“In my father’s house, there lived a maid-servant, who one night was sent for beer into the cellar. We were all seated at the table, but could not set eyes upon the servant or beer. My mother, who was rather of a hasty temper, rose from table, and went out to call her. As it chanced, the cellar door was open, but she could not make the servant hear. My mother ordered me to bring a candle, and go down into the cellar with her. I went first to light the way: but as I looked straight forward, and did not mind my steps, all at once I fell over something rather soft. My light went out and getting up, I put my hand upon another hand, quite motionless and cold, which caused me to give an involuntary shriek. Upon the cry that I uttered, down came the cook-maid with a candle. They drew near, and we discovered the poor girl stretched all along upon the ground, face downward, in a swoon. We raised her up, and let her have a smelling-bottle. She recovered her spirits, but had hardly lifted up her eyes, when she cried out: ‘There! there! she is there still.’ ‘Who is there?’ replied my mother. ‘That tall woman in white,’ answered she, ‘there, standing in the corner. See! see! see!’ We looked the way that she pointed; and really did see, as she described it, somewhat white and of a tolerable length, suspended in a corner. ‘Is it only that?’ replied the cook-maid, bursting out a laughing, ‘why that is nothing but a SHOULDER OF MUTTON, which I bought last night. I hung it there, that it might be quite fresh and cool, and put a napkin round it, to keep off the flies.’ She immediately took off the napkin, and exhibited the shoulder of mutton to her fellow servant, who stood trembling with terror.
“It was about a quarter of an hour before she was convinced of her ridiculous mistake. She would at first insist upon it, that the phantom stared her in the face with saucer eyes; that she had turned to run away, but that the ghost had followed her, fastened on her petticoat, and seized upon the candle in her hand. What happened after this, she could not tell.”
“It is very easy to explain all this,” said Mr. Vernon: “and assign the reason why your servant fancied thus extravagantly. When the fright first seized her and she swooned, the circulation of the blood was stopped, and she could not run away; so she thought that she had been held. Her limbs were deprived of their strength, so that she could not hold the candle, and therefore supposed that the spectre took it from her.”
“We are happy,” added he, “that the understanding and good sense of people have begun to dissipate these foolish notions concerning ghosts and goblins. There was once a time of so much ignorance, that these ideas, mixed with superstitious notions, had deprived the boldest of their courage; but, thank heaven, they are now almost done away in towns; though they exist now, in the country, where it is not at all uncommon to hear of witches, and evil spirits.”
Mr. Fitzwilliam remarked, that many boys took delight in frightening their playmates, not thinking of the ill effects that generally attend such pastime. I have myself been very lately told of an unhappy incident, which shows how terribly the effects of fear may act on children. I will tell you the tale, my little friends, and I hope the story will not fail to cure you of a wish to frighten one another when it is dark, if ever you give way to such a practice.
