A Thin Ghost and Others

I have described in these lines pretty much all that a superficial observer would have noted when he looked into the room. What met Dr. Ashton's eye when he looked out of it, sitting in his leather arm-chair? Little more than the tops of the shrubs and fruit-trees of his garden could be seen from that point, but the red brick wall of it was visible in almost all the length of its western side. In the middle of that was a gate-a double gate of rather elaborate iron scroll-work, which allowed something of a view beyond. Through it he could see that the ground sloped away almost at once to a bottom, along which a stream must run, and rose steeply from it on the other side, up to a field that was park-like in character, and thickly studded with oaks, now, of course, leafless. They did not stand so thick together but that some glimpse of sky and horizon could be seen between their stems. The sky was now golden and the horizon, a horizon of distant woods, it seemed, was purple.

But all that Dr. Ashton could find to say, after contemplating this prospect for many minutes, was: "Abominable!"

A listener would have been aware, immediately upon this, of the sound of footsteps coming somewhat hurriedly in the direction of the study: by the resonance he could have told that they were traversing a much larger room. Dr. Ashton turned round in his chair as the door opened, and looked expectant. The incomer was a lady-a stout lady in the dress of the time: though I have made some attempt at indicating the doctor's costume, I will not enterprise that of his wife-for it was Mrs. Ashton who now entered. She had an anxious, even a sorely distracted, look, and it was in a very disturbed voice that she almost whispered to Dr. Ashton, putting her head close to his, "He's in a very sad way, love, worse, I'm afraid." ...

The next best collection, "Casting the Runes and Other Stories" edited by Michael Cox, contains most of MRJ's supernatural stories and is quite a bit cheaper than "A Pleasing Terror."

The following stories are included in "A Thin Ghost and others":

"The Residence at Whitminster"--Dr. Ashton, Dean of Whitminster, himself childless, attempts to raise his wife's sister's orphaned son. He also takes in the Viscount Saul, the Earl of Kildonan's heir, who is a youth of rather morbid disposition. As the story opens, the orphaned Frank is dying of what appears to be brain fever, brought on by a great fright. Lord Saul is overtaken by a fit of laughter when he hears that Frank is dying. However, he does not laugh for long. Many years after the sudden deaths of Frank and Lord Saul, a new family takes residence in the prebendal house at Whitminster. Miss Oldys, niece to the family, discovers a scrying glass that once belonged to the sinister Viscount Saul.

"The Diary of Mr Poynter"--A book collector finds a sample of fabric in an old diary and decides to have it reproduced as curtains for his bedroom.

"An Episode of Cathedral History"--Mr. Lake is deputed to examine the archives of the Cathedral of Southminster, and is curious to see what the ancient building looks like at night. He hears the tale of a rather plain altar-tomb and what transpired when a Victorian Dean attempted to move it.

"The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance"--This is the only one of MRJ's stories that was specifically set over the Christmas holiday, even though he wrote many of his stories to be read at Christmas. The sudden, mysterious disappearance of his uncle forces a young man to cancel his previous holiday engagements and join the search that is in progress for his relative, who was a rather unlikeable rector. This story features a rather grisly Punch and Judy show, and an equally horrible Christmas service in the Rector's former church.

"Two Doctors"--Dr. Abell and Dr. Quinn (think 'Abel and Cain') both live and practice in the same parish. Dr. Abell appears to be a dabbler in the supernatural, and blames Dr. Quinn for the loss of his patients. Dr. Quinn begins to have horrible nightmares about a man who is struggling to break free of a chrysalis. He believes that the nightmares are brought about by his old bed linen, so he buys new linen that is "marked in thread with a coronet and a bird." When Dr. Quinn is found smothered in his bed, the ghastly origin of the new linen comes to light.