The Ladies' Garland

GHOST OF AN ARM CHAIR

A lady assured the editor of the truth of the following story: She had ordered an arm chair, which stood in her room, to be sent to a sick friend, and thought it had been sent conformably to her orders. Waking, however, in the night, and looking by the light of the night lamp, at the furniture in the room, she cast her eyes on the place where the said chair used to stand, and saw it, as she thought in its place. She at first expressed herself to her husband as being vexed that the chair had not been sent, but as he protested that it was actually gone, she got out of bed to convince herself, and distinctly saw the chair even on nearer approach to it.—That now became very remarkable was, that the spotted chair cover, which was over it, assumed the appearance of being studded with bright stars.—She got close to it, and putting her hand out to touch it, found her fingers go through the spectre unresisted. Astonished, she now viewed it as an illusion, and presently saw it vanish, by becoming fainter till it disappeared. Dr. Foster considers this apparition as affording a clue to one mode by which spectres are introduced, namely, by local association. The lady had anticipated seeing the chair in its place, from its always being associated with the rest of the furniture, and this anticipation of an image of perception was the basis of a corresponding image of spectral illusion.

[Every Day Book.]