The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-09
A STRANGE EXPERIENCE.

Mote by Henry Keene-Adams, Esq, NJ. b.,
M X. s.: The manuscript of, which the iol-
towing pages are faithful transcript, was
found by me under circumstances which Will
become apparent duitng the progress Oh inc
narrative. l found the record an interesting
one; but then 1 looked at it chiefly from a pro
fessional point of view. The reader may De
all the more likely to agree with me II re-
fTain from further preface. The statementh has
no formal heading.l
My physician has requested me to put
IN writing a short and simple account OF
my experience. This he has desired me
to do, partly to satisfy his own curiosity,
which, like that of good many other
people, was considerably exercised on
the subject, and partly to find some occu-
patton for me. have no objection 20 do
what he asks. / shall neither add any
theories or opinions Of my own. nor con-
ceal any part of what actually occurred. Ii
I devote q few lines to describing my
manner of life, it is only that the strange
facts which / have to set down may be
more readily understood.
wish to say at the outset that am
not, and never have been spiritualist,
nor a believer in mesmerism, animal
magnetism, odic force, or anything of
that sort. My experience has no relation
TO decisions of that kind. Nor am l in
any way superstitious. Some of the phe-
nomena which have come under my no
tice would probably have excited in most
people superstitious terrors. 1t was not
so with me. l remained throughout COM
pletely master of myself, for the simple
reason that l knew perfectly well that
these phenomena were due to natural
causes, and were capable of explanation
according to undiscovered but simple
natural laws.
/ admit, however, that L have all my
life been something Of recluse. Left an
orphan at very early age, was brought
up by an uncle; or, rather, he permitted
me TO occupy one or two rooms IN the
great dreary house in which he lived. AS
soon as l LETT the nursery, my education
was intrItsted to the curate OF the parish,
an excellent man, a scholar, and gentle
man, but one who was emphatlcally not
man of tho world, and, therefore, per-
haps, not the best person to be the sole
companion of a shy and sensitive creature
like myself | have since thought that it
would have been better had / been sent TO
school. However, l lived at Garston Hall
until | was Internationally years of age;
and then, some tireSome legal formalltleS
Including sundry interviews with high
functionaries) having been concluded, my
uncle put me In possession OF my house
at st. Adams Ito which L intend return
ing as soon as this manuscript is fin
ished); handed me a bundle of bonds,
vouchers, and the like, together with
bankers pass-book and a check-book; re-
quested me to sign my name at the foot Of
deed called a release; shook hands with
me, and wished me good-day, exactly as
If / had been a visitor who had come
down to the Hall on business and had
stayed over night.
My pride, more than my affections. was
hurt at this cool conduct; but l said
nothing, and betook myself at once TO
my new home.
st. Adams, as everybody knows, is
watering-place on the coast of the East
Riding of Yorkshire, which is beginning
TO be fashionable. My house, absurdly
called The Dingle lay mile and half to
the north of the town, not far from the
seashore. 1t was small, old, and gloomy,
being closely surrounded by trees. |
soon got used to 1t, however, and | re-
fused to listen TO those who said that 1
ought to have the woods thinned, so as to
admit more light and air to my dwelling.
The somber appearance of the place
suited my ldiosyncrasy, and accorded
with my habit Of mind, which always
had tendency TO melancholy. | loved
too, to wander under the dark shade of
the trees on summer noon, or, better
still, TO sit by my parlor fire and hear
them moaning and shrieking like Gre
atures in pain, through a long winters
evening.
AT The Dingle my sole companion was
an old woman, who acted as housekeeper
and factotum. A gardener came now
and then. The stables were shut up and
deserted. My time was occupied in read
ing, chiefly books on psychology and
physiology, and in the dangerous but de-
ightful amusement of day-dream or rev.
erie. Many a time have l spent hours in
my little study, or in summer sitting on
bench in my old-fashioned garden, in a
state of mi-unconsciousness, while my
fancy led me by the hand and took me
beyond the rocky barrier which separates
this dull world of ours from ''faery land
torlorn."
Among a number of miscellaneous vol
umes had sent to Inc, lighted upon a
copy of book, famous, | believe, in it's
day, though now but little esteemed
"Abercromby on the Intellectual Pow
ers." The good old doctor there discusses
some cases of the curious nervous disease
which produces spectral illusions. In
one case, | remember, the patient was
haunted by the apparition of little old
woman in red cloak; in another the
Imaginary ghost took the form of dog
which so closely resembled real animal
that the gentleman to whom it belonged
was sometimes obliged to touch it with
his stick in order to satisfy himself that
it was not living and breathing animal
About this time / also came upon Gu
rlous tale OF a portrait painter who pos
sessed the faculty of imagination in so
strong degree that he did not need TO
trouble his Sitters to remain in his studio
more than half an hour. After gazing at
the face and form of his visitor for that
length of time, putting line or two on
The canvas as he did SO, he could conjure
up the PERSONS appearance at viii and
complete the portrait at his ease, work
ing from the imaginary form which his
memory supplied.
/ well remember the time when it first
occurred TO me TO try whether such a
power could not be cultivated 1t was
the night after Sultry August day. The
moonlight streamed on the tangled
shrubs and grass-grown walks of the
garden, as l sat there enjoying the cool
night air. / was in a curiously excited.
restless state of mind. / had been paw
ing a necessary visit that day to the
neighboring town of ST. Aiden's-a thing
/ always hated doing, especially in the
summer, when the streets We're swarm
ing with visitors. l hurried through
these crowds of well-dreSsed, self-suffi-
Gent, foolish, staring people, and did not
think myself safe from them till / had
reached the stile leading to my own fields
generally felt restless and i'll at ease af-
ter one OF these visits to the town: but on
that evening of which l speak had sne-
clal cause for excitement.
Among other places, had called at a
booksellers, and on leaving the shop I
met face TO face in the doorway a pirl-a