Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1911 — A COLLEGE GIRL’S JOKE [ARTICLE]

A COLLEGE GIRL’S JOKE

Result of an Experiment In Spirit Photography.

“Human pervejMion. gentlemen.” said Professor Grimsby, lecturing to his class, “is very limited. The telescope shows us what is invisible to the human eye, and photography shows us what the telescope alone fails to re-‘ veal. A portion of the heavens exposed for hours to the telescopic camera gives a photograph of stars the existence of which could not otherwise be recognized.” Julian Main waring, one of those who heard the lecture, was of an inquiring turn of mind. “If an invisible star.” he reasoned, “may be photographed by long exposure, why not an invisible spirit?” The more he thought on the subject the more he felt disposed to make an attempt to test the truth of his theory. He took up his camera and. going to his homestead, now in charge of a caretaker, went to a room on the second floor, placed an old rocking chair in a window and planted his camera to point toward it. Now, it so happened that Julian Mainwaring bad a omsin, Kate Mainwaring. in the woman's college of the university, to whom he confided his experiment. Kate confided the matter to a friend, and in the afternoon the two girls visited the homestead, carrying between them a large gripsack. That evening Julian removed his plate and the next day made a proof. When he came to examine the result of his labor he nearly collapsed with astonishment. While he was examining it he received a note from his cousin Kate asking him to come in the evening and let her know the result of his spirit photography. On arrival he found several of Kate’s classmatesand several of his own. “Come. Julian.” said Kate as soon as he entered, “we are all anxious to learn the result. Did you get grandmother on your plate?" “I got something very queer,” he replied. producing his proof. It was a good deal blurred, as might be expected from a ghost picture, but there was recognizable not a wrinkled old woman. but a pretty young girl. Kate threw up her bands. “Grandma 1” she exclaimed. “Why. it’s a young girl,” said one of the fellows. ‘lt’s grandma as a girl.” said Kate. “You don’t mean it!” cried one of the girls. “Wonderful. 1 ” exclaimed another. “What a pleasure to know,” remarked one of the fellows, “that women at least are always young in the spirit land.” “And frivolous.” said one of the girls more given to flirting than to study. “At any rate.' they wear becoming clothes —the clothes they wore at the most attractive age.”

“Why, it’s grandma’s pink silk.” said Kate. “Mamma baa it upstairs in a trunk.” “What is she doing?’ “Sewing, but she’s put down her work and—would yon believe it?—she’s taking a pinch of snuff.” “Snoff! A young girt take snuff!” “Grandma did as an old woman, and that’s her snuffbox. It’s among our heirlooms.” “If they dress young they should act young. No girl ever took snuff.” “Julian, old fellow.” said one of his classmates, “tell us how you got it.” “You see, old Grim in bis lecture the other day, speaking of stellar photography”— “Yes; we all heard that. Go on.” “Well, it occurred to me to try the principle on spirits. I’ve heard father say that my great-grandmother, who died forty-five years ago at a very old age, used to sit every afternoon in the old rocking chair at a certain window. I resolved to try the camera on her. I left it exposed eight hours. You see the result. I don’t know what It means any more than you do " “I have heard Kate has the power of calling up spirits.” said one of her classmates. “I never beard of it,” said Julian. “Try it. Kate.” There was a universal demand for a spirit from the Hostess, so to quiet the clamor she called: t “Come forth, grandma!” A door opened, and the counterpart of the spirit photograph walked Into the room. She. wore grandma’s pink silk, though the color was nearly gone; grandma’s shoe buckles, grandma’s powdered wig. and in her hand she held grandma’s snuffbox, from which she proceeded to take an imaginary pinch. Julian Malnwaring stood looking at the apparition with eyes and mouth wide open. The others, all of whom were watching the effect upon him. burst into a laugh. Seeing that be had been made the victim of a practical joke, his eyes flashed ominously. “Come. Julian.” said Kate; “we’ve only had a little fun. You mustn’t mind our kittenish ways." “1 thought 1 told you my plan in confidence.” retorted Julian severely. “So you did. and I told Julie in confidence, and between us two we resolved to play a game on you. What will you take to forgive us?” Julian looked at the pretty “made up” girl longingly. “I think,” he said. “If grandma would give me a kiss I would forgive you.” ■ Grandma paid the penalty, and the room was cleared for a dance. 1