Jamestown alert., 1878-11-07
Ghost Stories Unveiled.

w ueh dI1 SoluS ~ NO, says u "4''C1
for Chambers Journal, is simply to give
some instances in which what might have
been made capital ghost story proved
to be nothing of the kind, and 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.
T have myself been sorely puzzled to
account for what I have seen. On one
OCCASION was passing by a cemetery Oh
my to a distant part Of my parish.
The nj ght was dark and foggy, and as I
walked along the road close to the iron
fence, perceived within the inclosure,
apparently but few yards of, body Of
dim light that seemed to come up from
the ground. Now, my Impressions were
all in favor of ghosts, and if my judg-
ment also had, been equally in favor l
should have lad d ghost story to tell
about thatsplace. But vas determined
to seek an explanation Of the phenomen-
on, so l went up to the ratings and look
ed hard at the light, but could make
nothing of it. At the same time l became
conscious of dull sound proceeding
from the ground where it stood. could
not understand it, and there stood peer
ing in until my ears suddenly gave me
clue to the mystery, for I tanccd de-
tected the thud Of mattock. And such
it was. The sexton was working against
time to dig for a large vault, and the
mysterious light was nothing more or
I less than thst Of his lantern, some feet
below the surface, which threw up into
the focgy air volume Of strange misty
brightness. But really it made very
creditable ghost.
A gentleman living in country house
which had once inhabited, wrote to ask
me whether during my residence there !
had ever heard any reports Of its being
'.haunted.'" He did not believe in such
things himself, he said, but he always
liked when he heard anything Of the kind,
to investigate the matter as far as posi-
BILE. It was very sensible thing to do;
and I was able to give him satisfactory
explanation. It was news to me that
the house had this evil reputation; but
when [ heard of it, it Immediately oc.
Cured to my mind how it was to be &C
counted for. 1t SO happened that GER
/ tain mischievous female member of my
family had. during the latter part my
stay in that house, been guilty Of the
cruelty of terrifying the servants out of
their wits. She appeared one night ID
their rooms covered over with q sheet,
which sheet was raised over her head BY
means of stick, to the end OF which was
fastened a :bulIs,eye 'lAnternw,.a ghost OF
,Ecpmmandipg stature and terri fc gaze. 1t
is very wrong to play such tricks, as the
consequences might be serious to some
weak minds. In this case, however, no
harm was done, except that the servants
were unalterably settled in the persua-
sion that they had seen a ghoast, and
that ey had, as matter of course, in
nocculated the village with their own
firm belief that the house was haunted. ~'
What condition. the witnesses were in
who saw the following well-accredited"
feat of a ghost, I will not venture to de-
tirn1ine. The story is related by an en-
thusiastic believer in and even admirer
of ghosts of every sort and kind, and
the ghost and witnesses are all phlegm.
attic Germans. 'One night as Kezer lay
on his bed, and the servant was standing
near the glass door in conversation with
him, Ito ,Sis.utter. armament he saw jug
OF beer which stood on table in a room
! at s5fne ndistance sfrom him slowly lifted
7 to a height Of about three feet, land the
4 contents poured, into glass that was
standing there also, until thea.atter was
half full. The jug was. then gently re-
placed. and the glass lifted and en.ptied,
as BY. some one drinking; while the ser
want exclaimed lis terrftied surprise:
4 >Icoky It svsllowsp- The. glass was qui-
etly replaced, and not "a drop If beer
4 vas te. belfousd on. the aoor.,"a No doubt
there WIS not and let us hope tue ghost
was all the better for having taken only
the half-glass. But what. scrutinizing OF
the witnesses we should require before