Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1880-10-27
Tor NC Smyrna IlEtc5
The Ghost Of a Riding Saddle.


lie who accepts the common belief in
ghosts accepts much more than is apparent
at the first thought. The theory is, that
the spirits of men can and do actually an.
pear in places remote from those occupied
by their bodies, /. ca man now living or
now dead, if living we will say that he is
out on the high seas, or gone to visit
friend whose home is five miles away from
the home of the visitor, or if dead he is
being made ready for his burial or has ac,
tually been buried. No matter which be
the fact in his case, his spirit, soul or
ghost has the power to appear in a place or
places, in this world, remote from the
place actually occupied by his dead or
living body.
Now, we say that this theory carries with
it more, much more, than is apparent at
the first thought. 1t not only gives to the
body ghost with powers of appearing in
places remote from the body, but it also
gives to the material things the same
ghosts, endowed with the same powers, !. c.,
the possession of ghost that can appear
in place remote from that occupied by
the material body. In proof of this posi-
ton we sight the fact that ghosts always
have clothes on them, and strange to say
they appear in the same sort of dress that
the body is actually clothed with.
For long time it was the fashion to bury
people in shrouds and winding sheets, and
/ 1t is curious fact that the ghosts Of the
dead during all that period usually made
their appearance dressed in shrouds OF
winding sheets. So shrouds and winding
sheets, material things, have ghosts that can
leave the material substance and go abroad
clothing the ghosts of the bodies.
1t is also fact that the ghosts of the
living appear in the dress worn by the
living; in this matter, however, ghosts are
little capricieus, appearing dressed in tn,
everyday clothes or Sunday-clothes of the
person, just as fancy, or to US the unknown
circumstances of the case.
This common ghost theory goes farthe
and gives ghosts to our domestic animal
and to their clothing or harness and trap
pings. An old gentleman of our acquain
lance told US the following story, which w
condense "My father" said he, "wa
from home. The time OF his stay was on
and the family were on the lookout for hi
arrival. My mother told me to go out ant
look and see if he was in sight. | wen
out and looked in the direction from whicl
he was expected to come, and | saw m
father coming. He was on horse back, ant
saw and knew the horse. l saw tn
bride and so much Of the saddle as wa
visible, and ran into the house and told m
mother. l then went out to meet M
father, and low he was not to be seen an,
did not come home until the next night
Now in this case if the man saw what h
firmly believes he did see, then his father
ghost was there, and the horses ghost wa
there, and the bride and saddles ghost
were there also, and the saddle had
ghost.
If the man saw any thing he saw gAost
for his father, the horse, bride and saddl
were not there at that time. So this comno
theory of ghosts, gives ghosts to materia
things and every animals ghost has use c
the ghosts of such material things as ar
useful to it in the execution of its mission
"a part of which seems to be "to frighte
the souls of fearful adversaries."