New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-22

turbed the philosopher at his notes ana ne looRed
at me in q remonstrant way, as who should say,
| really do think, you know, that you let them
But what was to dop At first could only
of the clock ticking joyously on through all the
noise struck me Oddly ceased my groanas to
| mind: the coincidence existed not with the serV,
ants. but with the clock. leaped out OF pea, l
| rushed through those ghosts as II they nae peen
| eir-very chilly air they seemed TO be. too 1
| I put my finger on the swinging pendulum mere
was q low wall of deep dismay, then-oh Joy on
happiness OH relief the ghosts hosts s Were ee sisc
ton. and felt the solitude like Paradlse' b ood
my troubles not all over The Silence las'e ga
| if some one in the corner of the room was irving
| to speak to me- The voice was faint ana uncer-
tain it tembled and nearly eboed awaythen tcek
I-er-rcally can't consent to this IT. or is not
| fair. not IN the contract. You-er-have a per-
feet right not to wind wind i, It up but 10 STOP
| | looked in the corner of the room and saw that
the old philosopher had almost gone put I n1t
| quite: or 10 sneak more correctly. he had partly
| come back again. His form WIS as indstinct as
| his voice il wavcred like candle in breeze
| limbs might not. part company. like clouds before
a tempest "ff -er-would lust let it go
again while talk TO YOU he pleaded " the otn,
all abont it, lie nearly went out then and
there, and only bv violent effort braced himself
up into comparative soldity lie was coura-
I stood hcsitating. with nv fngcr on the clock
wise man would have let well alone but was
not wise wanted TO know " all apout ~
wanted to hear the secret of the CLOCK ana OF 'he
ghosts
"You arc sure they won't come back? p asked
DETERMINATIONS of gentleman Just
rive mo n foyy ticks: so hard to sneak without
Ah-er-thank YOU. in clear voice OF great
relief as 7 set the clock ticking
Then the old gentleman began to gesticuate.
and to talk VIOLENTLY not to me. but to the other
Ghosts Apparently they were gradually con-
WINGED by his eloouence the details OF wf,c n
could not ute catch. for it became less ana 'ess
vehement: and Mt last the philosopher turned 70
mo fhe was looking perfectly Sondl' ana s".n
With smile is all right r.; nv tG hands sVe Isf awavs
had great influence with them. Your nncle oioen .
consulted me on difficult affairs Now we can SIT
down and talk comfortably together
" BEFORE 7 90 any further in nv commnnica-
ton. tho phantom went on with glance at me
clock, which was comfortably ticking IN iro OH n
ms. at must make ono bargain with Won rca,,V |
y very moderate one. have n great deal of vaIu |
able information TO give you. and Won cannot eH |
pect 70 have IT. even from ghost, l9r with
brnvitv in strong contrast to his courteous cir
cumlocGGion.
They are very si%ple very simple crt indef and
keeping his ghostly eye on me; !" llst thaI you
should undertake TO wind this clock up once
year Merely that
ing he equal TO an invitation TO the-er-to your |
agreeable friends 70 come back and make as mucn
hubhub as they like
For eight days only eight DAYS. or nights,
as I should more accurately say What are those
in a whole year, | must have something IN re-
roT terms Tie pressed his unsubstantial lips
firmly togcthcr To he brief. consented. IL was
again a foolish thing 70 do. but was never Very very
wise ard nv curiosity aroused. wanted
TO know about tn curious people VINO lVeu
somewhere on my premises. i can boaSt OF ~
ancient descent as most people e ana Tar Us earliest
but The point is now disputcd brought good dcal
Of trouble into family by too curious a desire
TO know the flavor of an apple. She was u very
distinguished woman. and am not going 70 pinsn
for the family failing which owed its lntrodusIon
to her consented then The ghps d S Ss noH Ss
in my easv-chalr. crossed ms legs anu pes"n MS
story with great afability.
"Your uncle was very admirable man, ana !
should not wish TO say 2 word aqanS, MN s ,a
mowers has RIGHT to exercise the m at the expense
Of weaker creatures. That IS. belieXc an
aviom Of vour most advanced thinkers. Having
then such powers. he locked about for subject |
to give them full scope, and he found-is wv
were. each in our different spheres PURSUING ou5
Amounted tasks with great credit 70 ourselves "nu
satisfaction tn the community. Men respected Us
women feared us: we had power. sir, and lnflu-
once There was not Of us who ha9 NOV 60
cured a comfortable situation. and was not doing |
his hest TO fulfil his duty in Il. we were ac'iye
then. and useful We kept alive the ls'st IN Ii1
memory of the vulgar. who do not read ana VIII |
not tn nix: we threw out hints OF the supernatu'l'
we awakened the emotions Of awe w9ndrr co DIN
passion. Are not these feelings SIR which !, WIS
the ambition Of your mighty poets in the past 10 |
in ms bv their traredicsP You can all of you
reverence Eschvlus; hut who is grateful V 70 a |
Ghost ? However, complaints arc useless iour |
uncle brought from our varous ayocauons.
and shut ms IN together in museum IKE SET |
of mummos. What could we 90 thSrf n' brton r,.e
are? The dignity Of orr profession was gone. |
We could not act without pnhlc we necans
mere puppcts, and might as well have been worked
by strings :,
At tbis iunctnrc 7 INTERRUPTED him. Would |
Won m nd telling me the locality Of that museum?
I asked
"Not in the least he answered courteOusv; |
unadvisahlc. Your uncle had 1t built on purpose |
for us. II is an immcrsc underground vault; m a |
entrance was walled mp and soil thrown over the ]
whole as before. There is no way in or out q
except for ghosts. Your uncle did his best to
make il comfortable for MS. II is well furnished |
with secret passages. old pictures, oak chests |
bones cuphoardS. curtains and other articles Tor |
which he thought we lad a fancy. It is in fact, |
n playground for us. but wanted to work. |
Your uncle never could understand that: this was |
strange, because he understood 1t well enough Tor |
that at times we broke ont, in spite OF our respect
for him. and our dread of his punishments. which |
were very ingenious, very ingenious indeed added |
the phantom muSnely, as If ne rrmembered one |
or two of which few met would have thought Of. |
l wished that I could think of them
AT last things got so bad between us that ] !
was appointed ambassador ] said to your uncle, |
Now look here, let MS talk it over as man to man
Ghosts have not many rights. hut thew have a |
few, and really, you know You should not trampe |
them under foot Our feelings may seem super |
fetal hut they exist, yOu ought TO remember that |
in dealing with us Your uncle listened 10 me |
quite kindly. and put the matter before him still |
further We don't want much: very little |
satisfies Some ghosts are content TO appear )
only once in hundred years or So hut never /
heard of a ghost who had not his appointed day |
out at some time or other, 1t is not reasonable, |
it is not fair to deprive him of it. We go OF
practising. our parts down there. and we must |
have some chance, Just the ghost Of chance, as |
7 NAV say to appear in them before the public |
There must be possibility Of it TO keep our minds
easy. You ought 70 allow us that Very WELL
said your uncle. I'll drive bargain with you. |
Will YOU undertake that II shall he kent by all |
the others as well as yourscf% | answered that |
I was appointed to speak for the rest Then |
said your uncle, L offer you this You are free |