The Wingham Times, 1885-01-02, Page 6A Ghost Adventure.
Why gost stories tyre only told at
Ohristmes, I never could it.nrgine, 1
know it was not so in our family with
which at no time or seaaon did they
seem out of place; though the period
of periods was when we went toOlere-
mead.
Clereme d, the property of my un•
ole Cheshire, was a liyria construct;
ion bein; half frame house, half a gen-
tleman•s residence, though age • had
east its mellowing touch over the
place and rendered it a harmonious
whole.
It was a big and delightful house,
with high and low ceilings, and oak
beams, from which in the kitchen,
hung rich, brown hams and sides of
bacon that had the pleasant power of
creating immediate appetites, and
causing the thoughts to stray t.i de-
lieious•white and golden poached eggs.
In this the farm wing the oldfashion-
ed chimney nooks h..d still been re-
tained—wide, spacious plao;s, with
seats at each side fcr those who could
support the heat.
There were also long, long, low,
and after nightfall, vary dark pass•
ages leading by abrupt angles one in-
to the other, among which one {night
easily lose oneself, if not well acqua-
inted with the geography of the place,
and rooms to enter whieh. you had
either to mount up or go down ane or
two steps. It was telly a vast :gin-
tiling old place, capital to play hide-
and-seek, and other old-fashioned
games, and nothing pleesed us girls
better than to go there.
It was upon one of the last named
oc.asions that a happy party of grand
parents, uncles, aunts and cousins
were assembled about the fire, telling
ghost stories. I, then about eighteen
sat beside Harry Cheshire, my uncle's
eldest son; and finch work had I to
stop the stupid fellow's absurd talk,
not that I really thought it absurd,
only his whispering attracted the at-
teution of the others, who kept up lc
constant battering of quizzing, till the
stories increasing in interest all beside
was forgotten.
I can well remember my grand-
mother's contribution—• -a dear, pleas-
ant old lady„ with soft white hair and
fresh clear complexion. She told the
truth and all I can say upon the mat■
ter is, that I never knew hor guilty of
a falsehood.
(The authorcan answer for tho truth
of the following incident being closely
eonnected with the ladye to whom it
occurred.
'Well,' she began, '1 was then a lit-
tle child, some ten years younger thein
Jessie, and. was as cureless and light-
hearted as any girl could be ; besides
knowing a little about ghosts end the
supernatu: al as 1 diel of the different
strata of the earth1 trod so lightly.. I
had several relations, but I liked none
so well as uncle John. They say love
begets love. I chink so, for he certain-
ly seemed to regard me as fondly as
he might have done a child of his own.
I perfectly remember my first great
grief when I heard that for his health'
sake he had to leave England ; but a
child's sorrow, even the most acute, is
of bre f duration; tho buoyant spirit
that requires years of the world's hard
• Sad teaching to tone down, regained
their sway, and soon I was as merry
as ever, though always looking for -
forward with delight to uncle John's
return.
It was about six weeks after his de•
parl:t,ire that, having complained of a
dreadful headache all day, 1 went to
hod early; yet, though I so longed to
lie down,. when I did I could not go
to sleep, but laid awake watching the
silver moonbeams streaming through
the curtains and rest on the different
articles of furniture in the apartment
seeing all, as it were, in a dreamy,
state between wafting and sleeping
Suddenly something on the wall by my
side attraeted my attention, fully ar
easing. me. I turned, to behold their
A bright, goV en, yet vague light. As•
ttonishment aad rear kept my eyo
riveted on the a ttot, when, 1 e1'eve it
set no, my little doors,, the light eleein,
•
THE WIN GAM .TIMES .. 1D .Y• JAN TJ A.RY
to take the form of my uncle Joint
from the waist upwards. Yes, there
he was, gazing down upon me in his
,sual loving way, though now there
was an expression of sweet melancholy
upon his face.
'Sinking on on my pillow unable to
move or take away my gaze, I lay and
looked, when the figure spoke, saying
in a s'.•ft, eTear voice :—
"Mildred.
•—'Mi:drecl, Mildred --May heaven
him you 1'
1 come) not, nay tongue, as iny limbs
was paralyzed with terror, and after
a moment the appar::ation faded away.
No soonor had it gone that} motion
returned, and, drawing the clothes
over my head, C passd the whole et
that night a prey to the greatest ter-
ror, sleeping by starts, and too fright -
toned to summon any of the
So I remained, never uncoveriug my
eyes, till the servant came to arouse
ane in the moaning, whereupon, bury-
ing my face on the pillow, I burst in-
to a passionate flood of tears. The
servant, alarmed, belrevirg me to be
ill, hastened to my parents. I1lyfatli-
er soon appeared, and after much
soothing, expostulation, and enquiry,
managed to extract from the cause of
my sorrow.
'Nonsense—nonsense, child !'' he
ea:d, in a jesting tong.
'There, cl'-y your eyes, littla woman,
and come to b-ealcfast. Yo have had
the nightmare and it has • frightened.
you.'
T did not reply. for I felt it knew it
rias no nightmare; but, quickly dress
ing went,, with a pale face,. read eyes,
and aching head, down to breakfast.
That meal was scarcely over, when
a special messenger came to n,y father.
I perceived he opened the envek pc
anxiously and that his face changed
as he read the contents. Then he i e'd,
with a meaning look at my mothe'
'Mary, this is strange indeed. All
over. Ile expired at ten o'clock last
night !'
'x es, it was so. Uucle John was
dead ; but, before his spirit had taken
its flight, it had come to bid his little
queen farewell.:'
Granclmamina's story was well re-
ceived and commented upon. Then
aunt Matty told of a haunted House,
where the piano played of its own ac-
cord—that. is, if it were not touched
by ghostly fingers—for once, while
staying there, she had heard it her-
self; and believing some of her friends
were playing her some trick, had
crept stealthily up, and, opening the
door suddenly, had expecteflto see the
jokers, but, to her surprise, had dis-
covered that not a soul was in the
room and the piano shut.
Just as the ghost telling was at its
height Harry Cheshire abruptly struck
in
'As you are all talking of spirits in
other houses: why clo you not say ,a'
word for ours 1
Of course you all know that Clere-
mead has a ghost ?'
'Hold your tongue, you silly fellow!
Don't frighten the girls so,' said my
uncle.
] ut there was no staying our awak-
ened curiosity. *It bora all obsticles
before it, like the suddenly opened
sluice cf a liver, and . wo would let
Harry have no peace till lie told . us
what be meant.
'Welt then, you must Into •v,' he re.
joined, .edging his chair a little further
into the semicircle, 'that, in the long
corridor with the three high wsndows,
and from which the otheve passages
diverge, on every Ohristtnns Eve there
is to be seen the figure of a woman,
clothed in black, with her head bent
downwards.'
A little scream escaped from seine
if our rips, as we exclaimed in min.
,led dowbt and for ;
'Why, this is Christmas Eve ! We
never heard of this ghost before. Ch
clear 1 I shall never sleep to -night 1'
'Nonsense—nonsense, lassies 1' broke
in uncle Cr a .faire• 'the boy is 1t ughing
at yon,"
'] am not, i I -ally,' pe- sided (Tarry.
•Cleretneacl has a Boost. We took
it with the House, though it was not
set down gene ng the fixtures, for Chit,
reason ; as it only comes once a year,
in cau hardly be termed one.'
have you seen it, • Rlaster Ilarry ?`
asked my faker.,
'Nva; for it is not elonrly stated at
what hour it .comes , and, I edufess, 1
prefer a warm bed to hunting a ghosts
whioli they say, freezes the blood in
your veins merely to look upon.'
'Como—cemo broke in uncle Chesh-
ire , 'I will not have you terrify yam
' cousins in this manner, Let us
change the subject.
'Thou it is true unole ?' I put in.
'No, my love. 1 give in to only
one tru npparation, and that ie. the
one your grandn c iuma relates.
The certainly is some old story in ro-
ped to what Harry had said ; but in
all our long residence here, though we
have come across many people who
know some one who las seed it, wo
have never inet some one ourselves;
The fact is, the h cunted reputation wf
Clererneact arose from an incident.
which they say occurred here over a,
hnndre:t years age.'
We all begged to hear the incident,
and uncle Cheshire , in Lis short, clear
decisive way gave it in a few words.
"Miry, then, over a ce: tory ago,
Ueremead was the property of a Su.
Fraucis Morcambe, whose only oliild
he had clistuheritecl, owing to her
having followed her mothers fortunes
who, for his unkindness, had parted
from him. • In this daughters place he
ado; ted a niece, and brought her up
c a his heiress. The approach of
death, however restored. humanity and
justice to his heart, tae re -called his
daughter„ reiustated her iu her prc,per
posit'on, and thus disposed his niece
The latter silently vowed revenge for
which purpose she laid iu wait for her
sou=.in in the long corridor, determin-
ing in darkness to cast vitro! over her
ant thus destroy her lie.euty perhaps
for life. All was prepared : the young
girl approaehed. The cousin started
forward to cast the horrible fluid, but
the fringe ofa shawl slie wore catch-
ing her hand, jerlcud the contents of
the cup into her own face. She died
in frightful agony, and there is an
end to.the Oleremead Ghost ; so, my
dears if you pat as much belief:in the
story as lido, you may sleep on this
the anniversary of the event, or any
I other night in -perfect safety.
Of course we all protested our utter
increaulito—though, 11 ani Eure, the
stery made some hearts Lea' a ,little
faster—after which the subject was
dropped. ,
It was not renewed again until my
cousin Mand and I were in our bed-
room, chatting before retiring to rest
When after a few moments passed in
reflection, with her eyes fixed on the
fire she said :
'Jessie, I have been thinking about
our Oleremead ghost, of which Harry
spoke to -night, and I fancy that it is
rather a shame that we should have
lived here so long without having put
his rumor to the test.'
'And how would you do so, Maud !
I asked.
'Why by watching' for..,it,. to be
sure
''Birt Harry i aid the time - of 'its
coming was unknown.
'1 am aware he said so, but that is
scarcely true : the reputed time is 1
o'ck.
'Dlocei y'
ou propose, then, that we
should watch for it to -night, Jessie?'
I sai'Wd.
ell,' she replied hesitatinglyr 'I
should not mind; but of course you
having no interest in the event would
you care.
'Indeed I sehould—indeed I dht,uld
ratherlike' the fan and the rendwn of
such an adventure,'
'Ilion we will go,' she exclaimed,
gleefully, starting tap ;, 'Yes, it will be
capitol fun, and a groat event to relate
at the broadest table to-mcrro% We
shall shame Halty too.
Our ; rr:ange:ne.its were soon me.cl(1
Throwing a warns. spited cbont our
shoulders, we crept softly f'om the
room, and proceeded to.• to ghostly
• confider:
Seating ouree sin alk oaker,
settle placed at eteast trwl of it, we be
gun to watch. rev sidle , for We feared
tq'spe'ik lest wire elieeerel ire' hoard.
We had sat thus for about half' an expressed her there ngh approbation
hour—a time that appeared double to of the i"ritale Otter giros; ad:r itttes 1L '
us—when I felt my breath einner quick an affeetienate embrace, saying r
find My. pnlse n eelereted, or clear "No* Jennie we shall I ave two
the furthest window I was curtain I wonderfnl eventa to relate to• morrow
saw a dark shadowy figure. 1 'half at bre•et:fast table.'.
extended nlfy l auct to dir et Maud's By the sante tune on the following
attention to it, when' looking ngttin year. e bad r:lutngcd my name for that
it was gone, and l began to attribute of Cheshire, and ltarla horse of my
it to some oculardelusion, through own, into the past History itS which 1
the gaze living been rather tired and had made the minutest inquiry, as
over tried by the gloom. Harty tend f had no desire for such
Si I retrained quite stili, a very another ghost adventure to happen
little time after I fancied I heard a though, in our caro„it had ixo pleasant
low ruinhl.ng sound at the other end a termination,
of the corridor. ] listened. No—I R'antoe to Know tiro Motivo-
was not tgain deceived : there was +' Now, sir' said the. proseenting at,
socnethiug there. I touched Maud. torncy- prr'mpously, ” ye u are a mil -
'Where is it 1 d you two anything raid iniiu you say. Now sir, let's
she whiQpered. see clow much 'you kiceiw at
'No, but C can hear—listen 1' business, sir, What inn
your,
e,,sir, has
• We did, but all was still,
yon! lj' r running its. trains
'Yen mast have been mistaken, citigh the city faster than the. or
Jessie' she saiE'i.-r,,.'` .
' f mend 'I was not.)014000-sii ro I . tl t riauees dc�eree `? "
-.. " What motive ?" .
'if the "something' does not appear i " Yes, sir; what motive come sir.'
soon I shat ;;o to sleep. and if it does
" Whv, locomotive I should say."
conic I shall fajta.' Tho witness efts fined fur contempt
' or goodness.'. sake, Maud, du not of court.
do that !' ] said, 'Think of me— Appoiutod to Offend,
what should I do with you ? But w..it A nromineut lawyer n'ow practising
1 will nova a little to the other side in Nov York city cells the following
—I may see bettor.' "An old clarkoy was tu'der indict -
I did so, and standing nearer ono of anent for •some trig i o Ceueeetucl was
the gaunt narrow windows, tried to
without colirsel. Thr judge appoint -
penetrate the gloom at the other enol ed me to hien. I was young and very
No I was not mistaken; I could see a fresh at the time, ui d •t was my first
dark shadow there standing motion -
case in court.
less. I confess my heart began to
" As I walked forward to consult
beat, f st, and I had to press my •
hands tightly together to prevent a
with m3 client he Wiled to the judo,
heard something. . r•
cry escaping my lips. and said
'It is there Maud—I am stare 1' I " ` You bonnie nm' dis de lawyer
whisper;d, hitt too low, 1 suppose, for what am d'pointed to offend me 1"
her to hear, for the made no move- Yps'„
meat ;, and T had just determined to " ,Fell," said the old darkey, "take
creep back to her, and hear weal we hili. away, judge, I pleads guilty."—
had better do, when the whole corri- N. Y. Star.
dor was illumined by a sudden flash,
and the next moment the window by
mp side was shattered to pieces.
vt ith a shriek of terror I sprang back
while Maud with a piercing, cry fell
fainting to the floor..
In a brief space everyone in the
house was aroused, and in hastily ar-
ranged toilets, armed with any woap:
ons that were neared to hand, and
bearing lights, they rushed Into the
eurriclur.
I own tQ*having felt rather ashamed
at the scene disclosed to view. There
[ stood, pale and trembling, holding
to the back of the settle. Maud
Cheshire lay insensible at my feet,
while at the farther end w"re Ilarry,
and my brother paralyzed with terror,
the former holding a dieeharged pistol
in his hand.
After tate first exclamations of
alarm, all, in rather incoherent sen-
tences, was explained.
It appeared that the same idea—
the watching for the ghost—had oc-
curred to Harry and Charles, as it had
to Maud and 1, only, as ill luck might
have it, we had taken different (nils
o: the corridor. Thus the dim figure
1; had seen, an* the whispers 1 had
he trd, were explained; while the
change I had made in my position --
unconsciously takin g, it appeared the
attitude rumor hau given to the ap-
paration—had caused therm to believe
Soca Johnny's rather Goths Troubto.
" Say. ma, was pas cluctor before
you were married 1" asked a lute
fellow of his m oiler.
" No, Johnny; what makes • you
as
"Them medical m;n keep skeletons,
clon't they ? "
" But what has that to do with
your father tieing a doctor 1" asked the
lady, impat:ontly.
"Oh," replied Johnny, "I heard
pa say last nignt flint he had had a
skeleton is bis closet ever since he
married you." •
" Oh, die lie 1 " cried the mother,
her outraged feelings getting the
better of her. '• Well, when he comes
hump,
1'11. have a number of bones•to
pick with him."
Johnny's father will be more: °fi•e-
ful of what he says in the future in
the hearing of his intelligent offspring.
—Scis ore.
/low to Lit a Alan With Your Finger
A writer in the Scientilio American
gil es the following statement of a
manner of lifting people up by the tips.
of the fingers :—
Le T
—
i-'i wo persons stand on each side•
of a fifth •who is seated in a chair. q he
four raise their hands (which are
clasped with fife, fore -fingers extended
as high as possible over their heads,
at the same time inhaling deeply they
simultaneously hew as low' aa
they heti seen the veritable• ghost, t possible (always facing the sitter),
whereupon Harry had;;taredl to• prove bending the body from the hips, and
Its substance, How thankfull 1 was s,v'ngin.; the ex e cded a •n s bon
that he had• proved a bad shot t' But, the slroulcler till the hands toientetite.
really, I do hot thud: that F was knees, at the same time exhalii g
more so than lie was himself, pogrr strongly as possible, these motions.
fellow 1 He seemed that he• eaaalcl soft iteiing repeated three times together-.
tiro of liumhly begging myt' toigive-• A4 they rise trom the hick: • •position
nese. Indeed he inariaged trot nttylay for the third time the ext( need fore-
me when going beck to my remake and
repeat all he frog previursry $ mirtsn i fdligers are plated under the knees and,
again, declared that if his l:iu(toU llta�l, arms of the sitter, and be is lifted
harmed ane he would have IevePllceij aleslegit in the air as light as a feather: •
other .obis own breast. 11.1,y pamelranl) •
ilhBlre first o1 tries this comment
to give lira teeragtrto put area !I y„ ti zee ,will be surprised at
other request, which he said, he hall;�ieaRi`It
been trying, to put for the last IM WHAT'S WANTED.
of his life, and which he declared, if!
1 wettld Int say yese ire w u1d be it et ` Gamey' }las a nice lot of Whisk
happiest n an ie existence. Ida not Midas, Slipper Pockets, Wall
know whether it was the confusion c f Bettekets, Paper Racks, Cabinet
the moment, or whether Y w rhea to •lzasels, Roc., &a., for Xmas and IVew
get 'rid of him,. but 1 did say yes. " 1 Year, Just the thing for presents to•
temente. Not too expensive, and: wilt
When, ltiinio fires Maud of *ha; had lust for yen: s and.years, keeping your
occurred•—vrbfelf 1 di.1 as soon as we memory fresh. mite! g,i+,•on, 13a sure.au4, ,
were again, togetber.iti out #oometee io 'NW oho.
1
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