The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-13

WRITTEN o THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
don't think that reop.e really know what
n ghost Is, and they certainly do not know
what it feels like to he what is called a
ghost. All the same. when We have passed
over. YOU must understand that We never
think OF ourselves as ghosts No, we
are ourselves. Just the same as If We had
remained on earth. But sometimes cur
passing over IS brought about in such a
WAY that all of us Go not get TO the other
side. and that part which remains behind
oftcntimes takes a material form, and then
those who are still occupants OF the planet
call Il a ghost.
have long been anxious to explain the
truth en- this subject TO such as are inter-
ested in those still lingering about the scene
of their earthly life. and for many years 1
longed for the power of putting down my
words in black and white. SO that i might
actually explain these things to the world l
have left, which. you know. as q rule
, ghosts have no opportunity OF do'hs
Ghosts who can mater!alize the voice
mighs dictate their wishes. but not many
people would have the nerve TO take pen
ard paper and transcribe the utterances OF
a ghost; and yet. II they knew us. they
would understand how harmless We are,
how little we wish to iujure those with
whom we crave touch and speech, with
whom we crave any kind OF communica-
ton.
In my times on earth 1. Of course. knew
the terrible stories that we told OF CLAIMS
Castle and other ancestral homes; and. /,
TOO, shared with my brothers and sisters
the indefinable horror which attaches itself
To the personalities Of those who are no
longer. humanity speaking. alive. Let me
explain myself a little more clearly. My
name was Dorothy Trench. l lived a couple
of hundred years ago in my fathers house
in the fair county OF Worcester. There Is
q tablet in Ashburton Church which says:
TIC the tender memory OF Lady Dorothy.
only daughter of Gilbert Trench. Earl OF
Ashbury, who died November 30, 1i02, from
the result of an accident. She was young
ard very fair. Her place on earth and In
the hearts of her Borrowing parents can
never be filled by another"
have seen my poor mother sitting in her
accumtomed corner OF the great pew In
Ashburton Church. her eyes fixed upon
that pathetic monument. while my heart
was breaking to comfort her.
And how did come by my earthly end?
Well, it happened one day that 1 was about
to descend the gISat flight of stairs leading
70 the large hahn Somebody had shut the
iron dog gates at the foot of the last step
and 1. tripping. fell. striking my head
against the trellis work of the gates. For
q moment ! knew nothing. but when came
70 my senses again 1 was standing. with a
curious. empty, dazed feeling, as II l were
lght-headed. l heard screams from various
parts Of the house, and the sound OF run
ming feet. I tried to tell them that 1 was
not really hurt, and then. looking down, l
saw a young girl, lily-skinned and golden
haired. lying huddled up in a heap just
within the dog-gates. 1 was so bewiidered
from the effects OF the blow that 1 stood
speechless. / watched them raise her. saw
the head with it's wealth Of trailing golden
hair fall helpiessly down, saw the golden
locks which crowned it dabbed in blood.
They carried her reverently to one Of the
great settles in the hall. and 1 followed. a
little unsteady on my feet. a little light Of
limb and head, wondering who it was and
why she was there.
remember so well the old butler and my
own old nurse standing trying to restore
her.
'she is dead said Andrew, she is dead
Then my old nurse broke in with aterribie
cry. who is to tell her ladyship?'
That" said Andrew, lis your work.
Goody."
'Mine-mlne!' she cried. And then she
flung her apron over her head and sobbed
"Oh the day. the weary day!"
understood what had happened when
my mother came. Can you imagine what ]
felt. l standing there myself. with all my
own feelings, my own senses about me-. and
yet unable to attract the notice Of any Of
those persons present. And there that !
other self lay. pale and motionless, while
my mothers heart broke. Oh, II she was
unhappy. l was unhappy too.
I somehow did not understand all the
truth. / had had an idea all my life when
people died, as they expressed It on earth.
when people died they went either to a |
Swinging heaven or to q d~esolate hell. 1
singing heaven or TO a desolate hell, 4
my earth life. and SO became neither
shining nor an evil spirit. but a poor ghost. |
I was a prisoner in the halls OF my ances- |
tors, my only company a poor knave who
had been hanged upon the battlements for |
some trivial offense Of which he was who'll. |
ly innocent.
We'll. the years went by. You know we ]
ghosts are not coenizant Of the flight of |
tins as We were when still upon the planet; |
day and night are all the same to US: our |
new life is wholly different to the old one; |
~ while We are s'ill bound down by the |
ties OF love or Of any other deep feeling
to the life we have lived upon earth. We
are wholly unconscious Of the actual flight
of time. But We have. as it were. beacon
lights on our way.
l watched my mother. day by day. change
fIom a beautiful and comedy woman bere,v
middleaged. until che was old and decren,t
A great many years must have passed ara
the summons came to her that her earthly |
career was at an end. Week after week. I |
watched her sad eyes fixed upon that me- |