The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-12-11
ARE THERE sPOOKs:
II So, Do They Play PIanoss

- oof ~ my A~J
"There are stranger things in heaven and
earth than thou dreamst of in thy philos-
ophy, oh, Horatio," says the melancholy
Dane. A HERALD reporter was reminded
of this utterance of Hamlet by the following
statement made to him yesterday by gen
tleman living in this city.
"Do you believe that the spirits Of the
dead ever revisit earth and make their
presence known to mortals?" inquired the
gentleman of our reporter.
"Most assuredly not" was the answer.
"Well, cannot say that
/ do either" the gentleman
replied, "but will relate to you little oo-
currence that happened at my house a few
nights ago, and you can come to your own
conclusions. ! went to bed little before
II o'clock, having been reading up to that
time, and in few minutes / dropped off
from nv sleep by music being played on
the piano in an adjoining room, door be-
tween being opened. listened, and never
in all my life did | hear Home, Sweet
Home more tenderly, sweetly, pathetically
rendered. None but an ar
lists touch could make such
heavenly melody on a piano. | was
entransed with the delightful strains and
while a thrill of rapture filled all my being,
/ had, too a feeling of awe and seemed i'm
pressed as though | was in some grand and
supernatural presence. The music had
about it mingling of songs from birds, OF
murmuring waters, Of eolian sighings, OF
the rustic Of leaves, and yet 1t was soft and
melting | got up from bed and went into
the room to see who it was playing. There
was lamp alight upon the table, but
turned down low. | turned it up, but
could scarce believe my senses when
| | saw there was no one at the piano, !
went up to the instrument, could see the
KEYS moving and cosld hear its tones in all
the richness of their harmony. felt OF the
piano, walked around and about it, felt and
looked under it but could see and feel
nothing. Invent into the bed rooms ofmy
house and found the members Of my family
asleep. | asked myselfit | was awake OF
dreaming, and to ascertain which, | went
to my well, drew bucket of water, took 9
draught and then bathed my face and head
plentifully with the cool water, and
then returning to the house | could still
hear the piano playing Home, Sweet
Home, and see the keys moving. | stayed
in the room some ten minutes longer the
music being audible all the time, when il
finally died away softly, tenderly, ana, on
so touchingly, like the wall of some grief
torn heart was not frightened, not excited
not startled, but a mighty weight and sense
of awe seemed lifted from my mind and
heart when the music ceased | looked al
the clock and it was exactly six minutes tc
/. returned to my bed, pondered awhile
and then went soundly to sleep again"
Can you tell me, my friend, whether or
not il was spirit plaVing nv piano? /
not spirit can you tell me by what agency
the piano played? II am not.a spiritua!ist
am not credulous, have but scant faith
in the supernatural, yet | would like tc
know the origin of this music at one O'Clock
in the morning in my house, and no one
visible playing the piano."
Our reporter gave it up and leaves it tC
wiser heads to solve whatever there is o
mystery about the matter, giving the tai,
as it was given to him, the gentleman
vouching for the truth of his statement.