Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-01

| addition to the representative of The Star
| in the party, IF you gentlemen want to
hear 1t I'll give it. I'm garrulous tonight,
anyhow" he added. 1t was a sociablc
| quartet that was being entertained by
| this hospitable Virginian. The welcome to
| his country home had been fervent and
| sincere, and after. bountiful supper in
| which hot biscuit, fried chicken with cream
gravy and lovely honey fresh from the hive
tempted the appetite, we were on the wide
porch reposing in comfortable rocking
chairs. and all of us smoking pipes.
Certainly We all wanted to hear of any
| spiritual manifestations that had beset our
| friend. He received general assurance of
| that, and he told his thrilling story in
| manner that interested his guests deeply.
| The Ghost Story.
Before the war;" he began. Il lived just
| about five miles from here. 1 had a friend
| living ia the neighborhood. Parson A
| he was called, though he was never a mem
| Der of any church, in fact, his presence at
meeting was infrequent His reverence.
however. for religious subjects. or perhaps.
more marked was it for religious people and
| his respect Tor their opinions got for him
| the soubriquet of 'Parson.' My affection
| for him was very sincere, as is my regard
|
| never could reconcile to his views was his
absolute belief that there had been cases.
and were even then, when the dead came
| back upon earth and manifested their pres
ence to those whom they loved. He was
devotee to Shakespeare and had respect
| for the playwrights ghosts and witches
| Well the Parson-I speak of him in this
way reverently and respectfully-some
years before the war moved away from
here ha thxxoe 90 II.
| state. He was fairly well-to-do owned a.
number of blacks treated them like the
| virginia gentleman he was, and had their
warm affection. He owned some fine horses
ana pr1ded himself upon them. his nice
| wagons and his excellent gravel roads NV
| friend began to decline in health after he
went away. / visited him often and attend
ed to considerable business for him, and at
| the different times 1 was with him noticed
anent his failing health
The Parsons Promise
He knew II was failing. and that rapid
| ~. ana one evening he said to me suddenly
without any reference to his condition.
Joe, II L die before you and / can-mind
you. IL 1 can-I will come back from the
shadowy bourne and reveal to you my
presence on earth Ten days after that
ne was laid away in little graveyard in
the village near where he had lived. That
was In the month of March, two years be-
1oje the war. In the following September
L had business in that part of the state
and stopped at the house of my old friend
20 pass the night. having advised the fam
| lily of my intention to do So I arrived
about O'Clock in the evening, and not for
one second during my journey-and / was
TWO days making 1T, goirg on horseback
could get out of my mind my old friends
declaration that IL he could he would after
death, make known to me his presence on
earth. 1t did not exactly make me uncom-
or'apfe' out 1 remembered il. that was all.
L I
one OF the servants, who was glad to see
me. and took charge of my horse He
seemed uneasy. and said he wanted to talk
10 me; so after / had greeted the family
ana taken supper went out and found the
Oh Fellow waiting near the stable
Does You believe I'm Shnddcrs.
me hrst thing he said was: Mars Joe
does you believe in shadders'
What do you m ean by shadows Parker?-
said /.
Chooses he pumped out. and the wor,
gave me a cold thrill. for it brought back
all the thoughts OF what the Parson had
said and that had encompassed me on nv
| journey.
Il ridiculed Parker. even though he had
made me feel uncomfortable 1 told him
| not TO be fool and that he WAS old enough
| TO know there never was a ghost. But
Parker was not to be convinced He had
| Eever seen one himself, but nearly every
| ether darkey on the place had Imagined
| that he had seen the spirit of the Parson
| at midnight wandering among his wagons
about the harm. After my interview with
| Parker returned to the house. There was
company there taking up the spare rooms
and l, not being a stranger, was to rest for
| the night on lounge in the sitting room
| 1t was nearly midnight when I was hidden
| good night and laid myself down. / had
hardly become composed when heard the
faint tinkle of clock chime l.. II seemed
the saddest striking of clock ever listen
ed to. / kept perfectly quiet and was get
ting sleepy, when ! heard n strange sound.
1t was like the turning Of n wheel on the
even gravel paths that the 'ParSon' always
had kept in such good order. 1t ,.topped
and turned again and then began revolving
very rapidly. I jumped up and the noise
stopped instantly.
Was Puzzled.
II had ate hearty supper and thought I