The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-25
TWO "spoOKY" STORIES.
one of which Was Very Easily and
Naturally Explained.
From The Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
When Spiritualism was comparatively
new and we were youngsters, we used to
hear delightful spooly stories about mys-
terious actions of furniture and things.
which one never seems to hear nowadays.
l remember one about some people who
had guests invited to a grand dinner. The
table was spread with all the dishes, bat
me meal had not yet been served. The fam
ilv had great store of beautiful glass and
china. and il was all on the table. For
moment the servants were al out of the
dining room, and just at that moment all
the people in the rest of the house heard a
deafening crash of failing dishes; from
the dining room. and just at that moment
an the people in the rest of the house
heard a deafening crash of falling dishes;
from the dining room there came the
sound of glassware precipitated upon the
floor and crushing into fragments and in
the midst of the roar of this wreck there
rose to the terrified ears of the host and
hostess the high, clear note of the smash
ing of much thin china. Everybody in the
house-family, guests, servants-rushed to
the dining room door al the same moment
expecting to see nothing less than the ia
bic overthrow and every precious dish on
1t broken and what did they behold? The
table set in perfect order, with not thing
on 1t disturbed. What had made the awful
crash? Nobody ever knew. Not a dish was
even nicked in that house that day. The
spirits-so the story ran to us--had just
made terrible ghostly crash Tor the fun
of 1t and the alarm of the household.
1 remember that this story impressed me
a great deal more than it would have i'm
pressed me if the dishes had really been
found smashed, though 1t could have been
proved that no human being had been in
the room at the time. / had never be-
fore heard of a ghost that was a crash
and nothing more. l fancy the astonish-
ment of those alleged people was not
greater than that of friend of mine over
an episode not at all similar. This gem
tleman's wife and daughter were out
| shopping one afternoon, and he reached
home ahead of them. SO far from feel
| ing grieved and outraged at not finding
| them there to make MIN welcome, he set
to work pleasantly t. give them sur
prise by getting them their supper. He
| hadn't much in the house, but he set out
what he had, and placed on each of three
| plates a nice lot of sardnes, and then
went out to make them some tea. He
got it made and came back, and looked at
| his table in establishment. His supper
| was gone The plates which he had put
on the table were there just where he
had placed them, but they were as clean
as when he put them on. He knew that
there was not another human being in the
house. What sprite had waited away those
| sardines?
This is true story. There was not an
other human being in the house. but the
gentleman owned two delightful cocker
spaniels, and they were in the house. Who
can doubt that, as they licked the plates
which had contained the sardines, they
had said to themselves: Go to; We will
make it unnecessary for our dear master
| 20 wash these plates?"