The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-12-06
GHOST STORIES UNVEILED.
SHOWING ROW TALES OF A MARVELLOUS
NATURE ORIGINATED.

In former times ghost stories constituted
much of the fireside talk ; he weird tale
was told OF how spectre, clothed III ap5
prOpriate white, was seen to appear, and
in due course . vanish ; and the hearers.
duly impressed with the apparent truth of
a tale, for which no apparent reason was
vouchsaied. became themselves in a rea-
sure forced To believe. Science and com
mon sense are, however, now robbing these
absurd stories of much of their glamur by
explaining in a simple, tTaight-forward
way what by many has hitherto been beld
to bo supernatural, and therefore uuac-
countabIe. With these remarks we proceed
to offer a few instances of explained ghost
stories kindly supplied TO us hy a contri-
butOr. lie says
What am going to do is simply to
give some instances IN which what might
have made capital ghost story proved to
be noUhiug of the kind, aud To draw from
thence the inference that all such stories
could, if only we were acquainted with all
the facts, be accounted for by natural
causes.
bave myself been sorcly puzzled to ac
count for what | have seen. On one Oc
casiCp | was passing by a cemetery on my
way to a distant part Of my PARISH. The
night was dark aud snggy aud as | walk
ed along the road close 10 the !Ton fence, /
perceived within the iuClOsUre, appaI emily
but few yards of, a body Of dim light
that seemed to come up from sbe ground.
Now, my impressions were all in favor of
ghosts, and if my judgment also had been
equally in favor, | should have had ghost
story to tell about that place. But | was
determined to seek an explanation of the
phenomenon 50 | went up to The ratings
and looked hard at the light, but could
make nothing of il. At the same time
became conscious Of a dull sound proceed
ing from the ground NheIe it stood. [
[ could not understand it and there l stood
peering in until my ems suddenly gave
/ me clue To the mystery, for | faucjed |
/ detected tie thud OF mattocl. And such
! il was. The sexton was working against
time to dig for a large vaIlt, aud ihe mys-
/ teriOus light was nothing more or less than
/ that of his lantern, some feet below the
surface, which threw up into the foggy air
| a volume Of strange misty brightness. Blu:
really it mace a very creditabls ghost,
/ Another adventure | had was more
! laughable, but not less perplexing at the
( time. The night was very dark, indeed
! and as | took sudden turn III the road
/ saw a feeby illuminaJe5 figure moving
| slowly some distance in advance, aud in the
same direction with myself. My first i'm
preston was that some one was going u
uy to frighten me So I grasped my stick.
in ending as the buys say, to "wback it,
figure stopped ; and in moment or ieys
.he illumination became somewhat bright
er. / got close up to II, repaired to strike
but for the life OF me could not tell what i
was. | passed it close, ana looked rounC
into il, and found it was an old woman 90
ing home from "a days washing. She had
on, poor soul, = very atienuated cloak
through which the light Uf the lantern she
was carrying feebly penetrated, aud wheI
she had stopped to snuff the candle with
her fingers, the light, of course, burneG
brighter She was very deaf, and had MT
heard my footsteps SO that when | spoke
l frightened her, l fear, more than she lad
frightened me.
Talking of not hearing footsteps il the
dark, | remember once alarming a reigh-
Dor most unintentionally and had le not
discovered the true cause he mightCo this
day have bad tale OF mystory to unfold
upon the subject. | was walking briskly
home one night with a map, muuRed with
rings for hanging it % wall, nder thy
arm and golushes on my feet. The rings
kept up sort of clicking noiseas | went,
while the goloShes caused me tog lide along
The damp lane with the noise I.SsaeSs of a
cat. But never thought of either circum
stances Til afterwards. Hearing footstep;
in front, fancied it might be my neigh Dor
| 1t being about his time Tor coming home
so | pushed on. But the quicker | went
the farther off he seemed. went faster
still, but still came not up @i;h him, un
I'll, determined to overtal<s him, l set of
running at a brisk pace, aid only reached
him as he was passing int his gate having
beyond the possibility q doubt, made
run for IL himself. WHITTIER I've took TIN
] clicking ot he rings, Iuacc0mpauied b.
the sound of footsteps. for The clicking q
a pistol or the mysterious rattle of
l.. fancied ghost l canIot say but this j
certain, that if he had only stopped, O
d even not Iuu away, 10 would have fOun
out the cause of what was undoubtedly
curious accompaniment on a daik night.
s gentleman living in country hous
= which | had oncs Inhabited wrote to as
e. me whether dulug my residence there
had ever heard ply reports Of its bein