WCP3961

[1]

Broadstone, Wimborne

Decr 8th. 1904

Dr. R. Garnett¹

Dear D^r. Garnett

I am much obliged to you for sending me your friend’s letter, which I return. From the outline of the story he sends, I feel sure that it cannot be the one referred to by Borrow.² It seems to me a very ordinary type of ghost-story — or rather as I should say of spirit appearance — of which we have so many in all ages & in all countries. Certainly Borrow would never have spoken in [2] such terms as he does of the story he refers to, if it were not in some way distinctive, and unusually dramatic. I cannot imagine this one exciting the enthusiastic applause of a chance company of Welsh peasants. There are a dozen better stories in R. Dale Owen’s³two volumes — all well authenticated — while "A Wonderful Ghost Story" first published ^{(and twice)} in Dickens'⁴ All the Year Round, and republished by the widow of the author in 1882, is, I consider, by far the most wonderful of all, and also the [3] best authenticated, since it was written and published by the man to whom it occurred — it spread over some months at several distinct times and places, and all with a purpose of adequate importance, ^{which it fulfilled.} The author was a well-known English portrait painter Mr. Thomas Heaphy,⁵ thoroughly trusted by his friends as a man of integrity, who in ^it described as accurately as possible what occurred ^{to him.}

If you have not read this, pray do so. The little book, which gives important correspondence with Dickens, is pub^d. by Griffith & Farran.

My interest in L. de Vega’s⁶ story [4] so praised by Borrow, is to see whether that or this, can claim to be the most wonderful ghost-story in the World

Believe me | yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]