The San Francisco call., 1908-07-05

to death and the after states. He
says that for the BretOns the living
and the dead are equally the inhab-
itants of this world, and they live in
perpetual intercourse with one another
''L'Anaon" Gas they name the vast
crowd and cOncourse OF the dead) may
be feared as the storm and the temp
est are feared, but no more surprise is
felt that the thorn bushes and the
rushes that border the rOaGsides should
be shaken by the passing of disem-
bodied spirits than that the birds should
warble blithely in those bushes For
the Breton the world of wonder is
interwoven with the world visible. as
the hOneysuckle is intertwined about
the hedge. The BTetOns believe that
the living and the dead mingle in close
they are associated
with their daily and hourly existence.
They believe the dead wander at
night along the highways and lonely
lanes, that they haunt the fields and
the plains, as thick as the blades OF
grass in the meadow. and as the sands
on the seashore. They return to the
houses in which they dwealt in their
mortal bodies, bringing tidings from
the other side. AS messengers Of pen
ance or of blessing they glide about
the silent hOmesteads. crOuching over
the dying embers on the hearth. They
come as protecting spiritsOf the house
hold TO watch over those they have left
behind them exposed to the snares of
life. Mothers come to caress their
children in their sleep. tending them.
rocking them and wipiug away their
tears.
In some cases, however, il is the
memory Of the possessions they have
left behind. of their well fenced farms.
of their red cattle with shining hides
of their corn fields waving like a sea
of golden sunshine that brings the
dead out of their graves An old La
borer will return 20 his plow and
guide il with a firm hand through the
fertile burrows. the yearning after old
associations drawing him from out the
silent realm of disembodied souls.
According TO Breton belief. the
sounds and movements OF the material
world drown for most people the
whispering voices OF the dead; were
we less taken up with our business
and our pleasure we should know al
most all that goes on beyond the grave.
In this country il seems to me that
the ghost" has very serious ground
for complaint with regard to the way
In which the average person receives
him. 1t is usually a great effort for
him to show himself-one which he
does not undertake without very great
reason or under stress OF desperate
need; and he can under ordinary cir
cumStanceS maintain his materializa-
tton only for a few moments. The
use OF those moments are all import
ant TO him; they are probably not half
long enough at best for what he wishes
to say The average person wastes
this invaluable time by screaming or
running away.
With these facts before US, II is evil
dent that there is nothing contrary to
natural law in houses being haunted
In most manifestations there is rarely
any cause tor alarm on the part OF the
beholder- 1t is the same feeling DOM
mating the excarnated mind as that
which dominates the human mind In its
desires to return to the scenes OF its
childhood, or the places where 1t has
enjoyed the greatest pleasures.
We have ceased TO burn witches, and
we are rapidly ceasing to dread the
apparitions from the great beyond.