en she was near him,
he lost sight of her, but met her at supper, dressed as he had seen
her in the "levee". At that moment she was travelling by railway to
the town in which he was. {85a}
A large number of these cases have been printed. {85b} In one case a
gentleman and lady from their window saw his brother and sister-in-law
drive past, with a horse which they knew had not been out for some
weeks. The seers were presently joined by the visitors' daughter, who
had met the party on the road, she having just left them at their
house. Ten minutes later the real pair arrived, horse and all. {85c}
This last affair is one of several tales of "Phantom Coaches," not
only heard but seen, the coach being a coach of the living. In 1893
the author was staying at a Highland castle, when one of the ladies
observed to her nephew, "So you and Susan _did_ drive in the dogcart;
I saw you pass my window". "No, we didn't; but we spoke of doing it."
The lady then mentioned minute details of the dress and attitudes of
her relations as they passed her window, where the drive turned from
the hall door through the park; but, in fact, no such journey had been
made. Dr. Hack Tuke published the story of the "Arrival" of Dr. Boase
at his house a quarter of an hour before he came, the people who saw
him supposing him to be in Paris. {86}
When a person is seen in "Arrival" cases before he arrives, the affair
is not so odd if he is expected. Undoubtedly, expectation does
sometimes conjure up phantasms, and the author once saw (as he
supposed) a serious accident occur which in fact did not take place,
though it seemed unavoidable.
Curiously enough, this creation of phantasms by expectant attention
seems to be rare where "ghosts" are expected. The author has slept in
several haunted houses, but has never seen what he was led to expect.
In many instances, as in "The Lady in Black" (infra), a ghost who is a
frequent visitor is never seen when people watch for her. Among the
many persons who have had delusions as to the presence of the dead,
very few have been hoping, praying for and expecting them.
"I look for ghosts, but none will force
Their way to me: 'Tis falsely said
That there was ever intercourse
Between the living and the dead,
For surely then I should have sight
Of him I wait for day and night
With love and longings infinite."
The Affliction of Margaret has been the affliction of most of us.
There are curious his
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