The Project Gutenberg EBook of Real Ghost Stories, by William T. Stead

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Title: Real Ghost Stories

Author: William T. Stead

Editor: Estelle W. Stead

Release Date: January 22, 2007 [EBook #20420]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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REAL GHOST STORIES

Collected and Edited

By

WILLIAM T. STEAD

NEW EDITION

Re-arranged and Introduced

By

ESTELLE W. STEAD

NEW YORK:
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY

1921

INTRODUCTION.

During the last few years I have been urged by people in all parts of
the world to re-issue some of the wonderful stories of genuine psychic
experiences collected by my Father several years ago.

These stories were published by him in two volumes in 1891-92; the
first, entitled _Real Ghost Stories_, created so much interest and
brought in so large a number of other stories of genuine experiences
that the first volume was soon followed by a second, entitled _More
Ghost Stories_.

The contents of the two volumes, slightly curtailed, were, a few years
later, brought out as one book; but the three volumes have long been out
of print and are practically unknown to the present generation.

I remember when I was a child my Father read some of these stories aloud
to us as he was making his collection; and I remember, too, how thrilled
and awed we were, and how at times they brought a creepy feeling when at
night I had to mount many flights of stairs to my bedroom at the top of
the house.

Reading these stories again, after many years' study of the subject, I
have realised what a wealth of interesting facts my Father had gathered
together, and that not only the gathered facts, but his own contributions,
his chapter on "The Ghost That Dwelleth in Each One of Us" and his
comments on the stories, show what an insight he had into and what an
understanding he had of this vast and wonderful subject.

I felt as I read that those who urged re-publication were right, that if
not a "classic," as some have called it, it at least merits a place on
the she