Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-11-26

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exceedingly strange features Of this
matter which occurred to me during
the sleepless hours which passed
say sIeepess for my conviction OF the
fact that there are no ghosts had been
sadly shattered BY what had seen.
and struggled TO regain my mental
equilibrium Inn sense / still believed
there could be no such things lis ghosts.
but there was a disturbing doubt en-
gendered by that dainty little being.
ghost or whatever she might have
BEEN The angelic face the prayerful
attitude. made 1t impossible to think
she was alive and playing trick.
Never once did she take note Of the
persons present, 1t did not seem posi-
BILE that one so young could play such
a part night after night and never
show consciousness Of the presence of
those whom she was trying to deceive.
Unlike traditional ghosts. on the other
hand. she was fully dressed in d dainty
white muslin. tricked out with tiny
pink ribbon bowsa most unghostly
costume.
eTired out at last. must have slept.
for aWoke suddenly in the morning
an hour past my usual time for arising
and W. sdazed at my strange sur
roundings. the sun streaming in
through the window making me aware
of the lateness of the hour. In the
breakfast room found the family as
sembled and was painfully aware Of
the fact that was expected to either
explain the mystery of the apparition
or else to admit myself converted to
their views Still for some time the
subject was not brought up, Charlie at
last being unable to keep still any
longer.
Doctor said he, what do you
think Of the little ghost lady?'
The whole affair seems quite mys-
FERROUS to me- said l. I am afraid /
ate too much Thanksgiving dinner to
be competent witness
"'Oh, you mean, said Stephanie,
that this was only a Thanksgiving
ghost or, rather, ghost resulting
from too much Thanksgiving dinner?
"The girls tone irritated me, already
annoyed as ] was because had no ex-
PLANTATION of what had seen ready to
offer. So ! said testify:
al certainly would like to see the
apparition again when had eaten less,
although, of course. Margaret added,
turning to my hostess, the dinner was
beyond all doubt the best have ever
eaten. But too full a stomach makes
the mind slow
Then you doubt the genuineness of
the manifestation my friend asked.
81 certainly do not doubt you, my
friend | hastily replied, but cannot
under the circumstances SO quickly
give up my own views. In spite of the
warning that she was to come, the lit
tie lady rather took me by SURPRISE
and was hardly in the condition to
consider what saw from scientific
standpoint
"sAh! But science said Stephanie,
can but support the theory of spirit
ualism. There are three great entities
in the universe, each imperishable in
itself-matter. force and spirit Sci
ence must recognize this trinity and
that all forms are but the union Of the
three in varying proportions. The
highest form-man-is the highest sim
ply because of the preponderance Of
the spirit which is in the combination.
This preponderance is SO great that
whereas the destruction of any other
form. such as a mineral resolves the
components into separate particles,
which. by attraction, rush back into
the parent source and are lost. in man
the spiritual portion is great enough to
resist this attraction after death and
to continue as separate entity. By
appropriating to itself a portion of the
superintendent matter and force which
is everywhere in ether. it is possible
for this spirit to appear to mortals as
a re-embodicd being.
This glib Vassar college girls ex-
PLANTATION of spiritualism made me lose
my temper, and | replied, with little
courtesy:
"sAnd when these spirits re-embody
I suppose it is quite natural that they
should find clothes and dress them
selves before appearing to US poor
mortals. The little girl last night had
on party dress, with ribbon bows on
it. Why did she bother about all thati
Why do not spirits come without cloth
ingg
81 do not know, replied Stephanie,
without losing her self control for a
moment i do not pretend to know ev-
erything The spirits think it well to
conform to earthly customs, | suppose,
or. perhaps, it is merely the result Of
past habits while in the flesh
my friend saw that was in an i'll
humor and FASTENED to smooth the
troubled atmosphere.
Doctor said he, you said just nov
that you were not in a condition last
night to investigate the manifestation
in a scientific manner. Nothing would
please US all better than to have you
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