The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-25

take place. However, he closed the evening
very pleasantly, heard us say our Now l
lay me-" etc.. and bade us good night.
On Sunday morning we were all up
bright and early. After breakfast my little
brother so teased uncle for another story
that he took him up into his study and,
while holding him in his lap. commenced
his narrative. was present and also alb.
sOrbed in the story when it suddenly ceased.
and looking up at uncle to discover the
cause, l noticed his face flush and then
grow rapidly white while his arms seemed
to fall helplessly by his side. went to him
and spoke. He merely opened his eyes,
and rushed from the room and notified the
hOusekeeper and gardener. A clergyman
was called in. In half hour uncle was
dead. The shock was terrible one, not
only to us who did not fully realize its i'm
port, but to the community. Mother was
away. and in those days no telegram could
be sent on Sunday and no trains ran on that
day.
Now comes the mystery-of which all the
foregoing is merely prelude.
Friends innumerable fastened with will
ing hands to render any assistance in their
power. The body was embalmed and laid
out in the parlOr. My brother was too
young to realize what had taken place. He
went around looking for uncle in the garden
and orchard. My sister and myself we're
kept very busy running errands until about
p. M, and rather lost track of brother.
Finally we thought he must not only be
hungry but sleepy as we'll. We hunted all
around among the neghbors until we be-
came alarmed. 1t finally occurred to me
that he must be in the house asleep. With
the exception of the room where the body
was. the hall and kitchen. there was not a
light In the entire house. However. did
not think of that then. rushed into the
house. went into my room. but found him
not, neither in sisters room. and was about
to come down stairs when thought of un-
cle's room. opened the door and there,
bending over the sofa, stood uncle as natural
as life. his face as l could distinguish it.
bearing that same loving tenderness which
always marked it when holding converse
with children. There was no exclamation
of horror on my part and no sudden dis
solving on his; he passed me at the door
where l was still standing out into the up
per hall and vanished. l went over to the
sofa; my brothers face was wreathed in
smiles. he was sound asleep and 1 carried
him down stairs where they prepared him
for bed.
The next day he told me the termination
of the story so suddenly interrupted by
UcdGu Ou tIl0 previous iuOTuIUS. anu Strange
to say it had moral ending to it. scarcely
compatible with three year Old's brain.
He said uncle told it to him.
On Monday morning we sent at seven
o'clock telegram to mother to come home.
At five minutes before seven she had left
her brothers home to take the train. She
did not receive the telegram and reached
uncle's house without knowing what had
occurred.
She contemplated a two weeks VISIT but
as she afterwards told me she could neither
sit down. lie down, nor remain in one place
for five minutes at time after eight o'clock
Sunday morning. She acted so queer that
her folks thought she was partially insane.
There was no conveyance of any sort home
on Sunday. so she spent that one long day
of undefinable horror in an agony bordering
on insanity.
This last phenomenon of telepathy. or
sympathetic communication, can account
for: the former l cannot.
This spirit phenomenon was different in
every respect from the generality of ghOstly
visitantS. There was no ''silent midnight
hOur'' business about it-'twas not much
darker than May twilight, no cold wind. no
swish of drapery-nothing whatever of the
conventional ghost.
Somehow l cannot help believing in
ghosts. Can you blame me? M. F.
Letter.Writing.