the ruined Marquis de Sang
. AZuF, 6na purchases n crest ut tn,
HeraldS COLLEGES he may purchase al
| most anything, may Keep n dozen car
FiaRes, bat he cannot buy ghost; it j
oniy the anGient families that cal
kecp that proof of respectability."
/ really believe that Uncle Ben val
med the shade that was said 90 haun
his house far higher than all his NOR
,augibIe property. Nothing made hin
more aHtrv than for any one TO dout
, its existence: he - as always ready
: break a lance with any sitektiS ~ ia
subject: and to offer him a bed In ia
, ha;inted room; and, although many G
I | the S6iiGg Inemhers of the famil
: scoffSd at the st6ES, very few had tn
: courage 10 accept the Fhai.eDge.