The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-04-30
HIS UNoLE's GHOST.


I was frequently employed by our profess
or of anatomy to prepare the subjects for
his morning lectures, and In order to have
them in readiness 1t sometimes became
necessary for me to continue my labors to
late hour.
One night l was thus engaged. / re-
member l had to dissect and lay bare
particular nerve-and 1t required eau
tious and skillful handling Of the scalpel,
which detained me In the hall till late
hour.
Hour after hour was counted off by the
city hall clock, and yet my task remained
uncompleted. At length, after midnight
completed my dissection, and carefully
returning tho soft integuments to their
natural position rose from my stool, and
drawing of my long black gown spread
1t over the table, completely hiding from
view the body on which / had been en-.
gagged.
Scarcely had finished this last duty of
the night and was about to leave the hall
when was startled by sudden gust of
wintry wind. The next moment shower
of sleet and rain fell heavily upon the roof,
warning riie that wild storm was sweep
ing over the city.
fairly trembled at tho thought Of ven
turing out in the cold night, without um.
brolla or overcoat as l was, in tho dirco-
tion of my distant boarding house Draw
ing therefore cigar from my pocket and
| seating myself in the chair the innitor had
been occupying, I concluded to make my
self as comfortable as circumstances would
| admit till the storm had subsidized.
l had .boen some time enjoying my cigar
and listening complacently to tho storm
without, when l examined my watch
| Almost / oolockl' said l TO myself
aloud
| almost l o'clockr was repeated In
voice l thought not altogether unfamiliar.
why, john you work late tonightr'
Was that voice only the echo OF my own
thoughts, or was some person really con
cealed in tho roomi
Neither in the hall or in the little ante
room could any one be concealed, and re-
turned to my scat and my cigar, convinced
that tho words must have proceeded from
| my own lips.
You arc never alone here john" said
the Same voice In plalntiye tone, 1.-The
dead are always herol"
was not in the least alarmed at the
voice. but peered earnestly into every cor
| Nor Of the room where any one might pos.
sibly be secreted.
Presently l noticed a rustling OF the
| dissecting robe l had spread sover my
nights work.
Then CHASTITY face looked out from un-
der 1t; then a hand appeared; then foot
and finally tho body, sitting upright upon
the table, adjusted the dress about itself,
and slipping TO the floor stood upon its
feet, tall, commanding figure
Then, turning it's leaden eyes with
fixed stare upon me, 1t moved tottyingly
ssstsS s ta FS X y H. t. S asf
up upon the stone hearth In imitation OF
my own position, 1t placed ono Of its cold
hands upon me. @.... -.. -......
John don't you remember me2" said
this strange apparition
Remember your Mol never saw you
till you were brought here from the city
hospital yesterday"
"Ah, am glad of It'll thought so my.
| self all the time, for IN sure, my boy, had
| you recognized mo you would not have SO
cruelty lacerated my poor body with them
odd looking knives yonder"
lbegan to gather courage and answered:
I'm sure would not have done what
have II l had been aware that II would
have given you any uneasness. i thought
the dead We're lost to all earthly sensa-
lions But.who are your
Who am II III tell you. I'm your
mothers brother-your uncle"
Il never had but one uncle, - replied
land his body, Tn sure lies quietly In
the old home churchyard, where myself
saw 1t deposited years ago-when was a
boy"
II tell you, John, you never saw your
uncle buried! 1t was stranger seafar
ing man, who came to your fathers house
and died. Ho had been for years my ship
mate, and being on shore and sick and
having no homo TO go to passed himself
of upon you all for me, his old friend, Of
whom he had heard the whole history Of
your family.
"See here, John, do you remember the
time when you gave me thisf" and tho ap-
partition, laying bare his rlghu arm, expos
| ed to my view n rough, ugly scar
It was precisely such a scar as rcmem-
Der my uncle John had received from
Fourth of July pistol, with which l had
accidentally wounded him. Boylille, had
loadtd the weapon, which was a present
from him, to the muz2le with IA handful
OF small, peculiar shaped buttons upon the
powder These it was which had 80 severe
ly lacerated his arm
Now, my boy, if l have satisfied you
that l am indeed your uncle / have q no.
quest to mako of you. viii you see this
body of mine dccently buriedH"
turned to reply to this not unnatural
request but tho chair by my side was va
cant, and my uncle, II indeed il was his
body hud been working at so Indifferent.
ly all night, lay precisely as had left him
upon tho table, with the dissecting gown
still covering his proportions.
| OF one thing / am certain--I had been
dissecting my uncle, for the next morning
when tho nrpfA9spF damon II ut inc
what he was pleased TO call my "inost
skillful tracing of this beautiful nerve, 4"
he CHANGED to draw the blade Of his scalpel
across tho little tumor, to which the appa-
rition had directed my attention, when, be-
hold, out dropped one of those identical,
curiously shaped buttons with which my
Fourth of July pistol had been chargedl-
Bostor Globe.