The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-08-25
A GHOSTLY NIGHT.
Washington Critic.

WASnlngtOn Critlc.
 The clock struck eleven. It was a wild night in February and the cold was bitter. Sleet and wind ragged, tearing their way unrestrained through the wide, deserted streets, rattling window -panes, slammipg shutters and doors, shrieking, whis- ting and moaning in the chimneys and through the bare trees. But the mad anger of the storm king made the little library, with its piano and or gan, with its books and pictures, it's bright lamp and glowing fire, only cosier and warmer, and tempted me, after my wife had retired, to spend another hour over book. I lighted a cigar, took one of Clark RusselPs sea stories from the shelf, and settled my self comfortably upon the lounge. I had read for about fifteen minutes, when, without any explainable cause, a curious consciousness stole over me that was no longer alone. Whence comes this premonition of bodily presence before sight or hearing has announced such presence? Is it not that the spirit sees before the mind formulates? Or does thought speak to thought before the sluggish nerves of flesh can be aroused into action? I laid my book upon little round table that stood close to the lounge, and went into the adjoining room, in which the gas was still burning, but found no one. Smiling at my nervousness, retraced my steps. Opposite the lounge upon which I had been reclin- ing, on the other side of the table, stood a rocking chair, little wicker affair, ornamented with blue ribbons, a favorite with my wife. That chair was rockingl For 8 moment the thought of an earthquake sent the blood rushing to my brain. The re- cent shocks At Charleston and in Italy may have made my mind susceptive to this thought, but as I glanced at the chandelier, at the pictures and cur tains, noting that they remained quiet, I realized that it was no seismic dis turbance which had set that chair in motion. Puzzled, I advanced and laid my hand upon one of the arms to steady it. The chair was occupied. Close your eyes, reader, touch an empty rocking chair, repeat the ex- pertinent with the same chair after some one has seated himself in 1t, and you will understand why I knew that the chair was occupied. stood mo- tionless. I could see absolutely noth- ing, and yet I felt that it was occupied and saw that it was rocking. am very matter of fact man. Supersti- ton has never gained the slightest foothold in my mental frame. have always laughed at Spiritualism, and have often declared that if . miracle happened before my very eyes, I still should deny the miracle, believing that that which seems miraculous has always a perfectly reasonable and nat ural origin, could we but trace 1t. Yet confess that, notwithstanding my former skepticism, did not feel quite at ease with that swaying chair before me, knowing that it was occu- pied, and yet seeing nothing. had laid my open book page downward. Suddenly the book lifted itself from the little table, lowered a moment in front of the chair as if taken up by the hand, and held before the face of a reader, heard the short, saarp sound as of leaf being torn quickly, and then the book closed itself, or was closed, and resumed it's former place. s'This is all nonsense" I said to my self, s'I am ly ing upon the lounge, have fallen to sleep, and am dreaming all this. must wake up and go to bed" But 1t would not do. I still held my cigar now placed 1t between my lips, and not only saw and tasted, but smelled it's smoke. Does any one ever exercise the senee of smell in . dream without an actual existent cause7 Reso- lutely, or perhaps, desperately, now reached forth to grasp whatever might be in that chair. A cool hand-nay, skepticai reader, it was not 6 very cold one!-a cool. soft, living hand seized my right one, another my left, and there I stood, . little to one side, yet almost in front of the chair, held by two small, apparently daintily formed but wholly invisible hands- I felt myself growing pale, lips and throat became parched, my heart beat fhri- ousiy, and yet I knew 1t wss not fear that thus took posseasion of me.