The San Francisco call., 1907-03-17

This query. old as superstition
itself. invariably elicits but one
answer ',No. of course not; but
stiIl 7 once did have = very strange
experience" and then. with appropriate
protestations that he il perfectly
practical and most matter cf fact per-
son, absolutely free from superstition.
the person questioned proceeds 20 mar
rate the one great ghost story or his
life.
For. after all. everybody has hsd his
own personal experience in the Dim and
eerle land or the psychic. aud. whether
We confess il or not. each and al OF
us has either seen or hcard OF felt at
some time or other thc ghostly pres
once. the uncannv preseetiWsnt Inc
strange and mysterious fect o. fancy,
or what not. which belong 20 tbo un-
solved and tho or yet neeluale fourth
dimension
The varieties ~ psychic experience
are wide and diverse. and each. waeiher
81 belongs 10 the order ~ c,siTvoyancs.
telepathy. spirit GENERALIZATION or
plain. oid-fashioned ghostly apnsrition.
has within its phenomena OH those Gle
ments which combine toward the pro-
duction in the human mind 90 sense
OF awe and terror such as no other cir
oumstanoc or thing cen produce. or all
such phenomena. ID IS perhaps the
haunted house which exercises the most
fascinating spell upon the ima gination.
Indeed. the spirit ridden sbode seems
10 be the most universal and primitive
OF ali psychic phenomena the most
common 10 human observation and eS-
pericnce. FoB this reason. no doubt. the
average story regarding thc alleged
haunted house is wont u~slaiis' 20 be
received with desrec 9f acof1ue in-
credulity rarely. n ever, accorded now
adays TO other none the less incredible
phenomena. In fact. msny persons who
give serious consideration 10 every
other kind OF supernatural msnifesta
tion draw the lire rigidly when It
comes 10 crediting the average tale OF
a haunted house. And perhaps with
good reason; for experience has too
often proved that lonely dwelling
places and uncanuy regions which we
would be glad to believe inhabited by
ghosts are found upon scientific inquiry
70 be guiltless OF harboring any such
interesting denizens.
IL is, therefore. with special interest
that we read the story OF The Country
House OF Cote-dU-Nord," the essential
facts OF which are set forth in the
current number OF the Annals OF psy-
chicsl Science and sanctioned by no
less trustworthy authority than Father
Liot, formerly superior OF the monas-
terry at Guimper and himself we'll ac-
quainted with the persons and circum-
stances involved Father LiOt tells the
story himself from notes and data
which he collected and recorded from
day 20 day during the occurrence OF the
strange happenings at the country
house OF his friend and neighbor n. de
Bazus. The story is substantially as
follows:
A few years since in a country house
p few leagues distant from Guingampc.
the death occurred Of an old gentleman
upward OF so years OF age. NJ. de Bazus
was a most worthy person, but for many
years he had not only neglected the
sacraments. but was strongly suspected
OF cherishing agnostic and socialistie
beliefs. One OF his granddaughters, a
beautiful young girl, who belongs TO
the order OF the Augustines. often
urged her grandfather. whose health
wac obviously failing. to confess HIM
self and 20 receive the sacraments while
his mental faculties still remained un-
impaired. NJ de Bazus was passion
ately devoted TO the beautiful daughter
OF his only son. and in earnest OF this
devotion he at last promised TO accede
TO her wishes. threw his soclalistic
propaganda tracts into the waste bas-
ket and consigned his beloved Voltaire
and Tom Paine to the flames. But in
spite OF these evident tokens OF his
good intentions. he put OF the act.
pleading as his excuse that he wished
to prepare himself by serious self-ex-
animation. an excuse which. consider
ing the well-known honesty and in
tegrity OF NJ de Bazus, was not incon-
sistent. Mile. Marie waited patiently,
therefore, and in the meantime kept a
neuvnine IN honor Of st. Anne for the
conversion OF her grandfather.