Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-01-09
DO DOGS SEE GHOSTS?
FOR If BRuTEs SEE GHOSTS THEN
THERE MUST EE GHOSTS.
Examples to Provo That Dogs Have
Been Frightened in Houses in Which
Spirits wero Said to uavo Appeared.

Examples to Provo That Dogs Have
Been Frightened in Houses in Which
Spirits yYcrc Said to Havc Appeared.
Question OF Animal Immortality.
Some time ago had something to say
on animal Immortality. In that article
| briefly referred to the argument, now
not uncommon, that some animals APP
pear to have intercourse with beings, or
forms and states Of being. unseen By Us.
This on the face of it is not improbable:
but it may be y stretch OF our own i'm
agination to assume that this Is Il rlclo:l
of ghosts. But if it can be shown first
that, as Wallace aflirms, objective pha,-
tas,lls appear to men sometimes, and to
dogs sometimes. thenit would be hardly
fair to assume that men ere to have n
spirit life hereafter and tho dog not. It
might become necessary for Us to shove
back our dividing line between immor-
tails and nonimmortals, and take over on
our side at least some of the beasts. Is
the Indian sht who, in Pope's language.
believes Ibis faithful dog will bear him
company" in the spirit land? There
seems, however, to be Il conviction III
the minds of some observers that dogs
not only sometimes, but ut all times, see
and hear what VIC Go not hear.
First of all, in Justice, let Us get the
facts, or the averred facts. In Rod and
Gun appears tho following letter: Sir,
there is reason to believe that animals
can see spirits. At any rate, have
very remarkable fact to relate. There
is in Devonsl,ire IL large, rambling old
house, which has long lad the rcputa-
ton of being haunted. Family after
family tried to make it their home. One
sitter another they gave it up, al for tue
same reason = that was frequent spec
trail ongoinss in one of the corridors.
Sometimes the ghost was seen by one
member of the household, while it vas
Invisible to others close by" which. OF
course, would Indicate that the seeing.
or not seeing. depended ON tho ocular
condition of the family. At least, 3
skeptic would strongly urge that thc
probabilities welo i'll favor of visual dc
fusion. Sometimes mysterious sounds
showed the ghost to be about. while he
was not Visible TO any Of the watchers.
\ SCARED DOG.
Hearing easily follows hysterical see
ing. have myself scon wires and lamps
when knew none existed. Tho fam
lily that last occupied the house thought
fierce dog might settle the problem.
on the superstition that human trick
ster was at the bottom Of the disturb
ancc. On the first night of the dogs
residence the spectral ratings were
heard. Tho watchers took the dog TO
tie corridor. True to the instincts of
his nature he rushed to the front, bark
ing savagely. Suddenly, when half way
through the corridor, the dog stopped
and gazed upward il evident terror
His tail dropped, and then lie Te:reated
trembling. BIT to the human eye
nothing was visible" This story is
authenticated as coming from persons OF
! unqUestionod ycraciVy and excellent
powers OF Judgment.
Il you will excuse me for turning
aside from tho main thought will give
one or two illustrations to show that
ghost seeing Is rot SO improbable rs you
have judged. Fanny Kemble tells us
that when residing III RittcrhoIsc
SQUARE her maid. sitting so that She
faced and could see the staircase and
upper landing, saw the door Of her bed
room open, and an elderly woman in a
flannel dressing gown, with & bonnet on
her head, come out. walk the whole
length OF the passage. and then return
deliberately il the same manner. The
maid knew her mistress was down stairs.
I ard also was confident that no such per-
SON as she saw could be in the house.
Having good nerves, the woman did not
at first tell Miss KeMble what she had
seen, b1!t ransacked the rooms to see if
she could solve the puzzle, al the time
afraid her mistress would be disturbed
by some similar ;ipparition. She after
ward came Oh a portrait il the house
suddenly that was On exact copy of her
ghost. A good chance, Of course, for an
imaginative maid, CT ~ cunning one, to
work up fine yarn. Yetit is something
that Miss Eenble believed the girl did
see an apparition.
STRANGE CASES.
The Epworth parsonage case, involv-
ing John Wesley, is of great value be-
cause it links both man and Beast in the
sensing of arparitions. Mr Wesley says: