Ireland would make to a letter which
might place a considerable amount of trouble on their shoulders. My mind
was speedily set at rest. On October 30, the first answers reached me.
Within a fortnight I had sufficient material to make a book; within a
month I had so much material that I could pick and choose--and more was
promised. Further on in this preface I give a list of those persons whose
contributions I have made use of, but here I should like to take the
opportunity of thanking all those ladies and gentlemen throughout the
length and breadth of Ireland, the majority of whom were utter strangers
to me, who went to the trouble of sitting down and writing out page after
page of stories. I cannot forget their kindness, and I am only sorry that
I could not make use of more of the matter that was sent to me. As one
would expect, this material varied in value and extent. Some persons
contributed incidents, of little use by themselves, but which worked in
as helpful illustrations, while others forwarded budgets of stories,
long and short. To sift the mass of matter, and bring the various
portions of it into proper sequence, would have been a lengthy and
difficult piece of work had I not been ably assisted by Mr. Harry L.
Neligan, D.I.; but I leave it as a pleasant task to the Higher Critic to
discover what portions of the book were done by him, and what should be
attributed to me.

Some of the replies that reached me were sufficiently amusing. One
gentleman, who carefully signed himself "Esquire," informed me that he
was "after" reading a great book of ghost stories, but several letters of
mine failed to elicit any subsequent information. Another person offered
to _sell_ me ghost stories, while several proffered tales that had been
worked up comically. One lady addressed a card to me as follows:

"THE REVD. ----

(Name and address lost of the clergyman whose letter appeared lately in
_Irish Times, re_ "apparitions")

CAPPAWHITE."

As the number of clergy in the above village who deal in ghost stories is
strictly limited, the Post Office succeeded in delivering it safely. I
wrote at once in reply, and got a story. In a letter bearing the Dublin
postmark a correspondent, veiled in anonymity, sent me a religious tract
with the curt note, "_Re_ ghost stories, will you please read this." I
did so, but still fail to see the sender's point of view. Another person
in a neighbouring parish declared that if I were their recto