American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-05-14
SOME GHOST STORIES UNVEILED.


SOME GHOST STORIES UNVEILED
1t is undeniable that there are man,
sober-minded people, not in genera
disposed to be credulous or supersti
tious, who yet entertain firm convic
tion that they have come across thu
supernatural in some shape or other
and that under circumstances in which
evidence of their senses as in the mos
common occurrences of life
A well-known witty English divine
once remarked that the best and most
ACKNOWLEDGMENT most convincing
way of combating the foolish fancy
commonly known as "belief in ghosts, 81
Is to make public all Northumberland
instances where such stories have beer
unveiled" The following narratives,
communicated by various contributors,
may serve as further Illustrations of the
truth, that nothing of the apparently
supernatural should be received which
has not been submitted to the test OF
absolute demonstration:
One splendid afternoon of glorious
summer / set out on q walk from
Eythorne to Deal, a distance of some
six miles. 1 took particular note as 1
went along-the route being entirely
strange to me-of all the landmarks,
such as churches, farmhouses, the
bendings of the road, etc., thinking
least part of my return walk after dark,
though sure of a sufficiency of light if
the moUn were only shining. Preached
Deal, and was beguiled by the
beauty of the afternoon and even
: inc to stay longer than I had
intended. Sea and land lay bathed
in the warm, golden sunshine, the sky
of the brightest blue, unlocked by a
cloud, and the sea almost equally blue.
1 fingered by the shore until the
lengthening shadows began to warn me
that should find the night drawing on
almost before got far from the pre-
cincts of Deal. fastening along. then,
without any doubt of my way, and
mounting the rising land at the back of
the town, found the moon was already
shedding its light over the scene, and
looked forward to q delightful walk
home; when suddenly a dense sea-fog
rolled in from the bay, which soon en-
veloped the land. obscuring every OBJ
ject, and even celebrating the light of
the moon, save for occasional riffs in
the fog as it rolled rapidly inland. 1
coon became very doubtful of my way,
as the notes 1 had carefully taken OF
landmarks were now useless But
trudged along, knowing was pursuing
at least an onward course, till 1emerged
upon much higher ground, and was
thankful to find that the fog was losing
its density and the moon recovering it's
light. 1nquiring at a cottage where l
saw light in the bedroom, found that
had come right, and should soon strike
the high-road from Sandwich to Dover.
After this the fog seemed to lift, the
moon shone out brightly. light haze
only remaining over the lower-lying
country. and l soon found myself COM
fortably nearing Eythorne.
The road into Eythorne from the
Dover Road turns at right angles. and
IL straight and rather descending, so
that during, the day, or on fine moon
light night, objects can be seen for a
long distance. The moon had now
risen considerably, and the whole
country lay clearly revealed-.he road
to Eythorne, into which / had now
turned, especially SO. being chalky. I
had not gone many PAGES when l saw,
some distance on before me, a gigantic
figure in white, apparently at least ten
feet high. could see, too. that it was
moving. not towards me, but from me.
watched it narrowly for few min
utes, to satisfy myself that it was no
momentary impression; but there as
suredly it was, white, spectral, gigantic
and moving.
Ny first thought was to beat a re-
treat, take the Dover Road again and
return into Eythorne through Valdez
share Park; but as this would have
greatly heightened the time at which I
wished to be home, and as I had al
ready proved the park at night to be a
difficult route, and had had some I'M
pleasant experiences therein, made up
my mind rapidly thatthere was nothing
for it but to face the specter or what
ever it might be, I" for better, for
worse" Now, l thought, is all my
unbelief in the supernatural to |
be put to the test, and perhaps to be |
shaken down in some dreadfully I'M
pleasant manner. / confess / felt many |
a qualm as the tall figure stalked ON |
before me; but as had now fully made |
up my mind to find out what it was, if |
| could. / quickened my pace. almost
under the excitement. As 1 !
neared and was evidently overtaking it.
noticed that it seemed rather to |
lessen in its proportions, and this
continued as I got nearer and
nearer. 1t was still. however, out
Of all human proportions but at
this point. as 1 more leisurely
looked about me, 1 began to observe
that the more familiar objects known to
me, the cottages by the roadside, the
park gates, etc, looked unusually large
also, and as L passed them, resumed
their natural size. This at once be-
came q clue to me, and / determined
not to lose the chance of unraveling
he mystery of the white figure, still
'ome distance before me. As got
-apidly near it. it as rapidly decreased
N size, till at LENGTH must say much
% my relief-I found i: to be nothing
more than country girl in a light
vardsi
Thus. then. discovered that the pi-
,antic spccter of my walk was an effect
tue in some way to the combined ac-
ion of the moonbeams and the haze
n magnifying all objects looked at, at
certain distance or angle. and in this
resembling the mist specters of the
Srocken and other mountains.
Now. 1t is evident, if / had not been 1
compelled to face and investigate the
natter, should have continued to be-
ieve to this day-despite my unwilling ,
less to do so-that 1 had certainly seen
specter upon such evidence of nv /
'wn senses as could not doubt. The ,
occurrence has served me i'm good
tead ever since, as a useful lesson. in
lucing me to pause in accepting appar-
ntly inexplicable phenomena without {
he most rigid investigation. &
was passing the Christmas HOLIDAYS
few years ago at a pretty village in
he country, in the comfortable and