Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-01-28
MRS. PEPPERTON'S GHOST,

'Believe IN ghosts' hope ! al
not such fool as that 7" sail MI
Pepperton scorniully, and he locke
with an air Of supreme contempt at hi
queslioner. "When | eau put m.
hand upon q sensible sort of a fellow
who has seen one IN broad dayligh
when he was wide awake, and quit
sober then ] will give the matter m.
attention, but until then shall kcer
to my opinion that there were neve
such things, and its only asses whit
believe in any thing of the Sort
"Thank you Mr. Peppcrton," re
turned The Young farmer laughing
but seeing is believing, aud i'll die
not see my mother three days aile
she was buried my ame isn't Timoth.
Lame
"Pshaw = exclaimed Mr.. Pepper
ton, "when people are nervous and
out sorts then can fancy anything"
"Only il is odd | ncva imagined
anything of the sort before or since
Mr.. Pcppcrtcn.'
mo it isn't odd" replied the other,
doen,atlpaly. "Thosc things 1epenC
upon n persons state OF mind, and
you were naturally excited and upset
at such time. You had been think
ing of Mrs. Lane all day and there
fore it was not surprising that you
saw her at night"
ut want at night at all it was
in the afternoon. ! was going down
the path in front Of our house when
saw her standing at the gate, just as
plain as see you now. As I drew neal
she gave one earnest look, and then
faded out, and though she has never
since been visible, I often think she is
nearer me than know
Mr.. Pepperton started, and glanced
round the bar-parlor of the George
with an unsasy air.
81 don't believe anything of the
sort" he said sharply; "it is all a hum
bug Besides it stands to reason il
wouldn't always be convenient fol
dead people to come back to their old
haunts. The first Mrs. Pepperton, fol
instance wouldn't just care to see
some one else in her place, and OF
course, if she came back she would
have TO-"
"Unless she gave you notice OF her
visit beforehand, and you hid the
second Mrs. Pepperlon in the cup
board" observed the landlord laugh
ing.
Mr.. Pepperon laughed, too, but
not exactly as if he enjoyed the joke
1t was all very we'll just now, but Re
had a feeling that wouldn't be Sc
pleasant to look back upon an hour
later, when he made his way home
through the church yard by himself
And then if there were ghosts, by
any chance, they might be very much
inclined to take revenge on him tor
his scepticism, and convince him
against his will, so that altogether he
thought he would rather not join in
any uu seemly jest.. But as it would
not have done to appear to retrac'
alter having so loudly asserted his
disbelief, Mr.. Pepperton effected a
compromise by remaIking:
There are great many mysterious
things in this world We are not ex-
pected to inquire into, and what you
don't understand it is bes. not to talk
about it seems to me. I'll take one
glass of grog, Mr.. Holiday, if you
please and then I'll take myself off.
/ promised Mrs. Pepperton I'd be
home in good time tonight, as she
isn't WE'LL"
Mr.. Pepperton's boom companions
exchanged glauces it was such sur
prising thing for him to show any
consideration toward Mrs. Pepperton,
they could hardly believe their ears
Ho wever. nobody ventured to joke
HIM on the subject, and as it was not
understood that he disliked taking
of ghosts, and the question had q
peculiar fascination for some of those
present. each had atale to tell OF some
thing that had happened to his grand
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