Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-10
FIFTY DIsEMBODIED SPIRITS.

FIFTY SEMBODlED SPlRlIS.
Ghost Stories Founded Upon Somewhat Re-
markable Facts-The Glorified Image of a
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 a
| we'll known physician on the West Side
few days since. The conversation grad
ually took 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 a general murmur Of incredulity,
and one gentleman remarked: cit was
all Imagination, of course The doctor
repudiated that theory. "Had I been
the only witness to these spectral forms,
he said, 81 might 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 extremities were cold; the features
were pinched and paid; the heart alter
nately beat and fluttered with labored
slowness. The doctor informed the ladies
that their mother was nearing her end.
and that ali he could do would be to ex-
hibit stimulent which would afford
temporary relief by driving the blood
from tue 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 APP
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 leay-
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 by folding
doors. The doctor took seat near the
foot of the bed. The eldest daughter oc-
cupied a similar position. There was
nothing further to be done but to wait for
the end. 1t was in the afternoon, merg-
ing toward evening. The light in the
apartment was subdued, but sufficient to
see every fold and wrinkle perfectly.
AS the doctor and the elder daughter
sat there sadly gazing the former began
to perceive peculiar change in the bed
clothes. The dying woman lay on the
further side of the large bed. On the
side nearest him there was a gradual up
heaval of the bed-clothes, as ifsome form
were slowly rising from the mattress be-
low. Gradually this weird expansion as
sumed the form of a human being. It
became, in fact, the duplication Of the
dying woman. There were the features,
the 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 gazed
steadfastly at the two forms, wondering
whether the daughter were vouchsafed
the same revelation. Suddenly she started
up, crying: "Oh, doctor! do you see that2
Immediately the vision disappeared. The
bed-clothes subsidized. The old lady was
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 lust
as her mother died. She described the
appearance of the eidolen, its position, its
ethereal hue, just as the doctor had seen
1T. AS she remarked. cit seemed to be
glorious image of her mother
THAT" said the gray haired physician,
lis my last experience. in soul-seeing.''
On being further interrogatcd as to his
first ghost, he stated that when he had
only few years engaged in the active
practice Of his profession, his only broth
er was Frustrated with severe malady.
One day, after leaving his bedside he
suddenly met hum in the garden. II was
never so surprised in my life, !" said the
doctor" 81 hadn't left him an hour, and I
come to the conclusion that he was not
long for this world, poor fellow. So 1
shouted: Halo, Dick you don't mean
to tell me you're up and ,out!n He smiled
q sad sweet smile, and, is / stood trans
fixed, watching, he faded gradually into
thin air. rushed into the house and
found that he had just died.
The doctor is one Of these men who
pride themselves on the fact that nobody
can fool them, and hence his testimony
on this subject is the more extraordinary.