The Cecil Whig., 1881-12-03

/ The carefully guarded privacy o
modern life, too conceal enormous ex
I penditures. We make very much o
CrassuS' bribeS. but Lord Harcwou,
/ spent cl20. 900 in one Yorkshire election
. e10.0Go have been given for great
/ borough: and the House Of Commons
/ cXpendS two millions every time it is dis.
/ solved. We read aghast of Nero : horse.
Shod with gold. and of Spanish Niceroy
driving INTO Lima with eight mules all
shod with silver: but tirst-cllSS racing
stable in this country costs $50 OG0 a
year. Il liberal" stable for a great
country house has been known to cost
-, 0oO annually: the late Lord Mayor ;,
wine bill as icerUy OF India exceeded
that sum and any man familiar with
CsweS will point ont steam yachts which
for every month they are atlnat cost
el,5no. There are nnnv men in England
who spend Goo coo year practically
upon themselves and their families. and
ii We were t" inrluIc purchases. as the
writer in Tie t,uarterly does. among
prndigalitcS W. suspect the ancient
world would be nutdone
EXPERIENCE OF a SPIRITUALIST
\ correspondent of the 81. .Ltm,rS EG-
=ctt', who signs himself " \ Believer in
spirits, explains the theory of ghosts
i'll the following clear and explicit man
ner: " \ few evenings ago | was sitting
in an arm chair shortly before midnight.
when | saw two ghosts-not smultane-
ously, but one after the other should
state that during the day | had drunk
nothing but bottle Of Bass pale ale at
luncheon. two glasses of brandy and soda
water in the course Of the afternoon, one
bottle of burgundy and Il half bottle Of
sherry at dinner. and was finishing up
with Il glass or two of whisky and water
before retiring to rest. WAS finishing
my third glass when became conscious
of a presence in the room Lifting my
eyes from the tumbler distinctly saw
my deceased father standing before me.
His appearance exactly resemblcd that
which he bore in life. and. FORGETTING for
the moment that he was no longer in ex-
i>tence. expressed my pleasure at see
ing him, and ventured 80 ask him for
some Slight pecrniary assistance. Al
most before bad time to finish nv re-
quest. the phantom. or whatever it was.
hastily vanished; and another uncxpcct-
ed visitor appeared in the shape of one
of my annts, WHO died many years ago
under rather melancholy circumstances
having lost her life from the effects of
injuries she received during a short scuf-
lie for 4 seat in the chapel with another
Old lady belonging, like herself, to a sect
known, if | remember right. as the Var
mouth BloaterS, or some such name (my
memory is not so good as it was former
iy.) However. there was my aunt. look
ing sad and stern As old; and so perfect
was the illusion that almost inStinctveiy
asked her. IS had asked my father fer
a loan of Il few pounds. To my surprise.
she too made ii hurried departure. glid-
ing, SO far as | could make out. from the
north to the sou sou west corner of the
room, and disappearing through the wall
Overcome 10y this second visitation aI-
pear to have become insensiblc. for re
member nothing more: but my cook told
me on the following morning that She
heard the noise rs "i a heavy body fail
in@. about the time the Ghosts appeared
\ chair was also found broken in the
room, and Some tlIiiiny articles Of crock
n,.y wrrn S,.l, Sh,,l -