Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-07-29
GHOSTS DISLIKE IT.
SPIRITS SEEM TO RESENT
BEING INVESTIGATED

A Dispassionate Consideration of a Sub
ject That Interests Most People-Some-
thing About Ghostly Condolences.
Walter Scott's Noises.
1t is said, do not know how truly, that
the agricultural laborer dislikes to be can
vassed. Being human, and having prob
ably made up his mind, he naturally de-
tests being worried, and probably distrusts
the sincerity of those who worry him. A
similar highly praiseworthy reserve marks
the demeanor of many ghosts-they detest
being canvassed. OF all people ghost is
most averse to giving an account of him
self. My own belief is that he knows
very little about himself and his mode of
life. If ever you spoke to a person who
was talking in his sleep, you may have re-
marked that he rarely gives an intelligible
answer. He cannot be kept to the point.
\ ghost is walking, as it were, in his
Sleep He has not all his wits about him;
he hates to be botheredl 1t was not SO
with the Laird of Coul's ghost who was
so popular in chapbook of the last cen
fury. Coul was riding the ghost of one of
his tenants when he met the minister and
told him all that he knew and chose to
reveal about his experience of being a
ghost. His remarks, l fear, were satirical,
and on many points he was reticent. Even
Coul hated being cross examined. The
Psychical society, it seems, make little or
nothing out of their researches in haunted
houses No sooner does an emissary 20
down than the ghost ceases to walk. He
is at home, he objects to 'house to house
canvassing."
We can get most enjoyment out of ghosts
by treating them with genteel reserve.
They are like cats-they take to one per
son, not to another. They will not frolic
merely to oblige. They resent an imperti-
nent curiosity. / never myself saw ghost
in a haunted house, or only once, and it
might have been lady's maid but what
she was doing there has never been ex-
planned.
A man may think he knows a great deal
about ghosts and yet may blunder in the
most elementary matters. If ever there
was man whom we could have accepted
as authority on the ghostly it was Sir Wal
ter Scott. His library contained as many
books of magic as the people of Ephesus
burned, to the regret of bibliophiles.
Z
Ghostes and of Sprites and of Strange
Noyses, Crackes," and so forth, by Lewis
Lavaterus, translated by r. II. Qondon,
1856. Yet when he heard the nocturnal
disturbances at Abbotsford he forgot his
lore and gave "a singular solution" of the
problem. The passage is in a letter tC
/ Terry, the ectOr, and was written at Sci
/ kirk \ pril 80, ISIS. Scott was furnishing
| Abbotsford. His agent in these matters
/ Mr. Bullock, was in London. On April Is
Scott was awakened by violent noise
/ like drawing heavy boards along the new
part of the house. This was about 2 O'Clock
in the morning. Last night (the 2Jth) at the
same witching hour, the very same noise
occurred again. Mrs. Scott, as you know
is rather cumbersome. so up got |, with
Beardies broadsword under my arm
so bolt upright
And ready to fight
but nothing was ont of order, neither car
| discover what caused the disturbance"
Now Bullock had died in London, and
as nearly as they could ascertain, at tn,
very hour when Scott was reused from hi
sleep by the 'mysterious disturbance.
Scott wrote to Terry May 16l: "Were yot
not struck with the fantastical coincidenc,
of our nocturnal disturbances at Abbots
ford and the melancholy event that hap
pened? / protest to you, the noise re
sembled half dozen men hard at worl
putting up boards and furniture; ant
nothing can be more certain than tina
there was nobody on the premises at tn
time" Lockhart adds that the coinci
dence made much stronger impression
on SCOTS mind than might be gathered
from the tone of his letters to Terry.
All this proves lacuna in Sir Walter
remarkable kn pwled1o Ol ghosts ana thei
ways. The coincidence was not SO re
markable. Bullock only died once. Blu
the disturbances occurred on two nights
Now the point is, and Scott should hav
known it, that such "Noyses and Crackes
are not only usual but even desirable il
houses while they are being built and fur
nished. Nobody's memory is always read
at need, and Scott no doubt forgot wha
Lavaterus remarks on this branch of tn
subject. Says he: when houses are il
building the neighbors many times hea
the carpenters therein, and other artifcer
handling all things in such sort as if the
were busily laboring in the daytime.
This exactly describes what Sir Waite
heard-a noise of half dozen men at worl
i'll an uncompleted house. There was n
reason To connect the circumstance wit
Bullock's death; with that event a phe
nomenon perfectly ordinary and recognize,
CHANGED to coincide. Lavaterus goes on
And this strange wonder is joyfully TT
ceived as strong token of good lucke."
Alas it brought no luck to Abbotsford
But Lavaterus' statement proves that thi
class of disturbances is familiar and tina
the hypothesis of coincidence with a deaf
is supertuous and probably erroneou:
The whole passage shows that man ma
know great deal about ghostly practic
and precedent, yet may miss an obviou
and essential fact.
In house, a modern house, known t
me many unexplained noises and othe
phenomena followed the Introduction G
certain objects of pagan religion-object
whose history is hideously sanguinary
Among these phenomena We're snatching
and twitchings ut the bedclothes of the il
mates. This Is IA very usual sprightlines
Of ghosts but why do they doit? Suetoniu
mentions it. Lavaterus also speaks Of
as normal and usual. He explains it a
h..vx g I ~. + L