but instantly arose, dressed, and went downstairs, where she found not a creature stirring.  Her father, on coming down shortly afterwards, naturally asked what had made her rise so early; rallied her on the cause, and soon afterwards went on to his sister-in-law’s house, where he found that she had just unexpectedly died.  Coming back again, and not noticing his daughter’s presence in the room, in consequence of her being behind a screen near the fire, he suddenly announced the event to his wife, as being of so remarkable a character that he could in no way account for it.  As may be anticipated, Emma, overhearing this unlooked-for denouement of her dream, at once fell to the ground in a fainting condition.

On one of the thumbs of the corpse was found a mark as if it had been bitten in the death agony. {300}

We have now followed the “ghostly” from its germs in dreams, and momentary hallucinations of eye or ear, up to the most prodigious narratives which popular invention has built on bases probably very slight.  Where facts and experience, whether real or hallucinatory experience, end, where the mythopoeic fancy comes in, readers may decide for themselves.

Footnotes: 

{0a} Principles of Psychology, vol. ii., p. 115.  By Professor William James, Harvard College, Macmillan’s, London, 1890.  The physical processes believed to be involved, are described on pp. 123, 124 of the same work.

{0b} Op. cit., ii., 130.

{4} Story received from Miss —–­; confirmed on inquiry by Drumquaigh.

{5a} Phantasms of the Living, ii., 382.

{5b} To “send” a dream the old Egyptians wrote it out and made a cat swallow it!

{8} See “Queen Mary’s Jewels” in chapter ii.

{10} Narrated by Mrs. Herbert.

{11a} Story confirmed by Mr. A.

{11b} This child had a more curious experience.  Her nurse was very ill, and of course did not sleep in the nursery.  One morning the little girl said, “Macpherson is better, I saw her come in last night with a candle in her hand.  She just stooped over me and then went to Tom” (a younger brother) “and kissed him in his sleep.”  Macpherson had died in the night, and her attendants, of course, protested ignorance of her having left her deathbed.

{11c} Story received from Lady X. See another good case in Proceedings of the Psychical Society, vol. xi., 1895, p. 397.  In this case, however, the finder was not nearer than forty rods to the person who lost a watch in long grass.  He assisted in the search, however, and may have seen the watch unconsciously, in a moment of absence of mind.  Many other cases in Proceedings of S.P.R.

{13} Story received in a letter from the dreamer.

{16} Augustine.  In Library of the Fathers, XVII.  Short Treatises, pp. 530-531.

{18} St. Augustine, De Cura pro Mortuis.