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and( i cr at twilight, especially pc pi rj n 111 ilt
a door. Let us have lights.”
He rang the bell. The servants came
,11 with the lamps and tea , and I pet*
suaded myself I had been mistaken. But
somehow I did not like to think of that
face at th door ; and I shunned making
the inquiry, whet! c the housemaid had
looked in.
A lew weeks later, we were to go up
to town to pass the London season with
my parent-, who had taken a house there;
and wc had engaged to pay visits to vari
ous relations in the country afterwards,
before returning to Manorbere for the
cub hunting in September. The mem
bers of the hunt who happened to be still
remaining in the neighborhood had got
up a party dinner, at which Captain Mac
-13 a*mara was to make one. It took place
at Barton, a town five or six miles from
us, and at an early hour, because some of
the party had a long ride home afterward.
I dined alone at our usual time. I walked
in the garden a little with our favorite
teirier, Fussy, and then I sat lazily en
joying my tea and anew book till I found
myself beginning to nod. hooking at
my watch, I saw it was already eleven
o'clock, and knowing that my husband
might be expected home in half an hour
or so, 1 preferred waiting up for him to
going to bed ; so I went to the piano to
rouse myself. Fussy, who was very fond
of music, sat up, stretching himself, and
followed me to the instrument, where he
placed himself at mv feet. Alter playing
several pieces, the old Beethoven waltzes
returned to my memory, and I began
them.
L must make the confession that after
the evening when that very unpleasant
lace had looked in so mysteriously, I had
been weak enough to have the piano
mov< and so as to sit facing any one who
might come to the door. There was only
one lamp in the room, on my reading
table; so the other end of the spacious
apartment was imperfectly lighted.—
Looking up as [ played, to my astonish
ment, I saw in the distance what I thought
to be two white mice capering about on
the floor. I left the piano and went to
the spot, but nothing was to be seen.
This did not surprise me, ns naturally the
timid creatures would run away at the
slightest movement; but being very fond
of animals, I wanted to discover them, and
sought under the sofa and chairs, and in
.every corner of the room. All in vain.
At last, hoping that if I kept quiet they
might come out again, and wondering at
the music seeming to attract them, I sat
down once more to my waltzes. In an
instant, there they were again, going
round and round with the greatest regu
larity; but the moment I stopped play
ing, or moved from my place, they were
gone. This happened three or four times,
and the oddest thing was that Fu-sy,
who was rabid after rats and mice, instead
of flying at these little creatures, crept
close to me and crouched trembling by
my side.. I was glad of it, for I did not
wish to have the pretty dancers killed,
and i had just recommenced my tune
for the fourth time when the door opened
and my husband entered and waltzed up
the room towards me while the little
creatures kept time with him perfectly,
seeming to follow his steps. .
‘•.Dick! Dik!” said I, without stop
ping my music; “look there ! Did yen
ever see anything so curious?”
He paused, looked in the direction in
dicated by my eyes, and then in a tone
of utter amazement, exclaimed, —
“Feet ! by Heaven !”
lie stood as if petrified. Nothing was
to be seen £f the strange apparition. I
-told him what had happened, and that 1
believed them to be white mice that I
had seen.
“Mice !" said ho. “As sure as I stand
here, it was a little pair of feet in white
satin shoes ! Go back and play.”
I did so.
“There they are again, by ? Heavens !
Come quickly.”
I ran to the end of the room, but no
trace of them appeared.
Next morning wc started for London
in the full expectation of returning to
Ma norbere early in September. But we i
were summoned in the beginning of that
month to what proved to be the death
bed of my dear father, and changes in
the family arrangements consequent
upon that event kept us some weeks
away.
During this time an uncle of my hus
band's was appointed to the governorship
of a colony, and wrote to offer his nephew
the post ot naval aide-de-camp, which lie
gladly accepted. Before the year was
out, we had sailed for our new destina
tion. When wc came back to England
the haunted house had ceased to exist.
A railway company had bought it and
run its iron road clean across the pretty
garden. The house was razed to the
ground, the trees were felled, and corn
now grows on the scene of the ghost’s
waltz.
For some time Dick an l I kept the
story of the ghost’s waltz strictly to our
selves; but the public mind is now so
well prepared fur the reception of mar
vels, that I have no hesitation in desiring
its acceptance of this little history. Ac
customed as every one is, now-a-days, to
hear—though certainly not to see—how
gentlemen who print their indisputable
experiences, elongate themselves, flatten
themselves, graze themselves against
ceilings, and flit in and out of three-pair
of-stair windows; how instruments of
music can play for their’own amusement
in odd corners out of humanity’s reach,
or fly about in the air, while human
beings float among them; how hands;
unattached (like retired colonels), can
gather flowers and crown poets; and how
spiritual beings can return fiom the grave
to enjoy a game of romps under a loo
table, or talk more dreary nonsense than
they talked in life, if possible; there sure
ly can be no difficulty in believing the
simple fact of a poor little pair of feet in
white satin shoes returning to this world,
at the summons of a favorite tunc, to finish
a dance unexpectedly cut short by ruth
less Death!
POSTULATA FOR DEFINING PAPAL IN
FALLIBILITY.
From the Vatican.
LETTERS ADDRESSED TO EACH OF THE
FATHERS*BY THE PROMOTERS OF THE
MEMORIAL IN FAVOR OF THE .DEFINI
TION.
Most Reverend and Most Excellent
Lord:—As the petition enclosed in this
letter indicates, the undersigned Bishops,
together with others, have concurred in
soliciting from the Oecumenical Council
the sanction of that Catholic doctrine ac
cording to which we profess that the au
thority of the Roman Pontiff, when teach
ing all the’faithful with Apostolic, power
any quesFon of faith or morals, as su
preme, ; ■ 1 therefore exempt from
error.
It is ol ibe highest importance that as
many Fathers as possible should demand
the sanction of this doctrine, either for
the same or for similar reasons.
We request, therefore, Most Reverend
and Most Excellent Lord, that you
would not only yourself subscribe this
proposition or petition, but invite other
Most Reverend Fathers, whom you know
to be of the same mind with us, to do so
likewise.
You will then be pleased, with the
least possible delay, to forward the peti
tion bearing you own signature, and if so
be, the signatures of other Fathers, to
one of the Bishops whose names are ap
pended to this letter.
The signatures thus collected we will
transmit to the special Commission nomi
nated to receive propositions by our Most
Holy Lord, Tope Pius IX.
If, however, you should deem any other
mode of urging the same request better
and more appropriate, wo beg that you
will not omit to present to the same Com
mission your own petition.
The sheets containing the reason tvhy
this petition is deemed opportune and
necessary, and the decrees of Provincial
Councils, your Most Reverend Excel
lency may retain at your own pleasure.
Rome, January 3, 1370.
Here follow the names of Bishops,
beginning with the Patriarchs of Alexan
dria and Cilicia.
TRANSLATION OF THE PETITION IN
FAVOR OF THE DEFINITION-
The undersigned Fathers humbly and
earnestly beg the holy (Ecumenical
Council of the Vatican to define clearly,
aud in words that can not be mistaken,
that the authority of the Roman Pontiff
is supreme, and therefore, free from error
when in matters of faith and morals he
declares and defines what is to be believ
ed and held, and what to be rejected and
condemned by all the faithful.
REASON FOR WHICH THIS DEFINITION IS
THOUGHT OPPORTUNE AND NECERSARY
The sacred Scriptures plainly teach
the Primacy of jurisdiction of the Roman
Pontiff, the Successor of S. Peter, over
the whole Church of Christ, and, there
fore, also his Primacy of supreme Head
ship.
The universal aud constant tradition
of the Church, as seen both in facts and
in the teachings of the Fathers as well
as in the manuer of acting and speaking
adopted by many Councils, some of which
were (Ecumenical, teaches us that the
judgments of the Roman Ron iff iu mat
ters of faith aud morals, are unulte- 1
ruble.
Iu the Second Council of Lyons, Anno
Domino 1274, with the consent of both
Greeks and Latins, the following profes
sion of faith was declared :
“When controversies in matters offaitu
arise, they must be finally settled by the
decision.of the Roman Pontiff.” More-
bubii ©g iioeifs.
over, in the (Ecumenical Synod of Flor
ence it was defined that ‘the Roman Pon
tiff is Christ's true Vicar, the Head of
the Church, and the Father and Teacher
of all Christians: and that to him in the
person of blessed Peter was given full
power by Jesus Christ to rule and go
vern the whole Church.” Sound reason,
too, teaches us that no one cau remain in
communion of faith with the Catholic
Church who is not of one mind with its
Head, since the Church can not be
separated, even in thought, from its
Head.
Yet some have been found, and even
now some may be found, who, boasting
ot the name of Catholic, and using that
name to the ruin of those weak in faith
are bold enough to teach, that sufficient
submission is yielded to the authority of
the Roman Pontiff, if we receive his
decrees in matters of faith and morals
with an obsequious silence, as it is term
ed, without yielding internal assent, or
at most granting a conditional assent,
until the approval or disapproval of the
Church has been made known. Any
one can see that by. this perverse doctrine
the authority of the Roman Pontiff is over
turned, all unity of faith destroyed, a wide
field opened to errors, opportunities
afforded of spreading them far and
wide.
Wherefore the Bishops, the guardians
and protectors of Catholic truth, have
endeavored especially now-a-days to de
fend in their Synodic decrees, and by
their united testimony, the supreme au
thority of the Apostolic See.
The more clearly, too, has Catholic
truth beeen declared, the more vehement
ly has it been attacked both in books and
in the press, thus to excite Catholics
aganist sound doctrine and prevented
the Council of the Vatican of defin
ing it.
Wherefore, if formcly many could have
doubted the opportunities of declaring
this doctrine in the present (Ecumenical
Council, it would seem now to be ab
solutely necessary to define it. For the
Catholic teaching is again attacked by
those self-same arguments which, when
before used against it, by men condemn
ed by their own j idgmeut, have been
expressly condemned; arguments which,
if carried to their ultimate consequences,
would bring to the ground the very
Primacy of the Roman Pontiff and the
infallibility of the Church itself; with
which also, the most violent abuse of the
Apostolic See is frequently joined. Nay,
more, the most bitter assailants of Catho
lic doctrine, though'they call themselves
Catholics, are not ashamed to assert that
the Synod of Florence, which so clearly
declares the supreme power of the Ro
man Pontiff, was not (Ecumenical.
It then the Council of the Vatican,
when thus challenged, were to be silent
and give no testimony of the Catholic
doctrine on this point, tlieu indeed would
Catholics begin to doubt the true doc
trine, and some modern writers would
triumphantly assert that the Council had
been silenced by the arguments brought
forward by them. Nhy they would even
abuse this silence on every occasion, and
openly deny the obedience due to the
judgments and decrees of the Apostolic
See in matters of faith and morals,
maintaining that the Roman Pontiff can
be deceived in definitions concerning such
matters.
Wherefore the public good of Chris-i
tianity seems to require, that the holy :
Council of the Vatican, again acknowledg
ing and explaining more fully the j
Florentine decree, should define clearly
and in words that can admit of no doubt,
that the authority of the Roman Pontiff
is supreme, and therefore, me from
error, when in matters of faith and
morals he decrees and ordains what is to
be believed and held by all the faithful of
Christ, and what to be rejected and con
demned by them.
There are, indeed, some who think
that this doctrine should not be defined,
ost thereby schismatics and heretics
shouldjbecome more hostile to the Church
But above all other considerations Catho
lics have a right to be taught by the
Council what they ought to believe in so
important a matter, and one which has
been lately attacked iu so base a man
ner, lest, this ruinous error should in the
end infect the simple and unguarded
minds of the multitude. Therefore did
the Fathers of Lyons and Trent think
that tiiey wero bound to establish the
doctrine of the truth, in spite of the
off.nee that might be'taken by schisma
tics and heretics.
Tor it the latter seek the truth in
sincerity tiiey will not be repelled, but
on the contrary, attracted rather, when
they see on what foundations the unity
and strength of the Catholic Church
chiefly repose. But if any were to leave
the Church in case the true doctrine be
defined by the (Ecumenical Council,
such would be few iu number, whose
faith too has already suffered shipwreck;
for they ODly look for an opportunity of
leaving that Church by some external
act, which they plainly show that they
have deserted already in heart. These
are they who have not shrunk from ever
disturbing the Catholic world, and from
whose snares the Council of the Vatican
ougnt to protect the faithful children of
the Church. For all true Catholics,
taught and accustomed to render most
perfect obedience of mind and tongue to
the dec ices of the Apostolic Roman See,
will receive with joyful and devoted
hearts the definition of the Council of the
Vatican concerning the supreme and in
fallible authority of that See.
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE
OF THE BANNER OF THE SOUTH.
IRELAND.
Every day produces fresh evidence of
the interest which all classes evince in
the due adjustment of the land question.
Tennant-Right demonstrations continue
to be held in every district, and the oft
told tale of Ireland’s wrongs is once more
published to the Nation, with a frank and
fearless eloquence, and with an unequivo
cal demand tor justice which it would be
worse than error for England to deny.
Latterly, the Priests have strengthened
the cause by the eloquence and energy
they never fail to display in forwarding
the interests of the people, and by the
powerful influence they exert on the tone
ot public feeling in Ireland. The day
has arrived when the necessity of “jus
tice to Ireland” appeals, not to Eng
land’s sympathy or to England’s sense
of fair-play, but to what, during the
whole course of her political bis.ory
whether in Ireland or India, has rover
ceased to be her just consideration—Eng
land’s interest. Ireland then, is quite
assured that when the latter is involved,
she may reasonably hope for better days,
convinced by 7 centuries of sad experience,
that a sense of her own interest has cxr
ercised an influence over England’s that
a due consideration of the justice or in
justice of any pi iceeding could never
have produced. If then tie spirit of the
times and the existing state of cireum
stances can prove to Englmd’s satisfac
tion that the due administration of the
long-denied justice, wcvtld contribute,
however indirectly, to her own benefit.
There is not the shadow of a doubt but
that justice will be done. Ireland, more
over upon the authority of the same sad
experience, can inform the landlords, if
it will afford any consolation to that body,
tint England was never troubled by any j
mrvous scrupulosity as to the manner in !
wtich she effected her own ends so that j
if hey have any such theories as “indi
vival interest,” “sacred rights of proper
ty 7 Ac., to support, unless they can
idntify them with England’s interest,
si would advise them to yield them up
wfe Christian like resignation and bo
pipared for the worst. . That the land
qustion bears materially upon the wel
fai of England generally, is a fact which
evry day renders more apparent. In
thifirsfc place the old supports of her
poer in Ireland have fallen to the
grcrsd. The English Church—once the
prcd and luxurious establishment—is
recced to an insignificant sect, that
sects alike deserted by God and man.
IhOrangemen have lost their influence,
andheir own divisions have rendered
theipowerless in the very strongholds
of tlir ascendancy. In these days both
thesinstruments of British power are
wort.than useless. Will England then
be uncharacteristically blind to her
intents as not to discard those super
anmsed tools of penal times, and ren
der Ir power a thousand fold more firm
by Ling aside the miserable policy she
has slong pursued, and entering- with
a livg interest into the consideration of
Irelal’s wrongs, the prompt establish
ment f her rights, and securing thereby
the fimdship and loyalty of Priests and
peopi?
Inie second place, we know that de
cline' great and powerful nations is a
fate fbd in the mrture of things, and bite
eventind exciting circumstances would
seem suggest that England has seen
the bihtest days of her power and in
fluence Wc know that her wealth and
com mac is the secret of her greatness,
and tli.by the grand construction of the
I Suez mal, the tide of Oriental mer
i ehand* is completely diverted from her
shores, and will thenceforth enrich th*
classic cities of the Miditerranean At
present her trade is unquestionably dull
destitution is almost unprecedented!v
prevalent in her cities, and thousand* of
emigrants are daily hurrying from her
’shores. On the other hand, i u poor per
secuted Ireland laboring under the load
of her grievances, the aspect of things is
daily becoming more cheerful. °He r
trade, however limited, is indisputably
firm ; the condition of the farmer and
laborer is daily improving; even agri
culture, under the distressing difficulties
of the landlord absolutism is unquestiona
bly progressing; education is rapidly
elevating the moral status of the people
aud last, though not least, never was re
ligion more flourishing or the salutary
influence of the Church of God more
Powerful from end to end of Catholic
Ireland.
. not England then, find it to her
interest to conciliate her lon<- per
secuted sister, and regard lier°as the
probable stay of her old age aDd her
loyalty and prosperity as a consolatiou
in the eveningof her days ? That she has
already contributed no small share to
England’s greatness, is a fact beyond
the possibility of a doubt. If then,"by a
salutary appreciation of the niutuaf in
terests of both nations, she removes the
great barriers to progress and concilia
tion, who will doubt that the Irish peo
ple, with a vested interest in the Irish
soil, in the free exercise of all the privi
leges of a nation, would not be one of
the most prosperous and loyal in the
British Empire. Late years have proved
that this view is gaining ground in the
English Legislature, and has already been
manifested in an extended franchise, and
a levelled ascendancy. We now stand
on the eve of a legislation a hundred-fold
more important than either, and one on
which the hopes of the Nation is placed
and m which the welfare of the country
in general, and the individual interest of
all classes in particular are involved.—
W hat the state of Ireland requires and
what the Irish people, with more force
and unanimity than they have displayed
for centuries demand, is already known
through the length and breadth of the
nation ; how far English legislation wiil
find it incumbent upon them to cor
respond to the exigencies of each, the
s ‘ssion of IS7O will determine.
FRANCE.
The prompt measures of the Executive
sc eni to have quieted the commotion of
the l reuch people. It they were at all
inclined to enact the romance of a revo
lution with Rochefort for their hero, and
the Noir tragedy ns its ruling feature,
they seemed to have preserved a profound
sense of the inconvenience of encounter
ing the Chassepot in the hands of a sol
diery unquestionably attached to the
reigning dynasty. The consequenoe is
i ie P n °ple have quietly returned to
the prosaic paths of their daily life and
resigned the romance to Rochefort, and
Noir in his cold grave at Neuilly. ’ The
trial of Prince Buonaparte has* not yet
concluded; in the meantime he has
brought an action against the Marseil
laise for stating' that he murdered a
shepherd.
Rochefort was tried and convicted, and
sentenced to six months imprisonment
and a tine of francs. His associates
m the Marseillaise were sentenced to
six months imprisonment and fines o»'
2,000 and 500 francs’.
Tropman has paid the debt of the of
fended law. Ho was executed on the
l!Jth of January. Ho exhibited great
fear on the scaffold and struggled vigor
ously with the executioners. The sene
ol the execution was thronged with thru
sands
SPAIN.
There was a rumor that the Duke of
Montpensier had been elected to the
Spanish throne, but advices received since
state that though successful on the two
first days of liis podmg that he was com
pletely beaten on the third.
A motion was brought before the
Cortes to exclude the brances of the
Louibon family from the throne but was
negatived by a large majority.
Veritas.
—
Os Doubtful Propriety. — A numb, r
of our Congressmen last week, regaled
their hearers with jnflammatorv speeches
against Great Britain, denouncing tie
conduct of that Government against In
land as outrageous and wicked. That
may do for “bunkum,” but while the
V ashington Government is torturing and
oppressing the people of the South we
deem it useless to talk about our neigh
bors. Charity always begins at home
Irish oppression is bad, but Virginia
and Georgia is worse. This is supposed
to be a Republic, not a monarchy.—
-Those living in glass houses should
throw no stones.
Clearfield (Pa.) PcpbUcan.