1
3
4
BY JOHN G. GIVEN.
SELECT TALE.
THE GHOST SEEKER.
BY AN ENGLISH PHYSICIAN.
PrftHAP one or the most singular stories
In my diary turns upon an event which
happened to me in the early part of my
professional life; and.it is tlie more re
caarkable, in consequence of being the
only case of tnauia presenting so many
curious symptoms and contrary manifes
tation which I ever encountered.
I was waited upon one morning by a
lady who appeared in very deep affliction,
and who in broken accents asked me if I
would meet Dr. , an eminent physi
cian, whom I knew well by name, to
consult concerning her husband's case.
I, of course, professed my readiness to
do so, and at the same time said
If quite consistent with your feelings,
madam, I should be glad to know the
nature of your husband's disease.'
It's dreadful, sir, she replied, 'most
dreadful.
Indeed ! I trust you deceive yourself,
madam. There are many diseases that
appear dreadful to a patient and his j
friends, but which promise no extraordi- 1
nary difficulties to the physician or the f
surgeon.' I
Oh, doctor I she said, 'I wish it were
o, but 1 am worn out.'
Worn out ?
Yes with watching and anxiety; my
applications, my entreaties, my prayers
and tears have been of no avail he w ill
cot give up the mad pursuit.
'Mad pursuit, madam V .
Yes, a horrible conceit.
Pray explain yourself,
tome species of dementia
husband ?
I presume
afflicts your
Yes; I can bear it no longer; my health j
is sinkin?: want of rest is killing inc.' I
9 c
Pray, madam, be more explicit,' said I
my curiosity being strongly awakened by
what she had said.
-l.will, doctor, my husband, in every
other respect, is all that an attached wile
could wish, but lie is a ghost-seeker.
A what V cried I, in astonishment.
I use his own words. He calls himself
the ehost-seeker, and savs he never shall
ke satisfied tilt he has seen a ghost.
1 should not be at all surprised at
his
being soon gratified, said I.
Gracious Heavens! doctor, what do
you mean ?
I mean, said I, smiling, 'that if his
imagination be so strongly acted upon on
that subiect, I am surprised it does
not
crcite visions enough lor him.
'Can anything be done sir?
'I can scarcely say at present. Dr.
yon tell me, has attended him V
Yes.'
I apprehend the case, then, comes
within the sphere of medical influence.
The principal difficulty in all the brain
diseases, whether genual or local, is to
manage the patient so as to induce him to
adopt the necessary remedies.'
'But you will come, doctor.
'Certainly, if you wisli it; but perhaps
it would be better to leave him alone.
Does he run into any violent excess, in
pursuit of that mania ?'
Oh, yes yes. He is always making
incantations; then he brings home human
bones from churchyards; and at twelve
o'clock he rises from his bed, and calls
and taunts the ghosts of their owners to
come for them.'
That if sufficiently disagreeable, I re-
filed. - 'And now tell me one other thing.
your husband willing to see medical
mn ?
Yes, doctor, quite so. He will talk
quite rationally to you except on that one
point. Nay, he will argue with you as
to whether it is a disease or not.
Well, I will attend any appointment
you may make with Dr. -.'
The lady then left her address as Mrs.
Harrington, St. John's Wood, and it was
arranged that 1 should meet Dr. the
next morning at eleven o'clock at her res
idence. .
I must confess I was a little anxious to
see the singular Mr. Harrington, and du
ring the day 1 made some inquiries con
cerning him, the result of which was that
he was a retired merchant of considerable
wealth, and had always been esteemed a
most sensible and acute man.
Had my time been at my own disposal,
I should have called on Dr. previous
ly, but as it was, I had no resource but to
meet him at St. John's Wood, and there
gleau what I could of the nature of the
case.
I was punctual to the hour, and found
a house replete with every comfort. I was
nehered into a handsome and spacious
drawing-room, and there found Dr. ,
"ho had beo waiting for mr about five
minutes.
'WE GO WHERE DEMOCRATIC PRINCiri.ES POINT THE WAY J
Airs. Harrington joined us in a inomeut,
and now that she was divested of walking
attire, 1 could plainly see that want of rest
and anxiety had made great ravages on
her health.
Madam,' I saiJ, 'something - must be
done for your health, if we should fail in
giving a more healthy tone to your hus
band's mind.
Before she could reply, the door opened,
and a tall, gentlemanly man, of apparently
about fifty years of age, entered the room.
He bowed and we both returned the salu
tation. Mr. Harrington, said the wife to me;
then turning to her husband 'Henry,
this is Ur. .'
'Sir, I am delighted to see you. said
Mr. Harrington. 'Gentlemen, will you
take any refreshment V
Do,' said D. to me.
Thank y ou, I said.
Mary,' said the mad Mr. Harrington,
in the most rational manner in the world,
tell William to bring a tray end some
wine.
While he was giving this order, Dr.
whispered to me
Don't allude to the mania. Let him
come round to it himself.'
I nodded acquiesence.
The tray was brought, and we all three
sat down to an excellent, though somewhat
earlv luncheon. Mrs. Harrington had left
the room, and we certainly looked as ra
tional a party as could be well supposed.
You have a charming abode here, Mr.
Harrington,' said I.
Yes,' he replied; 'to
me,
who have
lived pent up in tne city tne greater part
of my life, it appears indeed most delight
ful.' These suburban villas,' remarked Doctor-
, 'always had a charm for me.
it,
Mr. Harrington seemed thoughtful for
a moment, and then looking mc hard in
i the face, he said '
'I beg your pardon for the abrupt ques-
lion I am going to ask you.
Dr. gave me a nudge with his
ei bow, and Mr. Harrington continued
Did you ever see a ghost?'
A ghost?' I repeated.
Yes, sir, a ghost. Did you ever find a
ghost, sir ? that's what I ask. Because
you know that Dr. Johnson says that
many persons who deny their existence
with their tongues confess it by their
fears, and the Rosicrucians could raise
spirits. The world is teeming with invis
ible life, sir. We are surrounded, hemmed
in. At our table in our chambers we
have them everywhere. Now what I
i ask you is, did you ever see one ?'
I certainly have not, I said.
Nor have I, he replied, 'and that's
what vexes me and nearly drives me mad.
Here he gave a thump on 'the table that
made the glasses jump again.
'Sometime, he continued. 4I catch a
glimpse of one, and then he's oflf again.
A hand a foot the side glimpse of a
face the flash of an eye. I have seen
all that; but they torment me, and won't
let me see a whole chest. So I'm a
ghost-seeker, you see, naturally. Look
here.'
He suddenly drew from his pocket a
human thigh bone, and laid it with a dab
upon the table.
Look here, he continued. 'Here's
the thigh bone of some fellow. I've been
taunting him for a week about it, but he
won't come.'
Again he gave the table a thump. Then
suddenly fixing his eyes on one part of
the room, he cried ''
There now thero's one there ! hut he
won't show himself no. not he. There's
just a dim shadow of something. Don't
you see !' look ! there there ! It goes
along by the wall. See! see! Curse
you.
So saying, he caught up the bone and
threw it, with great force against the wall.
During, all this paroxysm, one circum
stance struck me as confirmatory of his
insanity. . He carefully avoided meeting
my eye. When he had thrown the bone,
however, he turned to me, and I fixed his
gaze and saw him cower, immediately, as
all insane people will do.
Mr. Harrington,' said I, 4you can't ex
pect people to call upon you if you behave
so strangely.'
I 1,' he muttered 'I was provoked,
you see. . . . . . ...
Provoked ! nonsense !' -
I'm. the ghost-seeker, you know, he
said calmly, and people know. how an
noying I am. , -' '. - , . '
'That may be,' said I, 'but you ought
to know better, than to behave so ridicu
lously. -, . 111 place you in the way of see
ing as many ghosts as you likc.-y Why,
you are making a fuss about the common
est ihing to men of science that. can be.'
Mr. Harrington looked at-me with an
air of profound astonishment.
You shall be gratified,'. I continued.
Good day for the present. To-morrow
EBENSBURG, THURSDAY,
we will again meet and arrange the par
ticulars.' I saw his cheek grow pale, ami I con
gratulated myself that I had frightened
him a little. We said nothing particular
to Mrs. Harrington, except thai we had
hopes of a cure, and we then took our
leave.
What do you think of our plan V I said
to Dr. ."
It is the only one that presents any
chance of success,' he said. He may be
frightened out of his ghost mania.
So I think,' I replied; although we
may find some difficulty in carrying out
the scheme. The only chance is to bring
him to your or my house, and if needs
be we must make a ghost for him. I think
that the shock to the nervous system will
prove beneficial. As it is, he is a pest to
his whole household.
That he certainly is, and unless this
crotchet of his is checked by some strong
er feeling, he will become an unmanagea
ble lunaiic'
Well,' I said, 'I will call upon you to
morrow at ten, and we can take a quiet
drive to the villa, and consult upon a plan
of operations on the road. I pity his poor
wife from my soul.'
So we parted, and I flattered myself 1
had made' a step towards the cure of Mr.
Hairington.
The next
mornmz
I was true to my
! appointment
with
Doctor , whom I
j found waiting anxiously for,me
I like the idea of humoring this mania
of Harrington's, he said. Have you ar
ranged any means of carrying it out ?'
Yes,' I replied. 'We must get him to
my house, and I think I can then manage
it pretty well. I have a very dark room
in the back of my house, and I think if
we could get him there, and make him
'believe that we can easily gratify his
whim of seeing a ghost, that he will give
it up because it is no longer unattainable.'
4 1 think that nothing is more probable,'
said Doctor . Now let us see our
j patient.
we were conuueted to the room in
which Mr. Harrington sat, and were wel
comed by him in the same courteous
manner as on the preceding day. I in
quired after his health, and he replied
I am very well thank you. .Really you
are very kind. Will you take lunch ?'
Why, said I, the fact is, I made you
a promise yesterday, Mr. Harrington,
m w 9
which I am bound to fulfil. j
'Well,' he said quickly, 'I should not ;
have mentioned it, if you had not. What )
I want is to see a ghost. You know that?-' 1
Bang went his hand on the table, and I j
assented, saying, Certainly and you shall t
be gratified.' J
Gratified?'
'Yes.'
You mean I shall see a g'icsl?"
Certain!".
Along with you?'
'No, I can't say that. I have no liking
fur such company. Every one to his
taste you know, Mr. Harrington. You
shall see a ghost, but it must be alone.'
Alo.ie'
Yes, to be sure. You will be gratified.
Are you not the ghost-seeker?'
True very true. Then you believe
in in ghosts?'
You do likewise,' I replied.
Yes yes; but it's so strange you are
the only person I ve found who didn't
argue nie mad about what they call my
delusion '
I shock myhead in a ver' disparaging
manner of every body else, and 1 saw that
the monomaniac began to look upon ms
with fear.
You must come to my house,' . I con
tinued. -
Oh, very well, he said. Heie Mary
my dear, this gentleman is going to show
me a ghos t at last. Just take care of these
for me till I come back.'
So saying he disencumbered his coat
pockets of several human bones, and laid
them upon the table. I saw a tear in Mrs.
Harrington's eye, and her voice faltered
as she whispered to me
bhould you succeed in scaring from
his mind this terrible mania, you will
have restored ine to anew life.
It is only an experiment, my dear
Madam, we are trying,' I said; but from
what I can observe of the state of your
husband's mind, I am, I own, sanguine
of; success. - ; .. r - .1
Mr. Harrington, although with a little
nervousness of manner, stepped willingly
enough into my chariot, and he, I, and
Doctorproceeded to town very ami
cabtj. , l .
The room that I have mentioned in my
house, was admirably adapted for the pur
pose I had in view of alarming Mr. Har
rington, so as to give hira a thorough sick
ness of ghost-seeking. 1 could see be was
in a nervous, fidgety state, as we Droceed-
cd.'and h" looked almost .ts if hf would I
WHEN TUEV CEASE TO LEAD, WE CEASE TO
DECEMBER 5, 1830.
gladly run away when my carriage stopp
ed at. the door of my residence.
I took him by the arm, and at once led
him to the room I have mentioned, and
which, I ought to have stated, was a. dark
room, having no window'whatever, so that
I had been compelled to have gas laid in it
for my convenience.
Mr. Harrington looked a little scared
when he. saw the dark den in which I re
quesjjed.him to walk.
Sit down, sir,' I said. ! trust we
shall not. be obliged to detain you long
here.'
It's it's very dark,' he remarked.
'Yes,' said I, 'and . we must keep it so
to a cetain extent, or we shall not succeed
in out endeavors.'
I tffen lighted a small chemical lamp,
which, burned pyroligneous ether, and
whick only sufficed to impart an addition
al air of gloom to various objects in the
room.
The light from such lamps lobs the com
plexion of every particle of color; and if
the fae be placed near the flame, it acquires
the glustly hue of death. Doctor
purpoiely placed himself close to the lamp
and he being a man of florid complexion,
the pahd hue that the flame gave to his
face was all the more remarkable, and I
took care that Mr. Harrington should no
tice tt.j
Doctor ,' I said, you look very
ill; periaps you would rather not go any
further in this matter yourself. Mr. Har
ringtonand I can manage, I think, without
No-.no, replied Doctor , I'll stay.
But the real fact is, I do feel a strange
nervousness creeping over me.1
So iso do I,' said Harrington.
Thei,' said I solemnly, 'the lamp is
beginnirg to act.'
The amp,' cried Harrington.
Yes;; it's very singular, but that lamp,
if it be continued for any length of time at
tracts around it the inhabitants of another
world.'
Indeed. I I wasn't aware you had
begwa, stammered Harrington.
What was that Doctor V I said
suddenly pretending to hear something.
Eh what?' said Harrington.
Hush hush!' replied Doctor , 1
am sure one is here.'
One! eh?' cried Harrington, giving a
start. You don"t really mean '
'Sow I smell it,' I remarked.
Smell it?'
Hush hush!' I said, laying my hand
on Harrington's arm. 4Say as little as
possible. Don't vou smell a verv strange
odorl'
Yes.'
As if from some long pent up vault?
Yes yes.
Yherethe dead have been rotting for
centuries in aW the ghastly corruption of
the silent tomb?'
Yes; I I smell just that. It's it's
rather awful.
The fact is, that the pyroligneous ether
has a singular charnal house kind of smell
and approaches nearer to the peculiar o
dor from graves than anything else I am
aware of.
There, again! suddenly cried Doctor
, did you hear?'
Yes,' said I, 4a rushing sound.'
Yes yes,' faltered Harrington 4I heard
it too.'
My dear sir,' I said, you will soon be
gratified. I hope you will not again ask
for such an exhibition, for I know it will
be days before the impression leaves my
mind.
Yes it is certainly very dreadful, said
Harrington.
i was beginning to be disappointed that
our patient did not back out of the experi
ment before this, for I was scarcely pre
pared to go any further; and how to show
him anything that would do for a ghost,
I could not coceive on the spur of the mo
ment, I pretended to be busy about the
room, and as I passed Doctor ,1 whis
pered When I say, 'now it's coming,' putout
the light.
lie noaaea assent, ana 1 went to a
drawer in which were some osteological
specimens, and selected a finely-whitened
and well-articulated arm, with all the fin
gers very perfect. -
Now it's coming, said I, and at that
moment Doctor put out the light.
The light's gone out,' cried Harrington.
'Hilloa! Light light.' .
I gave a groan. "
What's that?' he cried 'eh? Doctor
r where are you? I don't like this.
God bless me! how very dark eh? Wfhat?
Didn't yon speak? What an odd smell!
Really, now, I eh?'
: Another groan. ' '. ' '
'Somebody in pain, Doetor-. J say
Doctor , opon second thoughts, do
you know, I think yon you need not
trouble yourself. After all, it's better to
to leave ghosts alone.' '
Here I mnde a most unearthly ourr'f,
FOLLOW.
9m m
which nearly threw "Doctor- into fits
of laughter, which he was nearly smoth
ered in suppressing. -
There there, cried Harrington. I
don't waut to ee one. That'll do. Let
them go. I say. I'm done with them. -Hilloa,
therel help! murder! good
God! murderl
I glided behind Doctor ' chair and
giving him a lucifer match, I said
Light the lamp again.'
He did so, and I having (he skeleton
arm in my hand, placed the long bony fin
gers over Doctor ... .'a shoulder.
Mr. Harrington turned his eyes towards
the light, and the first thing he saw was
the seeming hand of a skefeton grasping
the shoulder of Doctor :
"The Lord help us!' he cried, making a
spring to the door. 'There's one! there's
one!' .
Now, it never struck me that Doctor
was a nervous man himself, and did
not know what I was doing at all, and
when Harrington, with horror depicted on
his countenance called out, There one!
there's one!' he thought it merely the ef
fect of an excited imagination, and lie said
'Where, Mr. Harrington where?-' .
Help!' cried Harrington, tryingtoopen
the door which I had locked, on your
turned his eyes tolas shoul-
j der, and saw the hand apparently playing
with his collar, upon which, to my sur
I prise, he gave a jump, and upset the table,
' i I -i r
lamp anu everyming eisc, coming down
in the midst of the ruins himself with a
great crash. "
I ran and unlocked the door, dragging
Harrington out with me, who seem petri
fied with terror.
In at quarter of au hour afterwards, . I
bade Mr. Harrington good-bye at my door
when I said to him
Now, my dear sir, I think vou have
I had enough of ghosts. I should advise
you to take a trip to the continent and
amuse yourself,-
I find entered in my dairy, about six
months after
My dear fir I promised to write to
i you, and I do so with great pleasure to say
that we snail be in Jbngland by Uhrttmas.
By-the-by, I begin to think I was a little
cracked about that ghost business. I am
! quite ashamed of it."
Foreign Inlcrraddiiog
The New York A Ibion.a papsr eJiieJ
by an Englishmen, and supported chiefly
by British residents in this country, con
tains the following paragraph:
Mr. G. Thompson, M. P. for the Tow
er Humlets, arrived here by the last
steamer, and we learn with some s?nse
of shame, through public journals, that
j he is about to meddle tn the internal po
litical aliairs in tue Ui;iieJ biales or, m
the words of a London paper, to go through
an anti-slavery campaign. A tour of ob
servation thiough this country, and a
stud of its destructive characteristics
may be eminently useful to Englishmen
in public life. Dabbling in its local con
cerns is altogether another aflliir: and we
beg to enter a protest against it before
hand, lest individual action in this case
should be mistaken for national. Though
Mr. Thompson bj an able, an eloquent,
and sometimes a useful man in his I ig:ti
u.ate sphere, we hope that, if he thrusts
himself where he has no busine si to be,
he will receive that significant hint
miudycur own affairs."
These are sentiments (adds the Bil.i
m ore Pat riot,) which it becomes every
American to utter. We need not the
service of a foreign intermedJlcr like Mr.
Thompson. If he be a philantropist, and
has sincerely at heart the cause of. hu
manity, there is work enough for him in
Great Britain. Let him do what he can
to alleviate the misery of the poor factory
operaiives, and ameliorate the condition
of the half starved population of Ireland,
and he will have no time to spare to cross
(the ocean and preach humanity to us
! Americans.
JTovcl JUave.A. company have
formed themselves in New .YTork, for the
purpose of going to and working a mine
about a mile from the City of Mexico.
This mine was abandoned at the time of
the revolution, and has not since been
worked The Mexicans not. having the
facilities to bail out water, this company
have .contracted with Shields & Co., to
build an engine and, pumps, and W. Mc
Lean the boiler will be shipped in small
pieces in order that it can, be packed on
mules from the city of Mexico to the
mines. "I he shaft will ba nine hundred
feel in length. We 'hope this enterpris'
ing company may meet tvitn the success
the)' richly deserve. Cm. paper.
PrETlCAi,. Nightthrew fcermant!
o'er the world, n4 ptnn'd it with a r'ar
VOL. 7 IV o. a
THE XEEDl.E.
The gay beliee of fashion mi bold of xcr4
Log
In vtHz or coliliion ( btt or qu&drilU ;
And eeek admiration by Tauntingly telling
Of drawing;, aod painting, and musics', ikil'i
Gut give me the fair one, in country or city.
" NY he so iiouit aitd :t dotita are dr to lie
licart. Who cheerfully warblea aoens rattiest di'ty.
While p!ving the needle with exquiaits art '
Thr ' Lrljjhi I.tiie neocle tie sri"t Ci
needle.
The needle directed by aViTt and art.
If love Lave a potent, a. magical token.
A talisman, ever reaielleaa and true
A cbarm that i? nrvcr evaded or broken
A witchery certain the heart to eubdue
Tisthie and Ins armory nerer hit furnuJiOJ
So keen and unerring-, or polished a dirt;
Let beauty dirrcMt, to pointed and burcuhsd.
' And oit I it is certain of tcjchiny the l.eart
Ce A-iee lien, je maiden, nor seek admiration
Py drefting' fjr cciiquctt, and flirtio; tth
You never, wla'.cVt be your fortune r ats'.i v-
Appear half to Ijve'.y et real or at bil!.
At gaily convened at a work covered libl.
Each chectfuily active and playing Lerpiri
Beguiling the task wu'i 3 song or a ftbls.
And plying the atedle with exquuite arc
k Capital Acecdu'.c.
Pofessor Risley, who is now in Italy,
says that recently when he was in Venice
en American captain and an Englishman
mot at. dinner.
You are an American, sir?" sr id the
Englishman.
i reckon I am, returned the captain
You have the name of bein nreat
warrior7'
Yes, said the Yanke, 'we shod pret
ty well.'
'But Lew is i; you were so anriouj t?
make peace tvith Mexico? this dos not
appear much like spunk.
You are an Englishman!' inteirogateJ
the Yankee.
Yes,' replied the Engl.shman-
Well, said the Yankee, 'I don't knoiv
what our folks offered to do with Mexico;
Lut, stranger, I'll jest tell you cne thing
I'll be d d if we ever offered to mak
pesce with you!'
This home thrust at the Englishman
set the who'.e table in an uproar of laugh
ter. A Smart Bjy.
Weii tonne whose pigs arc iho"'
Old sow's, sir.'
Whose sow is ii?'
Our eld man' sir.'
'Well, then, who is your olJ man!'
'If you'll mind these pigs, l'il run horn
and ax the old woman.'
Never mind, sonn?y, I waut a smart
boy; what can. you do?'
Ah! I ran do itiDn than considerable.
I m:iks the geese, rides tne turkeys t?
water, ham strings the grasshoppers lights
fires lor flies lo court by, cut the bumns
cfTdads coat when he's at priyer, keeps
tally for dad and mam when they sco'd
at a mark old woman is always ahtai-
Got any brothers!'
'Lots of em ail nam-a Bill, except
Bob, his name.s Sam my name's Lary,
but they call tne Lazy Liwrcnce forshcrt
ness.'
Well you're most lot smart for me."
Travel on, o!d-stickin-the-mud, I
shant trouble you for a boss to day.
Precocity. 'Ma. said a little girl tl?
other day, who had scarcely entered her
teens, 'Ma, maiut I get :nar:ed?
hy child, said the anxious mother,
'what npoa earth put that notion in your
head?' .
; 'Cause a!l the oth-r g'r's are getting
married as fast as they can. and I vvan
to, too.'
W.lM-you mast nr.t think of such s
thing. Dn't you ever ask ma sach a
foolish question again Married! I naver
heard the like.
Wei, ma, it I can't have a husbmi.
maint J have a piece of bread and but
ttrr ; . :
Certainly, Now you begin to talk ra
tionally, and you may have as much as
you want. - When you have done, pu:
on your bonnrt and go to school."
i. tidy who has exhausted tne rzzzbi-
! Utv oTns.rr.es for her nuir.ciojs 4j?u
ter narnr-5 th? Jsit "Ann-so forth.
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