The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-14
A GHOST IN THE FLESH.
Lured Nearly to Death BY a Tall
Grey Figure with a Wan,
Whit Hand.


Grey Figure with a Wan'
White Hand.
1t was a wild night, the snow blowing
In great, shapeless drifts about the house,
the wind roaring down the chimney and
rafting among the ice coated branches
Of the great elms outside with a sharp,
continuous sound like the noise of
musketry. Within, the fire had burned
low, and the long, white curtains at the
windows, looking strangely weird and
unfamiliar in the dim light, shivered and
trembled as If, in some occult way, they
were in silent sympathy with the spirit
of the storm.
De Wolf, who had been unmoved by
the tremendous uproar of the elements,
went on with his story.
sit was on a night not unlike this"
he said, "when l left Boston to stay a
few days with Earle Russell at Gilsum.
You remember him at Yale-a very
good fellow, but with a penchant for
missions. He had married and settled
down as pastor of a little country church.
The wonder is that he did not go to
Nova Zembla or Central Africa, but per-
haps his wife saved him from that.
However. ne had found a mission at
Gllsum, n as his wife had gone on to
New York to spend a week with her
sister, Russell invited me to keep bach
elor's hall with him during her absence.
Well, we were having a coy time of it
together, when, M night, just as we
a settled ourselves In front of the
library fire, with our cigars and news
papers, a boy drove up to the door in an
old, Imprinted sleigh, and announced
that mi OF Russelfs parishioners, an
old man who lived in an outlying dis
trict, was dying, and wanted to see the
minister. Of course, Russell prepared
to obey the summons at once, and he
did not return till midnight. When he
came IN, his hands were stiff with the
cold n his ears We're half frozen, but
there was a glow on his face, as he
threw OIL his overcoat and came forward
to the fire, which was something more
than simple satisfaction at being safely
housed again. l actually believe he did
not know whether his hands were cold
or not.
"'Well,' he exclaimed, with a bright
smile, L have seen n more happy soul
start on its long Journey. You've no
idea, DE Wolff he went on, how ittakes
away the fear OF death, IL you ever had
1t, to see a good man die. 1t is such a
simple thing, after all, and 1t IS wonder
ful how simply these people look at such
matters. When l entered the house the
old man was lying with his eyes closed,
but he o. up and smiled as l took his
hand l n mine.
You are ready and willing to go,
are you, deaconY" l asked, as his eyes met
mine.
1.-THE old man half raised himself on
his elbow and replied in a low whisper:
""Wal, to tell the raal truth, elder,
I'd rather stay where I'm better ac-
qualnted. You see, I've gotused tothings
here, an / don't know as l care about
making any change. But the Lord knows
best, and I'm willingness. I'm willing
When the end came his old face bright.
ened into a beautiful smile
"Two days after went with my friend
to attend the old mans funeral. About
six miles out, we drove up to a lonely
farm house and alighted. The short, i'm
pressive service was soon over, but it was
already growing dark when we turned
our horses head homeward.
1t had beer showing In light, htful
gusts all The afternoon, but when the sun
went down the wind rose, and we found
ourselves obliged to face a beating, driv-
ing storm. The soft, ~treacherous snow
flakes a changed to sleet, that was
hurled at US as If with some fendish In
tent. 1t was impossible to keep u eyes
open, and Russell, holding the reins in
his hand from force OF habit, trusted to
Providence and the horse and hid his
face In his coat collar. In spite OF the
storm, however, we should probably
have reached home safely if, at a turn in
the road, we had not encountered party
coming In the opposite direction. The
two horses, coming thus unexpectedly
upon each other, became frightened and
quite unmanageable. What happened
to the occupants OF the other sleigh l
never a n grace 10 inquire, but Rus
sell and l We're both thrown out, n be-
lore we coulu regain our IeeU u morse
a disappeared. fortunately or !
tunately, as IL may appear, n accident