Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1881-07-19

seeing his old friend, the reporter, grasp
cd his hand and patted him on the check
but after q vain effort to speak at the
opening Of the curtain disappeared. A
description of the ghostly visitants ofthe
other members of the circle might be mo-
notonOus. They were all white-robed
women, some young, some middle-aged.
They nodded, waved their arms, claspcd
their honds as if in prayer, and extend
ed them as in a bcnediction. The colo
mel knelt ut the feet of an apparitiOn
whom he called Katie, and she put her
hands on his head and when he arose
kissed his forehead. The NcwEngland
man was greatly moved by one Of his
ghostly friends. He, too, knelt. After
ward he followed her to the curtain and
holding it a little aside whispered for
little while to the form within. Nearly
every one Of the appartions was careful
in coming out or returning to hold the
curtains so rs to show the recumbent
form of the medium on the lounge. The
reporter, though greatly Interested in
the whole performance, was naturally
most closely observant of the forms
which claimed his acquaintance. One
of them, and perhaps the most distinct
and beautiful of all the apparitions, was
q girl with light brown hair and sngu-
larly sweet and dignilied face. The skirt
Of her white dress was onamented with
golden bars and disks. In her hand
she held lace veil, apparently Ao long
er than pocket-handkerchief. She
stood before the curtain and began to
manipulate the veil. "See, she is weav-
ing lace" exclaimed the lady Of the
house. The veil grew l)nger and longer
and longer and longer until it was about
five feet square. A silver band Orna-
mented the border. The girl came for
ward into the room and beckoncd the re-
porter to advance and knecl before her.
lie dropped on one knee, looked long
aud steadily at her face but could not
recognize it. She put both hands upon
his head. "Who are your" he asked,
but got no reply. "llaye | ever seen
you befOre?" A shake Of the head gave
u negative answer, TakNg the veil from
her arm the apparltion threw 1t over
the Qucstioncr's head so that it entirely
enveloped him. Then she Clasped her
hands as ifin prayer, and again placed
them on his head. She removed the veil
and he rose and took her hand-a small,
soft white hand. Her bare arms were
very white and beautifully formed. Her
face, although the features were definite
did not have n life-lkc expression, and
the large eyes were too nearly closed for
their color to be distinguished. Her
garments were OF wonderfully fine tex
turc and gave out an exquisite perfume.
A.. 81, ,uttt ~, Ma "a iut Ia IA
cr followed her begging her to tell her
name. She stood for about n minute
holding the curtain one side and partly
concealed by it and allowing one hand
to rest in his grasp. Then she Whisper
ed "Your guardian and after an allec-
tionate salutation withdrew her hand |
and vanished.
The last figure that appeared, also that |
Of young woman, did not come outside
the curtain. Some one said, "Thc pow
Cr Is almost exhausted" The circle |
waited ten minutes, but nothing moro |
came. a moaning sound summoned the |
lady to the assistance of The medium,
who was found under her wrappings on
the lounge. 1t was perhaps quarter of
an hour before she fully came out Of her
trance. Meanwhile the visitors went in
to the duing-room and talked over the
phenomena TO satisfy themselves that
they had all witnessed the same things, |
so that no one might think he had been |
the victim of u delusion not shared by |
the others. Two of the visitors return |
ed TO the city. The other remained over
night. AS he sat in his room lulled by
the tapping of the waves against the seat
wall that bordered the lawn, and the
signing Of the night wind IN the trees,
the whole experience seemed Ike Il
strange and beautiful phantasmagOrla of
perlumod robes, white arms, waving
wells and graceful gliding forms. Re-
calling, by an effort, all the details OF
the strange performance, he said to him
sclf:lhis can be accounted for In one Of
three ways only: grst, IL may have been
gross deCoption--a masquerade Of llv-
ing people dressed up TO torepresont ghosts.
This explanation Is hardly tenable,
though. The character and respectable.
ity of the family are against II. Then,
where could they employ nine persons
TO represent spirits, and how did they |
all get into the darkencd roomY Besides |
there was something unsubstanlial about |
all the forms. They did not look like so
many living people deckod out in gowns |
and white wells. A second explanation |
is that the spectators were IN some way |
mesmerized and thought they saw what |
they did not see. The history Of mes
mcrism, dcusions, uncodsCous Corobra-
tlon, trance and similar phenomena, does
not, however, furnish any example of
three healthy, robust men sitting for Two
hours in the apparent full possession Of
their senses and fancyhg they sec and
speak with series Of ghostly forms,
whereas In fact the sec nothing. The |
third explanation Is that the forms were |
what they proicssod to he, the appali- |
tlon Of mon aud women whose spirits |
have left the earth. Having settled |
down on these three alternative PROPOSE
lions, the reporter went to bed aud slept |
soundly tlll the breakfast bcllawokc him
next morning.
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