The Wilmingtonian, And Delaware Register

THE FORCE OF EDUCATION;

OR THE GHOST STORY.

It was ten o'clock—the moon was veiled in murky clouds, and no lone star twinkled in the firmament. All nature had sunk to rest, and was silent and solemn as the sepulchral shade of death: and I, as I rode slowly onward towards the cottage of my father, through a thick forest of lofty oaks, had fallen into a sort of sober, pleasing melancholy: sudden as thought, it occurred to me, that a few hundred paces before me, and directly in my road, an unfortunate worshipper of Bacchus had but recently in a fit of intoxication, been dashed by his horse against a tree and instantly killed!

My first sensation was one of chilling, sudden fear. But what should I fear? I had long before rejected and expunged from my creed, the ridiculous ghost stories of the ignorant, as irrational, unmanly and vulgar. Yet in vain did I protest to the stillness of the night, that I did not believe a syllable of all the ghost stories that had ever been retailed in the circles of superstition and ignorance, still my fears diminished very little, or remained in full force, or rose still higher. And now my philosophy gained a temporary ascendency, and now my terrors prevailed! In childhood I heard those foolish tales, and in the ignorance of childhood I had then believed those ghostly and terrible narratives, and still those impressions of early childhood hung around my heart and made me wretched. As I approached the dreaded spot, a conflict, dreadfully severe, was carried on between my philosophy and superstitious fears, but I firmly resolved, be the consequence what it might, I would go on and see whatever might be seen! I whistled to drown my fears! this would not do, and I sang as loud as ever I could; but even the echo of my voice seemed alarming, and again I was silent! My understanding stood fast to her philosophy, and declared against any fear of any alarming sight, but my heart cared not for this, but palpitated as freely as if I had no understanding.

My heart declared my head a liar, and my head declared my heart a fool! Still, however, I rode on, until the dreaded spot was just before me!—The place was at a descent in my way, and I had first to ascend the peaked hill before I could approach or see it; so that the foot of the fatal tree could not be seen until I was within a few paces of it. At this point I looked with eager fear to the spot—involuntary I bore upon the rein and stopped my horse! for, at the place where the tree stood, nought was to be seen but a whitish object of confused and uncertain shape!—I was ashamed to go back, and afraid to go forward!—But, finally shame prevailed, and I cautiously moved to the spot! And now I crowned my philosophy completely triumphant, for the dreadful object was but the stump of the fatal tree, which had but just been cut down, for the better security of other worthy citizens in a like condition.

A cowardly general who happens to conquer his foe, is almost sure, when there appears no danger to carry his conquest too far; so, I knew my boasted philosophy was virtually beaten in the contest, yet I felt somehow, when I saw there was no danger, resolved to convince myself that this was not the case, and to do this by carrying my victory into the enemy's territory; so down I got off my horse, and boldly seated myself on the stump which had so alarmed me, and declared myself possessed of no common degree of fortitude to do so. And longer had I enjoyed my proud triumph of reason, but for a heavy tread that was heard at the foot of the hill, on my left, in the wood, crushing the dry bush which lay on the ground, and advanced towards the road! —Again my fortitude began to fail, but unwilling so soon to lose the spoils of my rational conquest, maintained my position, but not without some perturbation, and not without fixing my eye on the place from which the noise proceeded. Still the sound approached, the footsteps seemed to strike the earth more and more heavily, until a large snow white body that seemed not to touch the ground, appeared, and paused in the midst of the road before me. I sprang on my horse, without being conscious of having changed my position at all, until it was done! Again I looked, and the ghostly form had assumed another shape, and a large ball of fire, which seemed to answer as an eye, glared on the sullen gloom of night! "Every hair seemed a nerve, and my hat seemed raised off my head! Again the apparition passed through another transmigration, and now two dreadful fiery balls glared on me' Cold chills ran over my body, and ice seemed to creep or to congeal along every vein! And now a dismal noise was heard like a hard and heavy inspiration of breath in the desperate struggles of death.

My whole frame shuddered, and all my philosophy fled from my head, and mixed with the terrified blood as it ran from my extremities, and rushed upon my heart, where philosophy and blood together, seemed instantly to freeze! And now, as the breath thus inspired, was poured upon the stillness of the echoing woods, in a hoarse and hollow sound, I was going to do, I know not what! But I distinctly recollected what I did do! I laughed—and well I might, for no sooner had I fairly heard that dreadful sound, than I recognized in it, the lowing of an old white cow, which had liberally contributed towards my sustenance and comfort. Her limbs being black, made her appear to be raised above the ground just her length. Her eyes, and my imagination formed the balls of fire. Her change of position, made all her mysterious transmigrations of shape, and so on. So here endeth my Ghost story; only tending to prove the pernicious tendencies of a common defect in education; the lesson, which, perhaps, all Ghost stories, well examined, would equally teach.