Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-06-23

on this yeur hfthiAy niSh,
May Yoar ne ~ ever Pro.pswas
Anfi The suh shlnc on yea hngh.
| WIN your Is-ksts never emViY,
MAJ year hssr ~ Ger hsht
MAY H. tyi. Appn MASON.
Written fsr ,hs osfori Drmornt
GHOSTS AND rnlsoS.
This l. a broid subicCt, for while
ghosts may or may not bc things, thing.
are certainly not always ghosts. IL u a
convenient subject, from the fact that u
allows ~ such latitude ~ treatment, for
however Gar th. writer may wander Ia
cannot b. accused ~ forgetting his teNt.
/ n l.a popular subject. for In this year ~
grace a. In all past year,, mankind i
reaching out after the unknown. The
present age !. an emlnently prosalc one,
and nothing l. safe from Investigation
aud analysis. The philosopher spends
weary hours In trying to solve the mys-
tsrics ~ life, death aud the hereafter
the economist burn. the midnight elec-
tric light In an endeayor Ia create from
/ fragment. 20 th. skeleton ~ long buri-
/ 81 civilization the boiy ~ the giant that
| shall dominate future age, and the -
want bocomes prcmAturrly bald la hls
hcfculcan efforts to corner the mighty
haccillu.. .Ioye has taken q contract to
furnish motive power for street ear
company. Mar has becomc a harmless
ih.orist. Pegasus l. In the employ of a
| hrm ~ soap manufacturers. and 'lOthO,
Iachc.l. anil Atrupo. have jolnci the
/ Nationallsts. And -o, on" by one, our
idols arr being smashed by the modern
rhlli.ilnes; though We may mo-, sub
.cribe to every article Ia their creed, let
"a joln the majority u for nothing morr
than Ia b. w at death ~ the victim.
10 avoid any misunderstanding, wish
Ia say nov that am arm believer la
ghosts. etc.. and that whatever facts arr
submitted IN support 20 my belief are
true In every particular. will also say
that any society for th. Investigation of
psychological phenomena u welcome
Ia the FREE u.c ~ any statement made,
of to appropriate a. their own any
know lcslgr that may have b"cn ghincd
through nay rcsearvhc..
one IL my earliest boyhOOd rccollcc-
ti0ns l. ~ a ncighbor Who h'mly brliev-
ed IN ghosts. witches, omens, tablc-tip-
ping, aud Kindred phenomena. There
was nothing sho.tly about the appear
ancc II this nelghbor, for .hc was =
woman whose weight could not bc esii-
mattel by q fair Judge at less than thr-c
hundred pounds. but II thcrr was any
thing shc llkcd better than cup of
strong tea Il va. Ia 10 In the dlmly-llght-
81 chimncy-corner and relate her rN-
pericnc... And Il was evident that she
believed her own stories. Her husband
Nasa weakling, physically, aud worse
than that, hc vas doubter, not Ia say
.coif.f, rrgtrling th. subject nearest and
dearest thu heart ~ hi buNom better
.sNen-clghth.. To the day ~ hls death
/ hc could not De hrOught tO believe that
the dolngs II hi wife wer. not the
prompiings ~ .hrrwi.h nature, rather
than the work ~ any supernatural pow
ef. Not even when, on three separate
occasions. on arising In the morning, b.
found that sometime during the night
hl. boat. hid been hung on the crane In
the old.fi.hloncd fir-place, where they
had dricd aud burned to crisp, would
h. b. convinced. Many night have ]
gon. shlyering Ia bed, after having li.-
tened all the evening to the blood-curd-
ling stories 81 this woman.
Nv hrst personal experience with a
bona die ghost wa. at a comparatively
early age, aud although ! have become
| aulie familiar with them since, no famll-
hIity eau ciiicr the impression left on
my memory by this encounter. ~ the
mind Of the soldier amid the roar and
iuinult Of battle takes COgnitance of the
mo.t minute detail, aud treasure. "
among the thing. never Ia be forgotten.
.o va. Impressed. II was In this Wise /;
I rctlrr,i at a late hour one night. hut
had not been long la bed when, seeming
IN after the manner of that peculiar mes
mcric faculty which makes u aware of
the proximity ~ person before our
duller intellectual sense. awake Ia the
fact, became conscious of another pres
enc. In th. room. tric,i to arouse my
.rlf. aud did .o sufficiently Ia .ee hover
| Ing over the foot of NV bcd an object
which, In spite of my terror, ! lmme,il-
atsly set down "a surc-enough ghost. ]
could feel the hair rising on my head,
and although had not az that early age
| learned that discretion was considered
the better part of yalor, lntultiyely took
| in th. whole situation aud crawlcd under
tn. bed-clOthes to await developments.
I dld not have to walt long, for ! soon
became aware that my visitor was bc-
ginning a sort of massage treatment on
my body In the region of the stomach.
Til. treatment at first secmoi to bc n
gentle, agreeable manipulation, aud vas
rather inclined Ia .oothe than tcrrify,
but II soon became steady. sufiOcating
pressure. and ! screamed In agony, threw
offthe clothing, and-awoke. The moon
light was streaming into the room
through an uncurtalned window; the
bed-clo,hing was tumslei and twisted ;
there was not the falnicst odor of sui
phur, aud I was alone. \. ] recovered
somewhat from my fright. ! became
aware that I was suffering from a severe
paIn In my stomach. Like q fash II
came to me that mlnce-ple was what had
caused all the trouble, for ] had, With
that reckless abandon 30 common In the
growing youngster, eaten heartily of thi'
dainty Just before going tn bel. 10 In
all the year. that have passed since then,
have regarded many of our customary
New England dishes, u taken In proper
quantities just before retiring, as being
the most reliable mediums for one who
il DESTROYS Of pursuing the study o'
gho.tology.
On the main road between the towns
Of IL and b In this good old
State Of Maine, l. a dwelling that has
not been occupied, for any length oi
time. for several years. The house u q
comfortable one, the farm Il ordinary,
aud the location Il desirable. The rea'
son for this desertion ri q moderately
valuable piece of property Ia that IL is'
or was, supposed "a De haunted. The
last family that lived there was driven
away by strange noises and the unac.
countable antics Of certain articles oi
furniture that are not generally supposed
Ia be endowed with life and the power
Of independent motion. These noises
continued long after the family had Va
Gated, and at different times several per
sons had endeayored to solve the mystery
BY staying In the house all night. They
were usually frightened away before
morning, without having obtained any
clue 20 solution. AT last q party ol
ak choice spirits was organized to spend
night In the house. They were srmes
10 the teeth, and determined To lay ths
unquiet ghost or die In the attempt. OI
arriving at the house . hasty cxamina
ton Was made, but nothing Of . sus