The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-01-10

was it taken at spiritualist seance
that YOU had to use the instantaneous
process for t?'
Barry looked particularly pleased.
''Well," he said, you're rather
happy in your guess, 1t was something
very like it; but that is an enlarged
photo. The original is on the next
page"
l turned the page
''By Jovew again, this time with
much greater surprise.
This was a smaller picture-rather
| larger than what they call, think, cab
met size. 1t was the picture of grave.
\ The head and only stone was a large
cross, not high, but thick and broad,
very roughly hewn, and resting upon
ponderous pedestal, also of stone, but
nearly covered with creepers. Right
across the cross, and hiding the inscrip-
ton from a casual glance, chung wild
rose, which also covered the mound of
| the grave itself. Close behind it, form
| ING a background of darkness, grew a
| view tree, whose dense foliage seemed
| to fall round the cross like a curtain,
| and throw it into holder relief. But
what caught the eye first was none of
| these things-though | have mentioned
them first-but face that looked atyou
| from over one of the arms of the cross.
The face | have lust ATTEMPTED to de-
series The body must have been hid
| den by the cross and creepers. The face
alone was visible, and in the deep shade
thrown by the tree the effect was start
ling and ghostly in the extreme.
why | said, ''what grisly sort of
place for Il lady to choose for sittingm
or was it really spirit, for which your
| instantaneous process was a bit too
| quick?n
There's nothing 'grisly' in woman's
grave, ''replied Barry, a little stifily,
''but," he added, more in his usual
tone, "that was an accidental portrait
at least, | suppose most people would
| call it so-though | am inclined to be-
| lieye in special providences."
''Ah, yes1' | said, lust so-a sort of
| sweet little cherub to keep watch over
poor amateur photographers and bring
beautiful young ladies into the focus of
| their cameras!"
No! but seriously, I think the story
of that picture would interest you, and
| intended telling it to you in any case.
| Shall | have time before" Cooking at
the little clock on the mantelshelf.)
80, yes! plenty, l think"
81 am all attention, l said; 'Fbut one
| question first. Is there anything super
natural about it? Is this face that of
denizen of churchyards or of drawing
rooms?"
wait and hear" he said, and keep
ing the picture on my knee 1 settled
down in my chair and my friend began:
''AbOut two years ago | was taking
an intense interest in Saxon churches,
about which my friend Norton (you
know him) was intending to bring out
book-an edition de Iure, with pho
| tOgraphic illustrations. ! had nothing
particular to do, and he gave me list
| of churches he wanted taken in the
Midlands, and so | devoted one June to
| the pleasant task
81 had been pretty busy knocking
about in Worcestershire for fortnight
when l saw that the next Job on my list
was porch and two windows of the
church of Bringley, quite a small town
| in the next county. Consulting the
train arrangements [ found l should
have to spend at least five hours at the
place, though my work there would not
| take much more than half an hour, and
my next hating place was sixty miles
OFF. However, thought it would not
do to miss it, as the name was marked
on my list with a star, which meant i'm
portant, and the next morning packed
my traps and left by the first train. 1t
| did not take me long to finish the porch
and windows, the only piece of Saxon
| work that had escaped the destructive
hands of time and the Restoration So
ciety." Then | had nothing to do for
| three or four hours; so | cast about for
any picturesque graves that might be
worth amusing ones self with. The
graves in Bringley are singularly unin-
teresting, and | was inst about shaking
| the dust off my feet when, right in the
corner of the churchyard, and quite by
| itself, | saw the cross land beautiful ce-
dar that make up that picture. walked
| over and arranged my camera, put on
one of the dry plates, and finished the
| whole business in three minutes"
But what about the young lady-or
young spirit?" struck in. Didn't it
take more than three minutes to az
range that piece of grouping?"
"Well wait minute" was the ans
wer given, rather impatiently.
The whole story centers round that
same young spirit The mystery had
only just begun. When l took the
photo l saw no face near the grave and
heard no sound, and believed most
firmly that | was the only human being
| (above ground) in the place. Suisse
quent investigations strengthened this
idea up to the point of certainty, as you
VIII wi 4hfestf-Gf c0tffse yotdf ttfow ttfr,r1
the new process is much simpler and
less troublesome than the old. The i'm
preston is taken literally instantly, and
then there is no more bother until you
develop the plate, which may be days
afterward, or even weeks if You like |
am extremely sorry to have to bother
You with all these technical details, but
in this case they are necessary"
"Oh! don't mention it," said, 81
always did love amateur photography"
Eyes, / know >" he went on. "All
the plates l was doing for Norman's
book | developed as soon as possible,
but those l took form own amusement
| / l,t biJ, ,r,t;1 b,1 t;,,,., -, ,,,,-