American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-05-14
vexed question of supernatural appear

vexed question of supernatural appear.
ances came under discussion. As might
have been expected in these days Of
scientific experiment and iuductive
philosophy, the tone of the converse
ton was of decidedly skeptical tinge.
The lady of the house, anxious appar-
emily that ghostly claims should be
sister-in-law, who had lived for several
years in haunted house, and begged
| her to say what the results of her expo
rience had been.
"Our house." replied the sister,
twas in a bleak and lonely situation;
and many years before we en-
tered its walls, some disagreed
bic associations had been woven
into its history. In spite of these,
the place did us no harm; though l am
bound to say that during our sojourn
in it we heard sounds which supersti-
tiously inclined folks might have re-
garded with dread. Perhaps we were
not a family likely to suffer from imagi-
native terrors, because we were more
accustomed to examine an unwonted
object than to run away from it, nor did
we conclude that every phenomenon not
clearly understood by us must be due to
supernatural causes. Often at night we
heard noises in uninhabted rooms, as if
articles of furniture were being moved
or dragged across the floor; but these
we became used to, and assigned them
to such simple causes as mice, or pos
sibly rats. But once l recollect that
the clanking of chain at midnight
wakened me from half dreaming state
to full consciousness.
81 thought 1 must have been mis-.
taken, and went quietly to sleep again;
but the next night at the same hour the
noise was distinctly repeated. My SIS
ter, who slept in the same room, heard
it also. and was as puzzled as myself.
1t required from that time so often that
we became accustomed to it, also, and
were also ceasing to speculate on its
cause, when one day, standing in my
own room in broad daylight, l heard
the clanking noise loudly repeated. A
thought struck me. 1 ran downstairs
out Of the hall door. and through a gar
den-path to the stable yard, whose wall
formed an angle with our side of the
house. AS L looked into the stable, the
horse shook his chainI This was the
very noise we had heard so often-the
same thing which had happened night
after night, when the horse Weakening
out of his sleep, got up, shook himself,
and stamped in his stall, before
composing himself for another nap. If
had not thus tracked the sound and
verified it for myself, could never
have believed that it could have been so
clearly heard through thick walls at
such distance"
"Ahr' said Clergyman, who had
listened to this account with much
Il am persuaded that if
people would take the trouble of exam
ming such mysterious occurrences. the
of authenticated ghost-stories' 4
on record would be sensibly dimin-
ished. A curious circumstance hap
pened to my father when he was very
young man. He lived at some distance
from the dwelling of the girl who aft
became his wife and INV moth
er. He had to work and wait for her
for several years, and as for her sake
he applied very closely to his business,
they seldom met. But occasionally,
after his days work was over. he took
a very long walk into the county, to
get glimpse of her fair face, and per-
chance the treat of quiet talk. On |
one of these rare occasions he be- |
thought himself of short cut through |
q village churchyard. 1t was not very |
easy Of access, for the gate was locked,
and brook Of some depth swept round |
part of the outer wall; but he was |
young and active, and eager to gain |
time; SO, after a somewhat stiff climb,
he found himself within the limits of |
The consecrated ground.
lit was a clear moonlight night, and
The tombstones stood around him in
close and venerable array. Suddenly
of al, L;
start and pause. From beneath the
shadow of the church wall tall white
figure glided stealthify out in
% the light. My father quietly
.etreated behind tombstone and
The figure advanced;
ne scanned it carefully; and
beneath the white robes fluttering in
he night air, he beheld a very sub
'tantial pair of boots!
"Said he to himself: DO ghosts
wear boots? 1 wonder who makes
hem;' and he decided on having q
closer inspection of this mysterious
apparition. The figure
moved on; my father quietly followed,
,eeping well in the shadow of the
ombstones. After some little time
pent in this kind of lodging, the ghost
Idvanced to a part of the wall over
ooking the road and the stream, and
ook up its position ON the top of it. In
second my father came behind, and
With strong and sudden push, tipped
he unlucky ghost into the stream which
ippled below. He heard plunge and
shout, waited few moments to see
hat the fellow had struggled safely to
he other side, minus his white sheet,
hen turned and sped ON his way, re-
oicing at having hit on SO novel and
xpeditious a method of laying a
hostr
Years passed away. My father
married. the lady of his choice, and they
haired the usual course of life's vicissi-
udes together. Long after her death,
g took me to visit the scene of his ear
V wooing and the home of her girl
God. On our way from the railway
tation we drove through village from
Thich funeral procession was issuing
1 solemn pomp to the churchyard. As
re returned, we stopped for an hour at I
ne inn and ordered luncheon. Like
lost of his class, our host was chatty
nd communicative, and at once enter
d into conversation. Pleasant wealth ,
r, gentlemen. We have had a large
neral here to-day; the largest known ,
l these parts for many year. We all $
-ished to show respect to our Oldest i
William Dawkins. A very =
ivil fellow was Bill. Many story OF :
lie good old times he used to tell. And
e had some queer adventures of his +
wn, too, to talk about. You'll scarce !
redit me, gentlemen, but It's a fact =
lat that man had seen a ghost" i
GA ghostn exclaimed my father,
hose natural skepticism on that sub q
'ct had been long since strengthened '
Y the incident l have related He