The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-02-03
A Joking Ghost.

mansion at Newport, Rhode Island, on
Christmas, was responsible for the in
PRODUCTION of practical joking as an APP
propriate method of celebrating the
season is not certainly known. BY
some 1t is asserted that II young broker
arom Wall street was the guilty person
while others maintain that the first
practical joke was played by Miss Mary
Brown and her sister Miss Carrie, and
their cousin, Miss Lucy Brown ketch-
EN-. Let us be fairminded and generous
aud assume that the broking Brown was
the first and chief offender. Every one
who is familiar with the habits and Gus
toms of brokers is aware that they re-
gard practical jokes, such as hat smash
ing and violent hustling, as the most
brilliant manifestations of wit, and if
the young broker in question did not
play practical jokes on his Brown rela-
tives, there Is not the least doubt that he
was entirely capable of so doing
The thirteen young people were of the
usual sexes, and were full of spirits.
They exhausted the most familiar prac-
tical jokes, such as sewing up the sleeves
of the young mems night-shirts, and
substituting pieces of raw potatoes for
@oap in the young ladies bedrooms, in
the course of the first two evenings and
on Friday night last it became necessary
to invent some new joke. The youthful
broker proposed that Chas. w. Brown
IL medical student, who subsequently
proved bold, bad young man-should
DE induced to put his hat on, and that it
should then be smashed over his eyes.
We do that sort OF thing at the board
every now and then, you know" said
the broker, "and you've no idea how
tremendously funny it is." This plan
however miscarrieG, for the reason that
no one felt anxious to act as smasher,
since Mr.. c. w. Brown notorioGsly car
:ried concealed medicines, and was fully
'capable'of making any one who might
'meddle with his hat an immediate and
involuntary patient. After much dis
'cussioH it was decided to frighten the
aneaical student with ghost, and, as
preliminary, all agreed to weaken his
mind by a prolonged conversation on
ghostly subjects.
In the evening, ghost stories were ac-
oordngly told at great length. Nearly
every one professed to have seen or heard
ghost in peculiarly blood cir
cumstances, and even the young broking
person recollected story of great antiqui-
~, which he related as part of his per-
sonal experience. Then Miss Mary
Brown remembered that the room in
which the medical student was to sleep
had the reputation or being haunted
She said thata ghostly skeleton frequent
and required the unhappy person whom
it might meet to instantly confess his
sins, under some vague but awful penal
ty. The skeleton was believed to have
been formerly the property of wicked
priest, who had committed suicide in the
room, and it was said to make an annual
appearance on the Goth of December.
BY this time the young ladies had
talked themselves into very nervous
state, but Mr.. Charles w. Brown did not
seem to be in the least degree alarmed.
He said he had been on intimate and
friendly terms with ghosts during the
greater part of his life, and that he liked
them very much. In fact, he was
anxious to meet the skeleton, and
asserted that if he saw it he should ask
it to go to Philadelphia with him, sc
that he could study its bones at hi.
leisure. AT late hour the thirteen
young people decided to go to bed, ant
after biding each other good night, will
much elaboration, they sought their re
spectiye rooms.
AS soon, however, as Mr.. Charles w
Brown had entered his room, the othe
twelve young people noiselessly assem-
kled outside of his door to ascertain tn
success of their joke. Miss Mary Brown
her sister and her cousin, had drawn will
phosphorus a magnificent and appalling
skeleton on the wall of the room AM
written above the head the legend
g Confess your sins" When the medl
cal student, after consuming what wa
thought to be an unnecessary length G
time in preparing for bed, finally put ou
his light, the phosphoric ghost shon
brilliantly before his eyes, and he uttere
q yell of the most terrible and, to th
young people outside of his door, deligh
full description.
Then the wicked young student begar
ia a loud tone of voice, his confession
He confessed that ON Wednesday nigf