The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-04-04
4 Ghost Story.

At a town in the west of England
twenty-four persons were accustomed
to,assemble once a week, to drink,
smoke tobacco, and talk politics. AS
at ske Academy of Rubens, at Ant
werp, each member had his peculiar
chair, and the presidents was more
elevated than the rest. As one Of
the members had been in dying
state for some time, his chair whilst
he was absent, remaiued vacant.
When the club met on the usual
night, inquiries were naturally made
afser their associate. As he lived in
the adjoining house. particular friend
went to inquire after him, and return
ed with the melancholy intelligence
that he could not survive the night.
This threw gloom on the company
and all efforts to turn the CONVERSE
tion from the sad subject before them
were Intellectual. About midnig ht
the door opened, and the form, in
white, of the dying or the dead man,
walked into the room and took his
seat in his accustomed chair. There
he remained in silence, and in silence
he was gazed at. The aspiration con-
tinued a sufficient time in the chair
to assure all who were present of the
reality of the vision. At length he
arose and stalked towards the door,
which he opened as if living, went
out and shut the door after him:
After pause, some one at last had
the resolution to say:
eff only one Of US had seen this, he
would noS have been believed, but it is
impossible so many of US can have
been deceived" ("
The company, by degrees, recovered
their speech, and the whole conversa-
tion, as may be imagined, was upon the
dreadful object which had engaged
their attention. They broke up and
went home.
In the morning inquiry. was made
after their sick friend. It WAS an
swered by an account of his death,
which happened nearly about the time
of his appearance in the club room.
There could be little doubt before;
but now nothing could be more certain
than the reality of the aspiration
which had been simultaneously seen
by so many persons.
It is unnecessary to say that such
story spread over the country, and
found credit even from infdels; for in
this case, all reasoning became super
Auous, when opposed to plain fact,
attested by three-and-twenty witness
es. To assert the doctrine of the fix
ed laws of nature was ridiculous,
when there were so many people OF
credit to prove that they might be
unfxed. Years rolled on, and the
story was almost forgotten.
One of the club was an apothecary.
In the course of his practice he was
called to an old woman whose business
it was to attend sick persons. She
told him that she could leave the
world with quiet conscience, but
for only one thing which lay upon her
mind.
''Do you not remember Mr.. -,
whose ghost has been SO much talked
Of? I was his nurse. On the night
of his death I left his room for some
thing I wanted. 1 am sure [ had not
been absent long; but, at my return,
I found the bed without my patient
He was delirious, and l feared had
thrown himself out of the window. l
was SO frightened that [ had no power
to stir; but, after some time, to my
great establishment, he entered the
room, shivering, and his teeth chatter:
ing, laid himself down on the bed and
died! Considering my negligence as
the cause of his death, I kept this
secret, for fear of what might be done