The next forenoon we examined the paper and found the writing on it was
intelligible, but at the same time conveyed no real information. They
were such answers as a woman might herself suggest to a person who was
slow in making a reply. One of them was, "You will know everything
perfectly when the right time comes." Mr. H. said, "My wife never could
have imagined all this; there must have been some occult communication
between her and Mrs. Thaxter. Neither do I think she ever heard before
of John Laighton." Mrs. Thaxter evidently was satisfied that she had
received messages from her father, who had been dead about two years;
and though the rest of us did not credit this, the fact in itself seemed
marvellous enough.
When some one remarked that he would give five dollars at any time to
see a ghost, Mrs. Thaxter retorted, "I think you would give fifty to
have him leave you again."
Where the poetical talent of the Laighton family came from is a rare
mystery. Both of Mrs. Thaxter's brothers inherited a share of it. A poem
of Oscar's was published in the "Atlantic" many years ago, and
afterwards included in her first volume of poetry. Cedric wrote a very
amusing parody on his sister's "Little Sandpiper," and sent it to her
when she was staying in Boston. The scene was represented in winter when
there wasn't any little sandpiper.
Mrs. Thaxter's poetry, however, was the making of Appledore as a summer
resort.
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