The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-09-24
Was 1t Spirit
Or Illusion?
BY F. A. Mitchell

t1an TWO NlIleS tuuI Originally Nouiu
have been broken apart by chiid's
delicate fingers, each becoming after
lapse of. say. half a century as large
as an athletes bireps and much hard
er to bend.
The most remarkable case of this
Kind came under my observation.
will relate the story.
Donald Gregory, when he was too
Young to remember the fact, became
playmate of little girl about his
own age, Ella Marston Their parents
places were side by side, and the chill
dren, neither having brother or sister,
were together all day Then they
went TO the same kindergarten and
nftcrward to the same school. Their
first and only separation was When
Donald went to college. They pined
for each other, and he neglected his
studies to write her long letters, re-
ceiving equally long replies. When the
first examinations came on though
bright fellow. he failed. This ended
bis college career He returned to his
love and was never again separated
from her till half century later, when
death claimed her.
They were married when the groom
was nineteen, the bride eighteen. A
son was born to them and a daughter.
The former lived; the latter died in
infancy. Till the son came to man
hood he remained with his parents
Then he broke away to engage in busi-
ness at another location
Even in their youth they had few
| intimate associates and after coming
to middle age dropped away from any
thing social. Those who knew them
wondered at this, for they were both
attractive and popular. Efforts to get
them into social undertakings always
| failed
Mrs. Gregory died at seventy. 1t
was year after this that | made the
acquaintance Of their son, now man
of nearly fifty. Strange it is that with
his parents happy married life before
! him he never married When his
| mother died he persuaded his father TO
! come to live with him. | had made
George Grogory's acquaintance some
| time before this, and when his father
appeared OH the scene George and l.,
| both bachelors, were intimate, | being
ut his house frequently.
When | was introduced to his father
saw Il handsome old gentleman with
florid complexion and white hair and
mustache. IT struck me that if
were woman | would fall in love
I with him no matter what was his age
George told me of the close relation
ship between his father and his late
mother. and when the latter died he
feared his father would lose his rea
son But his father seemed to settle
down to an acceptance of his fate and
in n measure apparently ceased tf
greve. His son noticed something
about him which he communicated tC
no one. discovered it for myself.
one day when going to George
Grcgory's house saw his father put
ting his night key into the door. HI
opened 1t, stepped back as if waitinl
for some one to enter, then went il
himself. The matter made but littl'
Impression on me till later | hcarC
the old gentleman talking to hlmsel
in the library. At first, thinking tina
) he was reading aloud, | permitted my
: self to ovcrhear him. soon becam
h. aware that he was talking TO some on
I whom he called ''my dear" The tw
episodes together set me to wondering
and narrated them to his son. Georg
sighed and said:
- 80 you have noticed it. | hav
known that of which you have see
$ evidence ever since father came to liv
, with me, He ever has my motht
q with him-just how don't know
Whether he sees her spirit, whether Ii
lancies that ii is present with hin
whether he hears her replies when h
a talks to her-all this Is n puzzle to M
| have often heard him talking to hl
as you heard him. and he says til
, same things TO her that he was used |
saying while she lived. only they M
more endearng. lie was always du
o Ing her life us gallant TO her as whe
d they were young lovers, and when |
u iH'''Nn phN " lih iC Nili hoi y
1 while she stands, will not go throug
;. II doorway without waiting till she hi
gone before him, have seen hi
come into the house after having bee
out of an evening and remove h,
= wraps as tenGerly MS he ever did viii
T. she was with him in the flesh. He ha
@ n way of sometimes walking with Ia,
v hand In hand, and since her death
n have often seen him swinging his ar
, through the empty air as often 81
him do II when ! was boy"
V "Do you Observe" l asked, "wheth
e. after. apparently being with her he
T. more or less gloomy?"
s. "He Is never what we call gloom
"a though there is a certain sadness
N ways In his eyes. 1t seems to me tn
-, Providence, in whose sight such Low,
like lives as We're his and my mother
- must be acceptable, has made sol
y physical change In his brain whi
causes an Illusion to comfort him |
ie the day shall come when he will be
az united to her."