Year: 1862

At town in the west of England twenty
four persons were accustomed to assemble once
a week, to drink, smoke tobacco and talk poll
tics. As at the academy of Rubens. at Ant
werp, each member had his peculiar chair, and
the presidents was more elevated than the
rest. As one of the members had been 10 o
dying state for some time, bis chair, whilst he
was absent, remained vacant.


When the club met on the usual night, in
quiries were naturally made after their asso.
ciate AS he lived 10 the adjoining house, q
particular friend went to inquire after him,
and returned with the melancholy Intelligence
that he could not survive the night. This
threw gloon on the company. and all efforts
to turn the conversation from the sad subject
before them were Intellectual. About mid
night the door opened, and the form, in white,
of the dying or the dead man, walked into tho
room and took bis seat in bis accustomed chair
There he remained in silence, and in silence
was he gazed at The apparition continued
sufficient time in the chair to assure all who
were present of the reality of the vision. At
length he arose aud stalked towards the door,
which be opened as if living went out aud
shut the door after him. After pause, some
one, at last, had the resolution to say, "If
only one of Us had seen this, he would not have
been believed but it is impossible SO many
of US can have been deceived" The company,
by degrees, recovered their speech, and the
whole conversation, as may be imagined, was
upon the dreadful object which had engaged
their attention. They broke up and went
home. 10 the morning inquiry was made Of.
ter their sick friend. 1t was answered by an
account of his death, which happened nearly
about the time of his appearance in the club
room. There could be little doubt before
but moac nothing could be more certain than
the reality of the appartion which had been
simultaneously seen by so many persons. It,
is unnecessary to say that such a story spread
over the country, and found credit even from
in6dels; for, in this case, all reasoning be-
came superfuous, when opposed to a plain
fact, attested by three-and-twenty witnesses
To assert the doctrine of the fxed laws of pa
ture was ridiculous, when there were so many
people of credit to prove that they might be
umfrsd. Years rolled on, and the story was
almost forgotten


One OF the club was an apothecary. In
the course of bis practice be was called to an
old woman whose business it was to attend to
sick persons. She told him that she could
leave the world with quiet conscience, but
for one thing which lay upon her mind. "Do
you not remember Mr.. -, whose ghost has
been so much talked of l was his nurse
On the night of his death | left his room for
something wanted. I am sure had not
been absent long but at my return l found
the bed a0ah0ut my patient He was delirious,
and | feared had thrown himself out of the
window. 1 was so frightened that had no
power to stir but, after some time, to my
great astoDshment, he entered the room, shiv-
ering, and his teeth chattering, laid himself
down on the bed and dieG !! Considering my
negligence as the cause of his death, l kept
this secret, for fear of what might be done
to me. Though could have contradicted all
the story of the ghost, dared not do it. I
knew, by what had happened, that it was he
himself who had been in the club room [per-
maps recollecting it was the night OF the meet
ing y but hope God and the poor gentle
mans friends will forgive me, and shall die
contented"