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Was It an Illusion? A Parson's Story
What had become of him? And what lad was that going up the path by which I had just come-that tall lad, half-running, half-walking, with a fishing-rod over his shoulder? I could have taken my oath that I had neither met nor passed him. Where then had he come from? And where was the man to whom I had spoken not three seconds ago, and who, at his limping pace, could not have made more than a couple of yards in the time?.My stupefaction was such that I stood quite still, looking after the lad with the fishing-rod till he disappeared in the gloom under the park-palings.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1881
About the author
Amelia B. Edwards
331 books62 followersAmelia Ann Blandford Edwards
An English novelist, journalist, lady traveller and Egyptologist, born to an Irish mother and a father who had been a British Army officer before becoming a banker. Edwards was educated at home by her mother, showing considerable promise as a writer at a young age. She published her first poem at the age of 7, her first story at age 12. Edwards thereafter proceeded to publish a variety of poetry, stories and articles in a large number of magazines.
Edwards' first full-length novel was My Brother's Wife (1855). Her early novels were well received, but it was Barbara's History (1864), a novel of bigamy, that solidly established her reputation as a novelist. She spent considerable time and effort on their settings and backgrounds, estimating that it took her about two years to complete the researching and writing of each. This painstaking work paid off, her last novel, Lord Brackenbury (1880), emerged as a run-away success which went to 15 editions.
In the winter of 1873–1874, accompanied by several friends, Edwards toured Egypt, discovering a fascination with the land and its cultures, both ancient and modern. Journeying southwards from Cairo in a hired dahabiyeh (manned houseboat), the companions visited Philae and ultimately reached Abu Simbel where they remained for six weeks. During this last period, a member of Edwards' party, the English painter Andrew McCallum, discovered a previously-unknown sanctuary which bore her name for some time afterwards. Having once returned to the UK, Edwards proceeded to write a vivid description of her Nile voyage, publishing the resulting book in 1876 under the title of A Thousand Miles up the Nile. Enhanced with her own hand-drawn illustrations, the travelogue became an immediate bestseller.
Edwards' travels in Egypt had made her aware of the increasing threat directed towards the ancient monuments by tourism and modern development. Determined to stem these threats by the force of public awareness and scientific endeavour, Edwards became a tireless public advocate for the research and preservation of the ancient monuments and, in 1882, co-founded the Egypt Exploration Fund (now the Egypt Exploration Society) with Reginald Stuart Poole, curator of the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum. Edwards was to serve as joint Honorary Secretary of the Fund until her death some 14 years later.
With the aims of advancing the Fund's work, Edwards largely abandoned her other literary work to concentrate solely on Egyptology. In this field she contributed to the ninth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, to the American supplement of that work, and to the Standard Dictionary. As part of her efforts Edwards embarked on an ambitious lecture tour of the United States in the period 1889–1890. The content of these lectures was later published under the title Pharaohs, Fellahs, and Explorer (1891).
Amelia Edwards died at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on the 15 April 1892, bequeathing her collection of Egyptian antiquities and her library to University College London, together with a sum of £2,500 to found an Edwards Chair of Egyptology. She was buried in St Mary's Church Henbury, Bristol,
Wikipedia: Amelia B. Edwards
An English novelist, journalist, lady traveller and Egyptologist, born to an Irish mother and a father who had been a British Army officer before becoming a banker. Edwards was educated at home by her mother, showing considerable promise as a writer at a young age. She published her first poem at the age of 7, her first story at age 12. Edwards thereafter proceeded to publish a variety of poetry, stories and articles in a large number of magazines.
Edwards' first full-length novel was My Brother's Wife (1855). Her early novels were well received, but it was Barbara's History (1864), a novel of bigamy, that solidly established her reputation as a novelist. She spent considerable time and effort on their settings and backgrounds, estimating that it took her about two years to complete the researching and writing of each. This painstaking work paid off, her last novel, Lord Brackenbury (1880), emerged as a run-away success which went to 15 editions.
In the winter of 1873–1874, accompanied by several friends, Edwards toured Egypt, discovering a fascination with the land and its cultures, both ancient and modern. Journeying southwards from Cairo in a hired dahabiyeh (manned houseboat), the companions visited Philae and ultimately reached Abu Simbel where they remained for six weeks. During this last period, a member of Edwards' party, the English painter Andrew McCallum, discovered a previously-unknown sanctuary which bore her name for some time afterwards. Having once returned to the UK, Edwards proceeded to write a vivid description of her Nile voyage, publishing the resulting book in 1876 under the title of A Thousand Miles up the Nile. Enhanced with her own hand-drawn illustrations, the travelogue became an immediate bestseller.
Edwards' travels in Egypt had made her aware of the increasing threat directed towards the ancient monuments by tourism and modern development. Determined to stem these threats by the force of public awareness and scientific endeavour, Edwards became a tireless public advocate for the research and preservation of the ancient monuments and, in 1882, co-founded the Egypt Exploration Fund (now the Egypt Exploration Society) with Reginald Stuart Poole, curator of the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum. Edwards was to serve as joint Honorary Secretary of the Fund until her death some 14 years later.
With the aims of advancing the Fund's work, Edwards largely abandoned her other literary work to concentrate solely on Egyptology. In this field she contributed to the ninth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, to the American supplement of that work, and to the Standard Dictionary. As part of her efforts Edwards embarked on an ambitious lecture tour of the United States in the period 1889–1890. The content of these lectures was later published under the title Pharaohs, Fellahs, and Explorer (1891).
Amelia Edwards died at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on the 15 April 1892, bequeathing her collection of Egyptian antiquities and her library to University College London, together with a sum of £2,500 to found an Edwards Chair of Egyptology. She was buried in St Mary's Church Henbury, Bristol,
Wikipedia: Amelia B. Edwards
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 29, 2020
A good, old fashioned ghost story. Nicely done.
December 23, 2022
I greatly enjoyed this haunting tale about a mysterious schoolmaster and a boy with a fishing rod. Dark, atmospheric, memorable. I liked that there are elements to the mystery that are decidedly human in origin, and the ghostly aspects are built on this solid foundation. A sad story, but quite satisfying.
May 6, 2019
A very nice blend of a ghost story and crime!
November 21, 2022
Cringe
June 20, 2024
A very old well sketched story.a victorian atmosphere a short hooking novela
What started like a ghost story turned to be and finished as a crime story
Passing by a lake the narrator saw a lad and a man
Strangely they appeared from nowhere and strangely disappeared .
He discovered that the man is the school headmaster I think
And strangely a third shadow appeared when the two men talked
The body a a 14 years old lad found dead in the same lake
And suddenly the lake ..the whole lake caved under ground between day and night the lake disappeared
The ghost story took another turn and the boy found dead was the school headmaster's relative whom turned to be his own son
The father broke down and confessed his crime
But before getting what he diserved he commetted suicide
It's amazing how Amelia could in just 48 page draw such a well written novel in two levels thriller and horror
Going together each one adds to the beauty and the structure of the other story and bulding it at the same time
Providing the two genres with all their unique features and parts
I listened to it as an audiobook and I loved it
What started like a ghost story turned to be and finished as a crime story
Passing by a lake the narrator saw a lad and a man
Strangely they appeared from nowhere and strangely disappeared .
He discovered that the man is the school headmaster I think
And strangely a third shadow appeared when the two men talked
The body a a 14 years old lad found dead in the same lake
And suddenly the lake ..the whole lake caved under ground between day and night the lake disappeared
The ghost story took another turn and the boy found dead was the school headmaster's relative whom turned to be his own son
The father broke down and confessed his crime
But before getting what he diserved he commetted suicide
It's amazing how Amelia could in just 48 page draw such a well written novel in two levels thriller and horror
Going together each one adds to the beauty and the structure of the other story and bulding it at the same time
Providing the two genres with all their unique features and parts
I listened to it as an audiobook and I loved it
November 11, 2020
A nice easy to listen to combination of murder mystery and ghost story. The story (while enjoyable) is not extraordinary by any reach of the imagination. It is well written and would be a great read for children who enjoy a good ghost story.
February 27, 2018
A classic horror story of the mind playing tricks on you, or is it? It is unusual in the telling but if you are able to deal with the traditional Victorian writing style you will highly enjoy this ghost tale. It can feel a little long winded at times but at the same time the tale will draw you along. Still see the pictures in my mind.
March 27, 2024
A chilling tale! This short horror story isn't in-your-face scary, but masterfully builds a quiet dread that lingers. The ambiguous plot leaves you questioning reality, a strength that makes the story so effective. Perfect for a quick, unsettling read that will stay with you. Highly recommend for fans of atmospheric horror!
May 8, 2023
When the Parson travels to inspect a small-town school, he witnesses such a paranormal event that he is unsure if it was real or not! A murderous tale that I Highly Recommend!
October 31, 2019
31 Classic Horror Stories Every Fan Should Read in October: A Literary Advent Calender for Halloween: Day 29
https://www.oldstyletales.com/single-...
https://www.oldstyletales.com/single-...
January 10, 2018
now this is a ghost story told perfectly a great set up and thrilling middle and an amazing ending it wasn't scary but it was thrilling and a twist i kinda expected but was sure of till the end perfect perfect loved it 🤓 truely thrilling
October 29, 2019
Good little ghostly journey
December 30, 2020
Ironic foreshadowing of tragic events, set in the 19th century - heartbreaking social issues involving overbearing masculinity, illegitimacy and parenting.
Depicts the hard life of working classes including miners in the northern English Yorkshire moors.
Themes of illusion and reality are portrayed through the story lines - taking shortcuts accross the moors, disturbing the environment with underground mines, and the deception of others by a village schoolteacher.
Moving at a fast pace, the story is narrated by a school inspector, who is a former college friend of a mine owner. Read this as part of the October 2020 Halloween ghost short story a day
Depicts the hard life of working classes including miners in the northern English Yorkshire moors.
Themes of illusion and reality are portrayed through the story lines - taking shortcuts accross the moors, disturbing the environment with underground mines, and the deception of others by a village schoolteacher.
Moving at a fast pace, the story is narrated by a school inspector, who is a former college friend of a mine owner. Read this as part of the October 2020 Halloween ghost short story a day
December 11, 2022
The best ghost story I’ve read/listened to in a long time. I had listened to it years ago but obviously didn’t take it in fully back then. This time I loved it and the atmosphere was as thick as the fog described in the story.
Worth a read.
Worth a read.
December 20, 2017
A good ghost story, not particularly stand-out but I've read a lot of ghost stories and this is one of the better ones.
December 24, 2017
Policeman reluctantly gets transferred to small town Pitt End. He starts seeing things. Good ghost story ensues.
January 3, 2021
A decent read with a combination of supernatural and crime. The backdrop of the story line is enjoyable and at times fascinating as well. But not to expect something too thrilling or mysterious.
February 9, 2021
Interesting story! Secrets never stay buried for long..
February 23, 2021
Beautiful and weird, just how I like it!
February 26, 2021
This was a good, old-fashioned ghost story. Entertaining.
June 26, 2021
Well was it?
October 21, 2022
4.5 stars
October 12, 2023
Classic gothic horror.
May 18, 2024
The Victorian writing style got to me, but in the end this was worth it.
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https://4201mass.blogspot.com/
June 4, 2024
4.25⭐
December 23, 2022
A school inspector traveling to villages to test the scholars’ knowledge is impressed by one school and the teacher in the village of Pit End. But he wonders at some strange things he sees, especially when he thinks the teacher is lying to him. When the body of a young boy is discovered in a pond, he has even more reasons to distrust what is going on there. It’s an entertaining ghost story, with justice finally being meted out, even if all the strange occurrences cannot be explained away.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews