r they would
forthwith leave my church, and attend service elsewhere. There are many,
I fear, who adopt this attitude; but it will soon become out of date.

Some of my readers may cavil at the expression, "_True_ Ghost Stories."
For myself I cannot guarantee the genuineness of a single incident in
this book--how could I, as none of them are my own personal experience?
This at least I _can_ vouch for, that the majority of the stories were
sent to me as first or second-hand experiences by ladies and gentlemen
whose statement on an ordinary matter of fact would be accepted without
question. And further, in order to prove the _bona fides_ of this book, I
make the following offer. The original letters and documents are in my
custody at Donohil Rectory, and I am perfectly willing to allow any
responsible person to examine them, subject to certain restrictions,
these latter obviously being that names of people and places must not be
divulged, for I regret to say that in very many instances my
correspondents have laid this burden upon me. This is to be the more
regretted, because the use of blanks, or fictitious initials, makes
a story appear much less convincing than if real names had been employed.

Just one word. I can imagine some of my readers (to be numbered by the
thousand, I hope) saying to themselves: "Oh! Mr. Seymour has left out
some of the best stories. Did he never hear of such-and-such a haunted
house, or place?" Or, "I could relate an experience better than anything
he has got." If such there be, may I beg of them to send me on their
stories with all imagined speed, as they may be turned to account at
some future date.

I beg to return thanks to the following for permission to make use of
matter in their publications: Messrs. Sealy, Bryers, and Walker,
proprietors of the _New Ireland Review_; the editor of the _Review of
Reviews_; the editor of the _Proceedings_ of the Society for Psychical
Research; the editor of the _Journal_ of the American S.P.R.; the editor
of the _Occult Review_, and Mr. Elliott O'Donnell; Messrs. Longmans,
Green and Co., and Mrs. Andrew Lang; the editor of the _Wide World
Magazine_; the representatives of the late Rev. Dr. Craig.

In accordance with the promise made in my letter, I have now much
pleasure in giving the names of the ladies and gentlemen who have
contributed to, or assisted in, the compilation of this book, and as well
to assure them that Mr. Neligan and I are deeply grate