The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-12-06

things himself, be SAID, out ne always
liked, when he heard Of anything of the
kind, to investigate the matter as far IS pos
sible 1t was very sensible thing 10 90; !
and l was about to give him satisfactory /
explanation. 1t was news to me that the /
house had the evil reputation but when /
heard of it, it Immediately occurred to my |
miud how it was to be accounted for. 1t I
so happened that certain miSchievous /
female member of my family had, towards /
the latter part of my stay in that house, 1
been guilty of the cruelty of terrifying the |
servants almost ont of their wits. She ap- |
peared one night in their room covered /
over with a sheet, which sheet was raised /
high over head by means OF stick, to the /
end of which was fastened bulls eye
lantern-a ghost of commanding stature
and terrific gaze. 1t is very wrong to play
such tricks as the consequences might be
serious to some weak minds. 10 this case,
however, no harm vas done, except that
the servants were unalterably settled in the
persuasion that they had seen ghost, and
that they had, as matter Of course, in
oculated the village with their own firm
belief that the house was haunted.
Little things are apt to be rnaguified, and
the simplest things frequently become mys-
terious IN the stiffness and darkness of the
night. While living in London l was one
night aroused by my sister coming into my
room to tell me that some one was trying
to break into the house by the front door.
l looked out Of the window, but ooulc see
no one, though low, iarring noise could
be heard. The statutory procession was
formed. First came | holding a poker
warily, and looking anXiously for a human
head then came a servant who had first
given the alarm, lifting aloft candle to aiG
me IN the search; and last Of all came my
sister, bold as a lion though pale as death.
As we slowly descended thus in battle array
L : net Fr,f
sound from the region of the street door
but | declare l could not in the least make
out the cause Of it until bad got quite up
to the door, and then the mystery was
solved. One of the family had come home
late. fastened tie door, as he thought, put
mp the chain, aud gone to bed. But the
door had not been fastened, the bolts,
though shot, had not been sent home, and
so the door kept swinging backwards and
forwards in the gentle night breeze as far
as the chain would let 1t. Had the house
been repUted ''haunteu,' it would have
( suggested a ghost, just as anything strange
will suggest one where the mind is suitably
impressed with the idea of the thing. Ilus
a relative of mine used 20 relate 'ow
frightened he had been when boy in com-
( ing down the s airs of an old tOwsr OF
/ ghos.Iy fame at the top of which Ia. and
other boys had been amusing themselves
until the shades of evening surpriseC hem.
1t was his fate TO bring up the rear and he
no doubt felt in consequence his exposure
/ to the enemy IN black, and sure eIOugh he
( heard a hOliOT step behind hiT keeping
step exactly after him when fs hurried
that hurried; when he paused . some Cu-
tjoUlty in the descent that paused also but
when at length he emerged from the dark
ness vii final rush no ghost came out
after bin. But he recoilectei that lie bad
got bag Of gingerbread nus in the hinder
pocket of his long great coat ; aud The
Happing Of that in the stass was the mys-
terous sound that had so alarmed him.
remember friend telling ne with the
most evident sincerity That lie felt sure he
should succeed N someeuterprlse he had
begun because he had Just seen seven ducks
wadding one after the other. lie was an
excitable man. Just thsn in highly nervous
condition, and If he lad said he had seen
seven ghosts iuSteai of seven ducks l
should have believed him, but set the
ghosts down to aneual abeIra ion.
What condition the witnesses were in
who saw the following ''well accredited"
feat of "A ghost [ will not venture to deter
mine. The stoy is related by an enthusi-
astic believer ipaud even admirer of ghosts
of every sort aid kind, and the ghost aud
witnesses are all phlegmatic Germans.
"Oue night, IS kezer lay in his bed and
. the servant was standing near the glass
door in conversation with him, to his utter
amazemeDth he saw a jug of Beer, which
stood on a able in room at some distance
from him, slowly lifted to a height OF about
three feet and the contents poured into a
glass thit was standing there also, unti
the latte was half full. The jug was then
gently teDlaced and the glass lifted and
eriptiel as by some one drinking, whilst
the servant exclaimed in terrified surprise
, look it swallows = The glass was Qui
! eIly eplaced, and not a drop Of beer was
to To- found on the floor
M doubt there was not and let us hope
thegbost was all the better for having ia
! ken only the half glass But what Scruti
nzing of the witnesses we should require
Iefore believing such nonsense as this
What, we repeat, must have been theil
condition
/ have a friend who cannot sleep tnles.
!, his head is turned towards the north. The
first time he slept in my house his bed wa.
against south wall, but lie was not aware
of it. Iu the morning he told me he could
not sleep until he had placed the bolste
and pillow where his feet had been anC
. B so the clOt hes were found arranged, To the
great amusement Of the household.
The inference | draw then is that tht
true explanation OF ali ghost stories, how
ever marvellous, is to be found in natura
causes, in Il knowledge of all the facts auC
circumstances of each particular case
, E These explanations Will sometimes, as u
the instances | have given, lie on the sur
face sometimes they VIII lie more deepi
, within the mysteries of our complex ia
ture and the surroundings, and have to b.
studied aud searched out and sometime
, they may be so deep DOWN rs to be quit
beyond the reach of either our powers o
opportunities of Investigation, thougl
! doubtless sill perfectly natural. But whe
we consider how credulOus human uatur
is in regard to mysteries that have no high
f er authority than that of men, and that al
only morbid and unwholesome in their ten
, denotes and when, moreover, we TAX
! into account how almost unlimited are tn
p / resources in nature for the explanation
9 what at fist seemed supernatural, 1t az
+ pears TO me to be decidedly better, safe
a manlier, iliOTs rational, and at the san
: time more respectful towards what is trul
+ supernatural, To relegate all ghost stOri'
d without exception and without hesItatio
a 10 the domain Of wonders that have
purely earthly origin Chambers JOUrna
K MENDING blue stockings with viii
! yarn makes them a darned sight too co
< spicuous,