The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-04-01
CURIOUS INSTANCES OF MENTAL
PRESCIENCE.

| authenticated, of that peculiar menta
+! prescience which seems to toretell event
yet in the future, or as then happening
| but unknown to be SO to the person VIII"
| is affected by such impressions. AS illus
trations of this popularity of mind and
| its impressions on the nervous system.
the following incidents are related, as
happening in the family of the narrator;
and there are doubtless many of a similar
character, and possibly much more sngu-
lar. to be found, were those who happen
to be cognizant of them to give them
publicity.
,1any years ago there was lady VIII"
had most intense dislike to cats, So
much SO, that We're there one in the room
when she entered, she would be obliged
to leave Immediately, such an effect had
it upon her nervous system. On one oc-
casion she was invited to dine with the
narrator's family in the country, but she
declined, because she knew that there
we're cats on the premises; but on the
promise that the cats should be strictly
| incarcerated, she consented to come, and
the three cats belonging to the house
we're duly shut up. During the dinner
she was seen to be very uncomfortable
and to look very pale, and OIL being asked
the matter, she said that she was sure
| there was cat in the room. Assurances
that this could not possibly be the case.
were of no avail. and on search being
made, cat was found actually sitting
under her chair, She rose Immediately
and left the table, and passing down the
dining room towards the door. she also
p ,ssed across small cupboard door open
| ing i'll the wall, through which the din,
ner was served directly from the kitchen
| AS she passed this, the second cat of the
establishment jumped through it into The
| dining room. A scream of horror burst
from the poor lady, and she was led away
fainting into the drawing room. The time
| of year was such that the window of the
drawlng-room was open, and it was So
| IN tde that it reached nearly down to the
floor, and not much above the lawn out
| side the houss. While the poor lady was
being attended to by aid of scent bottles
md such-like restoratives, the third OF
the cat establishment jumped in at the
| window This was too much to be borne
| by such peculiarly constituted nervous
system. and she begged to leave the
house Immediately.
In 1851, as l was walking down the
centre of the Great Exhibition, careless
| ly looking about me, l was struck with
| sudden thought as to whether shoulG
meet Il clergyman there with whom
| had lived some ten years before, and had
not seen for many years, and so far as
remember, had hardly thought of since
rendering on SO strange turn to my
thoughts. suddenly turned round ant
| retraced my steps, and before had gouo
| thirty yards, met face to face the very
gentleman whom l had but just contem-
plated the possibility of meeting.
Another and a different sort of ments
prescience occurred a few years since.
was dressing one morning, when / sud
denly thought: What became of my
brothers old signet ring that l used to
wear? CThis brother had died some
thirty years before.) began % think
over it, but found had lost all recolec
ton of its face, and it passed from my
mind. About five or six days afterwards
! my niece came to stay with me. She haG
C ,me from my old home. some twenty
miles distant, where had been born. ami
she said she had brought over ring foI
me, as my sisters thought 1t must belong
to me- and that it had been found by ons,
of the gardeners in the mould in the gar
ien. And by inquiry found that it had
oeen picked up on the very morning that
| had thought of it when was dressing.
Here, then, was the long lost ring, and
these various circumstances connecting.
themselves together, and l then remcm-
oercd that had lost the ring in that ser>-
spot in the garden belonging to my obi
ilptiC uCiC ~ HdN bSVh ioulit. shiitt pClH-
/. signet ring, and useful for sealing let
ters with, had bought another to sup
ply its place. On referring to my old az
counts, further found that this newer
signet ring had been purchased nearly
twenty years before, SO that the lost ring
nad beef lying i'll the garden mould some
twenty years before it was recovered i'll
the vicinity of the spot where l had lost
it.
Another prescience of what was occur
ring at "A distant place, occurred also to
me few years since. In early life had
become acquainted with the daughter o
a merchant of good old Scotch family
an acquaintance which ripened into AL
attachment. In course of time greaV
losses We're sustained by the merchant.
aud he was ruined; but this alteration OF
worldly position only drew the bonds o
'ur affection closer together. Many try
IN. circumstances occurred subsequently
the young lady formed undesirable com
partnerships III the musical profession
which she had chosen for a livelihood
winch led a naturally romantic mind fas,
astray from her former sober minded dc
corum and 'adylike propriety; and after
continuous but vain attempts to arrest
her Needless course, until as Il faithful
monitor became perhaps even irksome
to her, all further intercourse and friend
ship were broken off, though not befors
she was led to act towards me with &
cruel ingratitude, caused by that which
was her greatest snare-the love Of al
miration. Nothing more was heart
about her, and quite lost sight of her.
About eighteen years had passed away
and though had now been married for u
considerable period, and was settled III
the country, became impressed with
feeling that | should again hear from my
old and once loved friend of former years.
This impression continued on my mint'
for period of some six months; ana
though no intelligence of the Kind hatf
evsr reached the, was further impressed
(coSTIsuEp FROM FIRST PAaE.l