A Strange Twin

Robert Owen's book

One of the strangest stories about a doppelganger was chronicled in Robert Owens 1860 book, Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World.

Emilie Sagee lived in 19^th Century France. She was a single lady who made her living as a schoolteacher. She was pretty, likable and a good teacher by all accounts.

Despite this, she had trouble keeping a job, in fact, she was forced to move from town to town.

The reason for this is she had a ghostly twin who haunted her. This apparition since birth had plagued her life. For her twin was no ordinary ghost, it was a doppelganger.

She was fired from eighteen teaching positions because of this doppelganger.

It was during her time at her 19^th position that it was clearly documented what was happening. She obtained a position in Latvia at the Pensionat von Neuwelcke--a prestigious school for girls.

While teaching a French class in front of thirteen students, her twin appeared out of nowhere and proceeded to mimic her every move. Though all her students could see this ghost, Emilie could not.

During another lesson, this doppelganger appeared in front of the class sitting in Emilie’s chair. Emilie at the time was out in the school garden. Two brave students approached this apparition.

One of the girls tried to touch her, but her hand went straight through her. Later she reported it felt like her hand had touched a substance that felt like cloth.

Emilie’s twin would often follow the class when they took walks together. It always kept its distance. Again only Emilie’s students saw it, never Emilie.

It was also seen standing in the classroom doorway imitating Emilie’s every move. Not surprising, with these strange sightings Emilie lost her job at this school as well.

It is said that it is a blessing Emilie never met her own doppelganger for it is believed this would have brought her further bad luck.

A doppelganger is the exact double of a living person but is an apparition. In German doppelganger means, “double walker” for these phantoms are not ghosts in the traditional sense. They instead are a projection of a person who is not deceased.

It is like a person who has split in two or has the ability to be in two places at once. It is believed that Emilie’s doppelganger often appeared because she had a driving need to be a good teacher.

The following is a short video that highlights this story.

An Angel’s Hands

This is a 1^st person account of a Guardian Angel story told by a thankful teacher.

I worked at a school further down the coast from where my husband and I lived. I had an hour and a half commute each way.

I was returning home late one Thursday night from my school. I had participated in our annual Parent Night--and I was tired. It had been a long stressful week.

I was having trouble focusing as the headlights from other cars on the highway reflected off my windshield.

I turned off this busy interstate and headed down a two-lane country road that was a shortcut to my house. This road had a mountain on one side and a deep ditch on the other.

There were not many cars now and without the lights and noise of the other travelers I started to nod off. 45 minutes into my commute I slowly fell sleep.

I was startled awake at the sound of a horn blaring. In a daze I saw a large construction truck coming at my car in the dark.

Still confused, I felt warmth on my hands; I looked down at my steering wheel and saw two masculine hands over mine.

My car had drifted into the incoming lane. More alert now I watched as these two firm hands steered my car back into the right lane.

As I took over the steering these two hands disappeared. I uttered a soft, “Thank you” and concentrated on the road.

The whole incident had taken only a few seconds but my life had been saved.

When I told my husband I had fallen asleep he became extremely upset. He does not believe the part about the two extra hands. But I know it happened.

I still can see those two protective hands clearly. Sometimes I wonder if they might have been my grandfathers--he had passed several months before that night.

All I know for sure is a Guardian Angel came to my rescue and I will always be grateful.

A Beloved Teacher

This story took place over 150 years ago on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia. *

In the 1800s the owners of the rice plantations on St. Simons Island decided to hire a teacher to teach their children. They found a young teacher that lived in Ohio that was willing to move south.

Margaret was wise beyond her years. She had traveled extensively in both America and Europe and had attended some of the finest schools.

St. Simons Island

She settled happily into her new assignment. She spent her days at the little schoolhouse on the island teaching the plantation owner’s children. Then at night, she would teach the slave children at her home.

Many of the plantation owners objected to her teaching their slaves, but Margaret was strong-willed, so she prevailed in this endeavor.

One young slave boy, Joshua, became Margaret’s best pupil. Joshua loved the stories and poems Margaret read, and he often stayed late to hear more. 

He was lucky for his master was a kinder man than most of the plantation owners. He told his teacher that he felt learning would help him to gain his freedom in the future.

Unfortunately, Joshua never attained his dream. A slave uprising occurred on the plantation adjacent to his masters. The plantation owner was killed in this struggle, and a mob of angry men gathered that night to seek revenge.

This mob attacked several plantation slave quarters, including ones that had not been involved in the uprising. They came to Joshua’s family cabin, ripped down the door and started to beat his parents. Joshua jumped in to defend his mother and was clubbed on the head, he died instantly.

Margaret grief-stricken started to isolate herself from the rest of the community. It is said she only spoke now to the children that she taught. She was often seen wandering aimlessly through the island’s backwoods.

One day as she sat in the school preparing the next day’s lessons, she spotted a black raven that sat on one windowsill. This raven would fly above her as she walked home every day.

Isolated and lonely, Margaret began to read poems to this raven, as he sat near her in the afternoons. Two plantation children returned one day after school to find an item they had left behind. They quietly observed their teacher reading to this blackbird.

They ran home and announced to their parents that their teacher was “a witch.” Their parents ignored this, but rumors started to fly. Many people at the time had a fear of “black magic.” They began to wonder if this silent teacher could be a witch.

Others, not liking the fact that she taught the slave children started to add fuel to the fire. Hysteria took over, and an angry mob went to her home one night. They dragged her out, accused her of being a witch, and then killed her.

After this, the community refused to allow her body to be buried in the local churchyard. Joshua’s master, who was a kind man buried her alongside one road. He placed a stone marker on her grave. On it, he carved, “A Beloved Teacher.”

Soon after he buried her, people started to observe that all the vegetation in the area began to die. Even today, 150 years later, nothing grows in this area--no trees or moss or even grass.

* This story is a good example of how folklore often reflects people’s superstitions.