Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-08-14
FIFTY DISEMBODIED SPIRITS

Ghost Stories Founded Upon Somewhat Re-
markable Facts-The Glorifled Image of
Dying woman-A spccter That Must Have
Crossed the Atlantic.
New York Mercury.
The writer was present at a small gath
erlng of earnest men in the parlors Of q
we'll known physician on the West Side
a few days since. The conversation grad
ually took Il spirualistic turn, when the
host surprised his hearers by stating that
he had been practicing medicine for over
forty years, and that he had certainly
seen the soul eidolen, or spirit, of at least
fifty persons during that period. There
was {; general murmur of incredulity,
and one gentleman remarked: ut was
all imagination, Of course" The doctor
repudiated that theory. Had I been
the only witness to these spectral forms, >
he said, II mi ght attribute the appear
ance to some abnormal condition Of my
system" He then related the following
curious experience, with the special re-
quest that his name should not be made
public in connection with any newspaper
article:
About six months since he was sum-
moned to the bedside of an aged lady
who had been an occasional patient of
his. The matron's two married daug hters
were present, and, although they were
both middle-aged women, they apparent.
ly did not suspect that their mother was
so close upon the shore Of the dark river.
The extremitics were cold; the features
were pinched and paid; the heart alter
natcly beat and futtered with labored
slowness. The doctor informed the ladies
that their mother was nearing her end,
and that all he could do would be to cx-
hibit IL stimulent which would afford
temporary relief by driving the blood
from tie heart to the extremeties.
The stimulant was administered in tea
spoonfuls, with the result predicted.
Next day, however, when he called he
found the old lady was sinking fast. She
was quite unconscious. Her energies ap-
peared to be entirely lulled. She was
moved by none of these dreams which
impel the dying life to murmur out the
names of friends or the occupations and
recollections Of past life. She was leav-
ing the world as unconsciously as four
score years ago she had entered it. She
lay on bed on the parlor floor or, to be
more spefc, her bed was placed IN the
intermediate room between the two par.
lors, and separated from them Ivy folding
doors. The doctor took seat near thu
foot Of the bed. The eldest daughter oc.
cupied similar position. There was
nothing further to be done but to wait fol
the end. It was in the afternoon, merg
ing toward evening. The light in the
apartment was subdued, but sufficient tt
see every. fold and wrinkle perfectly.
; As the doctor and the elder daughter
sat there sadly gazing the former begar
to perceive peculiar change in the bed
clothes. The dying woman lay ON the
further side of the large bed. On thu
side nearest him there was gradual up
hcaval of the bed clothes, as if some form
were slowly rising from the mattress be-
low. Gradually this weird expansion as
sumed the form of human being. L
became, in fact, the duplication Of thu
dying woman. There ere the features
tho form, everything perfect; only the
spectral, or soul face, was turned to.
ward the dying, actual face, and about
six inches from it. The doctor gazee
steadfastly at the two forms, wondering
whether the daughter were vouchsafec
the same revelation. Suddenly she started
up, crying: "Oh, doctor! do you sec that9
Immediately the vision disappeared. TIL,
bed clothes subsidized. The old lady wa
dead.
No remark was made by the physician
at the time, but after the funercl, which
he attended. he asked the daughter what
occasioned the sudden exclamation Jus
as her mother died. She described tn
appearance Of the eidolen, its position, it
ethereal hue, just as the doctor had seer
it. As she remarked, st seemed to be
glorious image Of her mother"
THAT" said the gray-haired physician
"is my last experience in sightseeing.
On being further Intercepted as to hi
first ghost, he stated that when he hat
only a few years engaged in the activ
practice Of his profession, his only broth
er was Frustrated with severe malady
| One day, after leaving his bedside h