The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-04-09
GHOST STORIES,
BY H. B. K.

A stout Yorkshire farmer of the name
of James Wreggit, having emigrated to
Canada, settled himself and family on a
good farm which he rented in one of the
townships. He was considered fair-deal-
ing and honorable in all transactions with
his mel ghbors, and in every respect bore
d most excellent character. In the farm
er's house was frstfoor sitting room
with large fireplace. In this room the
children slept, out from the first night
evin:ed the greatest dislike to going to
bed there, screaming with terror, and
saying thst q man was in the room with
them.
For a long time the parents paid no
attention to their complaints. During
harvest.time change was made, and the
farmer himself slept in this room, as it
was cooler and more convenient. The
first night he slept there, he was about to
rise almost before the break of day, when
glancing toward the fireplace, he saw
standing there stranger OF dissipated,
drunken appearance. 'Hallo! what's thee
doing there?" was his very natural excla-
nation. Receiving no reply, wont thee
speak? I'll make thee speak!'' and
picking up one of his heavy
boots from the bedside, he
was preparing to throw it at the intruder,
when the man, suddenly raising his arm
as if to ward off the blow, vanished in a
moment from before his eyes. Wreggit,
unable to get this matter out of his head,
brooded over it till the next day, when
about noon he entered into conversation
with neighbor who was working with
him, and asked him to describe the for
mer tenant of the farm, who had died from
excessive drinking. The description so
entirely resembled the man he had seen
in the room, that he at once exclaimed,
II saw him last night!' Wreggit re.
counted this to some old friends near
whom he had lived before taking the
farm, and it is from the dictation Of one
of his auditors that have written down
this remarkable circumstance. At the
time neither Wreggit nor his friends had
the slightest belief in apparitions.
Captain W., friend of mine, was tell
ing me-, while we were on the subject of
ghosts, of circumstance which occurred
while he was in India, ard which had
entirely removed his disbelief in the pos
sibility of apparitions. He was the
nephew OF the general commanding the
troops in environments, near Delhi, in the
north of India, in the year 49,. Attach
ed to his regiment was a young ensign,
Arthur G., quite lad in years, being only
seventeen. He was an orphan with no
near relations, and his guardians had
yielded to his enthusiastic love for q
military life.
He had been year with Captain W. s
regiment, when he began to droop and to
feel an increasing langour and sense of
Illness very depressing to his buoyant
spirit. This alarmed his friends, by
whom he was greatly beloved; in fact, he
was the general pet of the 1egi-
ment, being a warm heart
ed and genial comrade, often enliven-
ing the dull routine Of regimental life bv
his merry humor and boyish pranks.
After some weeks of total prostra ton,
the fatal verdict of 'decline' was given
by his medical attendant, and, anxious to
give last chance of recovery to one so
young and amiable, the general in COM
mand sent him sick certificate to CAL
cutta, from thence:te embark for England,
after due examination by a medical
board. That no care or attention might
be wanting on his journey, regimental
surgeon, very dear friend, was sent
with him. In due time this officer re-
joined the regiment, reporting that his
young patient had borne the fatigue of
the journey better than could have been
expected, that he had himself seen him
on board of homeward-bound vessel,
and that every possible comfort had been
provided for his passage, the surgeon of
the ship having taken the especial
charge of him. This was satisfactory,
and after time his comrades almost
ceased to talk of linn and of his chances
of recovery.
A few weeks after the doctors return,
the officers of Arthur CTS regiment were
sitting over their wine after the mess din
ner, the mess-room being a long, large
tent with an opening at each end. Cap
tain w. said afterwards he was thinking
OF poor Arthur G., and wondering if he
should ever see him again, when Arthur
himself came in at one door of the tent,
and passing down the whole length Of
the dinner table went out at the opposite