A Spiritualistic Story From Wales
: SPIRITUALISM.: Welsh Folk-lore
In an article relating to spiritualism in the February number of the
Fortnightly Review, a story was told which is here shortened. The
anecdote is given on the authority of a Welsh gentleman named Roberts,
who resided at Cheetham, near Manchester, and the scene of the adventure
is Beaumaris, the date 184--. The narrator was then an apprentice in a
draper's shop. His master was strict, and allowed his apprentice but
distance away from the shop. At whatever time he left the shop he had to
be back there punctually at half past twelve. One day he was late, and
while hastily swallowing his meat, his aunt being at the table, he looked
up and saw that the clock pointed to half past twelve! He was
thunderstruck, and, with the fear of his master before him, all but lost
consciousness, and was indeed in a dazed state for a few minutes, as was
noticed by those at the table. Shaking this off by an effort, he again
looked at the clock, and, to his relief and astonishment, saw that the
hands only pointed to a quarter past twelve. Then he quickly finished
his dinner and returned to the shop at the appointed time. There he was
told that at a quarter past twelve he had returned to the shop, put up
his hat, moved about in an absent manner, had been scolded, and had
thereupon put on his hat again and walked out. Several persons on the
one hand corroborated this story, whilst on the other his aunt was
positive that, although at that moment he had fallen into a strange fit
of abstraction, he had never left the table. This is the narrative,
attested by a gentleman now living. The year 184-- is not so far back;
perhaps there are still those residing on the upper side of the turf at
Beaumaris who remember the circumstance.
This tale in its nature is not unlike the others herein given. It
belongs to the supernatural side of life.
However improbable these stories may appear, they point to the notion
that spirits can exist independently of the body. The Irish fetch, the
Scotch wraith, and the Welsh Canwyll Corph, are alike in their
teaching, but of this latter I shall speak more particularly when
treating of death portents.
More
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