Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-18
THE FIRST GHOST STORY.
4 skeptfcal Athenisn Philosopher Cor
fronted by the Conventional Spoek.

4 Skeptical Athenlan Philosopher Con-
fronted by the Conventional Spoek.
If antiquity il any guarantee Of respect
ability, we have no need to be ashamed Of
the belief in ghosts. The first ghost story
was told SO long ago that no record OF its
telling remains. Ever since there were
men there were ghosts. Savage nations
who have no other trace of civilization or
even of religion believe in spooks. The
belief is SO universal and SO elementary that
there are those who derive all religion
from primitive ghost worship. The fear
Of God. they say, is nothing but season.
ed and developed fear Of ghosts. In the
dawn of Greek civilization, when the
Odyssey was written, men believed that
the spirits of the departed came sometimes
back to earth. Odysseus, during his wan
derings, in which he ''saw the cities of
many men, had also some dealings with
the world below. By the aid of sundry
bloody rites be called up the phantoms Of
the heroes who had persisted before Troy.
His mother, too, appeared, and thrice
Odysseus essayed to embrace her, and
thrice she eluded his grasp like shadow
or a dream
But the first absolutely conventional
ghost story that can call to mind comes
from Athens. 1t is recounted by Latin
author, who seems to believe in it, and
is somewhat as follows There was in an
cient Athens q certain house which no one
would occupy. Mysterious sounds were
heard in it by night-sounds as of chains
being dragged along the ground. When
the house had been empty long time, q
philosopher, who would have been a MEM
Der of the Psychical society had he lived
in our days, determined to investigate
the matter. So one night, armed only with
book and a candle, he took up his posi-
ton at table in one of the rooms, and
having dismissed all his attendants began
to read. Presently sounds were heard. 1t
seemed as though some one was rafting
chains. The philosopher went on reading.
Then steps were heard upon the stairs, and
the clanking of chains grew louder. Still
the philosopher continued reading, with
out raising his eyes. Then the footsteps
halted at the door. The philosopher read
on. Soon he was conscious of a figure ad-
vancing toward him, standing by his side
and waving its arms, loaded with chains,
over his head. Then the philosopher, who
must by this time have required all his
philosophy, looked up. He saw an old man
with long beard and shaggy hair. Ris-
ing up, he took his candle and followed
the dreadful apparition, which had begun
to retreat toward the door, He followed
it down to the courtyard and saw it, as it
reached one of the corners, sink suddenly
out of sight into the earth
The next day he had excavations made
in the courtyard, and beneath the spot
where the figure had disappeared heap
of human bones was found. They were
taken up and buried with all the fitting
rites And from that time the house re-
gained its reputation as a desirable family
residence. Nothing could be more COM
pletely conventional than this ghost story.
But it is interesting on account of its very
conventionality. For the ghost is the most
conventional of things. 1t is only in nov
els that it lends itself to the dramatic lu-
cidation of a plot Queen.