,f Ix 1 thtistgi: -
000 1, CIWCPCIMELTP COEMOCIIIMEIMPIMEMDIRN,
Neatly and Promptly Breast e d, at LM.
ADVEBTISE3 037/102, .LEBAIOX, PENN'A
. ,
,
Tem este Mimi. le non entiplied :With tiniiitinutve
lesentment of JOB , TYPE, which will be increased as the
pstrosage demands. It. Mn now turn out PUNTING, Of
ilovldelffilitkn l / 4 11 1 nest and expeditious monum—
ent oritry wearombleterres. Such as
Pamphlets, Chocks
Boohoos .Coxdo;
Circular* Boleti*
Bill Itoildingt, Blanks,
BitOipantnios t Bills of Botil t -
.38 1 0ittidotoi, Tickets. Be., itlor
of adtichnisti and.lndgmen BONDI.
"Mg , Julkoortiolultibloe aud other Wolin, printed
oorrootly and neatly on the best raper, constantly kept
fpr ot this aflice, at prices " to suit the time."
strWarletkie price of OwLEBANON `ADVELBATERE
Ono Dollar and a Half a Year.
Address. We. 3t. Denetnt, Lebanon, Pa.
*
} ryfatug knit.
EEO
lIATY TED,
AND I'NE
HA.uNTERS;
OR TUE
NORSE AND THE BRAIN.
A Friend'ol Mine, who is a man of
Utters and a philosopher, said-to me
one day, as if between jest and, earn.
. e!ist,—“Paney since we last met, 1
- have discovered a haunted house .in
Zthe,hiidttlnf -London." • • •'•
"Really haunted ?—and by what
...ghosts ?It
I can't answer these . ques
tions; all I know is this—sir weeks
ago I and my wife werein search of a
furufshod apartment. Passings quiet
street, we saw on the window of one
'Of the houses a bill, ''Apartments
Furnished.' The situation suited us :
.we entered the house—liked the
• rooms—engaged them by the week
them the third day. No
.power on earth could havereeonciled
my Wife to stay longer; and I don't
wondeint it."
"What did you see ?"
."Exouse me—l have no desire to
,be ridiculed as a superstitious dream
er..-nor, on the other hand, could I
flask you to accept on my affirmation
what you would hold . to be incredible
without the evidence of your own
Senses. Let me only say MIS," it was
not so much what we saw or heard
(in which you,might fairly suppose ,
that we were the dupes of our own
excited fancy, or the victims of im-
posture in others) that drove us away
as it was undefinable terror which
seized both of us whenever we passed
by the door of a certain unfurnished
r . lr,ocnn, in which we neither saw nor
—heard anything. And the strangest
marvel of all was, that for once in my
lifer agreed with my wife, silly wo
man though she be—and allowed, af
ter the third night, that it was im
possible tostay a fourth in that house.
.iLecordingly on the fourth morning I
summoned the woman that kept the
house and attended on us, and told
her that the rooms did not . quite suit
usi And:we would not stay out our
She said dryly, 'I know why,
you have staid longer than any other
lodger. Few ever staid, u second
night ; nono before you a third. But.
I take it they have been very kind. to
-•; • • "
' l Theywho?' . I asked affecting a
•
smile.
'Why, they who haunt the house,
whoever they are. I don't mind
them ; I remember them many years
ago, when I lived in this house, not
as & servant ; but I know they Will.
.hiiithS death of me some day. I don't
ears—l'm old, and must soon die any
; and then I shall be with, them,
and in this house still. The woman
spoke with so drew a calmness, that
renlly it was a sort of awe that -pre
vented my conversing with her far,
tber. 1 paid for my ;a-4,0c, and too
4, %MT/ were I and my,ivite to get WS,
:so eheaPly:".
"You ex,eite my curiosity," said I;
"nothing should I like better than to
:Sleep in a haunted house. Pray give
me the address of the one which, you
'left 5Q Ignominiously." •
Afir friend pie - me the addmar;
aid when we parted, I walked
straight towards the house thus _in
dic#ted. . •
.It it situated on the north side of
Oxford Street, in a dull but respeeta
ble thoroughfare. I found, the house
shut up--no bill at the window, and
no response to my knock. As I was
turning away, a beer-boy, collecting
pewter pots at the neighboring areas,
said to me, "Do you want any one at
that house sir ?"
"Tea, I heard it was to let."
'Let I—why, the woman who kept
It is dead—has been dead these three
weeks, and no one can be found to
stay there, though Mr. J . -- offered,
ever so much. Ho offered mother,
who chars for him, 41 a-week just to
open and shut :the -windows, and she
would not.'
mWould not l--and why ?"
-. "The house is haunted ; and the
old woman who kept it was found
'dead in herbed; with her eyes wide
open. They say the devil strangled
her."
"Pooh I—you speak of Mr. .I—.
is he the owner of the house 7"
Jy es. ”
-"Where does he live 7"
"In G--- Street, No.—."
"What is he?—in any business ?"
,"No, sir—nothing particular ; a
single gentleman."
gave the pot-boy the gratuity
earned by' his liberal information, and
proceeded to Mr. J---, in
Street, which was close by the street
that boasted the haunted house. I
Was hicky enough to find Mr. J—
et home—an elderly man, with intel
ligent countenance and prepossessing
manners.
I communicated my name and my
business frankly. I said I beard the
house was considered to be haunted—
that I had a strong desire to examine
a house with so equivocal a reputa
tion—that I should be greatly obliged
if he would allow me to hire it,
though only for a night. was wil
ling, to pa 7 for that privilege what
ever he might be ; fl at t ed to. ask
"me- said Mn, with , pent
~tow "the house is as r ail ap..
11110 i OM' 4irti 6.A0:4),*
VOL. 16 -- NO. 7.
you please. Rent is out of the ques
tion—the obligation will be On my
side should you be able to discover
the cause of tNii strange phenomena
Which at preSent deprives it ofull val
ue. I cannot let it, for I cannot even
get a servant to keep it in order or
answer, the . door. Unluckily the
house is haunted, if I may use that
expressioni not only by night, but by
day; though, at night the disturban
ces are of - a more unpleasant and
sometimes of a more alarming char
acter. . The poor old . woman who
died in it three weeks ago was a pita
per whom I - took out of a workhouse,
for in her childhood she had been
known to some of my family, and had
once been in such good circumstances
that she had rented that house of my
uncle. She was a woman of superior
education and strong mind, and was ,
the only person I could ever induce
in 111 the house. Indeed!, since,
her death, which was sudden, and.the
coroner's inquest, which gave it a no
toriety in the neighborhood, I have
so despaired of finding any person to
take charge ofit, much more a tenant,
that I would willingly let it rent-free
fora year to any one who would pay
its rates and taxes."
"How long is it since the house ac
quired this sinister character ?"
"That I can scarcely tell you, but
very many years since. The old wo
man I spoke of said it was haunted
when she rented it between thirty
and forty years ago. The fact is
that my life has been: spent in the
East. Indies, and in the civil service
of the Company. I returned to Eng
land last year, on inheriting the for
tune,of anuncle, amongst whose pos
sessions was the house in question.
I found it shut up and uninhabited.
I was told that it was, haunted, that
no one would inhabit it. I smiled at
what seemed to me so idle a story.
',spent some money in repainting and
roofing it—added to its old-fashioned
furniture a few modern articles—ad
vertised - it, and obtained a lodger for
a year. He was a colonel retired on
half pay. He came in with his fami
ly, a son and a daughter, and four or
five servants: they all left the house
the next day, and although they de
poned that they had all seen some
thing different, that something was
equally terrible to all. I really could
not-in conscience sue, or even blame,
the colonel fOr breach of agreement.
Then I put in the old woman I have
spoken of, and she was empowered to
let the house in apartments. I never
bad one lodger who stayed more than
three days. Ido not tell their sto
ries—to no two lodgers have there
been 'exactly the same phenomena re
peated. It is better that yen should
judge for yourself,. than...ebter: the
house with an imagination iniluenced
by previous narratives ; only.-be pre
pared to see and to hear something
or other, and take whatever precau-
Lions you yourself please."
"Have you never had a curiosity
yourself to pass a night iu Oat
house ?''
"Yes. I passed not a night, but
three hours in broad daylight alone
in that house. My curiosity is , not
satisfied, but it is quenched. 1 have
'no desire to renew , the experiment.
You cannot complain, yell see, sir,
that I ain notaufficientlycandid and
unless your interest be exceedingly
eager— and 'your, nerves unusually
strong, I honestly add, that I advise
you not to' pass -- a night in that
house."
"My interest is exceedingly keea,"
said I, "and - though only a coward
will boast of his nerves in situations
wholly familiar to him, yet my
nerves have been seasoned in such
variety of danger that I have the
right to rely—on them—even in a
haunted hou4"
Mr..il—skid very little more i • he
took the keys Of the house out of
bureau, gave them tome,—and thank
ing
him cordially for his frankness,
and his disband concession to my wish, 1
I carried off my prize.
Impatient for my experiment, as
soon as I reached , home, I summoned
my confidential servant—a young
man of gay spirits, fearless temper,
and as free from superstitious preju
dice as any one !could think of.
nF—," said I, "you remember in
Germany bow disappointed we were
at not finding a ghost in that old
castle, which was said to be haunted
by a headless apparition ?—well,.
have heard of a house in London
which, I have reason to hope, is de.
eidedly haunted. I mean to sleep
there to-night. From what I hear,
there is no doubt that something will
allow itself to be seen or to be heard
—something,. perhaps, ' excessively
horrible. Do you think, if I take
you with me, I may rely on your
presence of mind, whatever may hap
pen ?"
"Oh, sir I pray trust me," answered
grinning with delight.
"Very well,—then here, are the
keys of the house—this is the address.
Go now,--select for me any bedroom
you please; and since the house , has
not been inhabited for weeks, make
up a good fire—air the bed well—see
of course, that there are candles as
well as fuel. Take with you my re
volver and my dagger—so much for
my weapons—arm yourself equally ;
as well and if we are not a match
for a dozen ghosts, we shall he but a
sorry couple of Englishmen."
I was engaged for the rest Of the
day on business so urgent that I had
not leisure to think much on 'the noel
turnal adventure to which had
plighted my honour. I dined alone,
and Very late, while dining, 4tead, ae
,is uiyhabit. The volnma spieeted
'vrai One of
: t hou g ht to ,iygelttlat X wto,tila ,
A*bear it iStt. $11.10"-.:*At
4 ; J .„:: • • "
=
Ce.. - b...;:ai - aU
411 ,
much of healthfulness in the style,
and practical' life in the subjects, that
it would serve as an antidote against
the influence of-superstitious fancy.
Accordingly, about; half past, nine,
I put the book into icy pocket,. and
strolled leisurely.towards the haunted
house. I took. .with, me a favorite'
dog,—an exceedingly sharp,, bold,
and vigilant :bull-terrier,--a dog fond
',of :prowling about strange ghostly
corners and passages at night in
search of rats—a dog of dogs= for
ghost:';
It was :a summer night, but chilly,
the sky somewhat gloomy and over
cast. Still there was a moon—faint
and sickly, but still :a moon—and if
'the clouds permitted, after midnight
it would be brighter.
'I reached the house, knocked, and
my 'servant opened , with a cheerful
smile.
sirrand verycomforta-
"Oh !" said I, rather disappointed;
"have you not seen nor heard any
thing remarkable?" -
"Well,.sir, I must own, T have heard
something queer."
"What ?—what ?"
"The sound • °fleet pattering be
hind me ; and once or twice small.
noises like whispers close at my ear—
nothing more." • •
"You,are noti,at all frightened' •
"I! not.a bit of it sir ; and the
mates bold look, reassured me on one
point—viz. that, happenwhat; might,
he would not desert me.
. We were in the hall, -the street
door closed, and -my . attention was
now drawn to my dog, He had at
first ran in eagerly enough, but had
sneaked back to . the door, and was
scratching and whining to get out.—
After patting him , on the head, and
encouraging him gently; the dog
seemed to reconcile himself to the sit- :
nation and followed me -and
through the house, but keeping close
to my heels instead of hurrying in
quisitively in advance, which was, his
usual and normal habit in - all strange
places. We first visited the subter
ranean apartments, the kitchen and
other offices, and especially the cel
lars, in which last there were two or
three bottles of wine still left in a bin
covered with cobwebs, and evidently,
by their appearance, undisturbed for
many years. - It "was clear that the
ghosts were not winebibbers. For ,
the rest we discovered nothing of in
terest. There was a „gloomy little
back-yard, with very high -walls.—
The stones of this yard were very
damp,—and-what with the damp, and
what with the dust and smoke-grime
on the pavement,-our feet left-a slight
impression Wlkero,, passed. And
now appeared the firfit strange like-
nomenon
nomenon witnessed-by myself-in this
strange abode.- I saw, just before me
the print of a foot suddenly form it
self, as it were. I stopped, caught
hold of my servants and pointed to it..
In advance of that footprint us sud
denly dropped another. We both
saw it. I advanced quickly to the
pia%) ; the footprint kept advancing
before in e; a small footprint—the toot
of a child : the impression was too
faint thoroughly . to distinguish the
shape,- but it-seem - ed to us, both that
-it. was the print , of -•a naked foot:
This phenomenon ceased:when we ar.
rived at the opposite wall, nor did it
repeat itself on -,returning. We re
mounted the stairs, - and entered the
rooms on the ground floor, -a• dining
parlour; a small back parlour, and a,
still smaller:third room that had been
probably appropriated to a footman
—all still as death. We - then visited
the drawing rooms, which seemed
fresh and new. In the front rooni I
seated myfielf in an arm chair. F--
placed ou the_ table the candlestick
with which he hadlighted us. I told
him to shut the door. As he turned
to do so, a chair opposite to me mov
ed from the wall quickly, and- noise
lessly, and dropped itself abent, a yard
from my own chair immediately front
ing it. .
"Why, this is better than. the turn
ing-tables;"..said I,- with a half ;laugh
,---and as I laughed my dog put, back
his head .and howled.
coining, back, had notoob
served the movement of the chair.—
Tie-employed himself now in stilling
tho dog. I continued to gaze on the
chair, and fancied Isaw on it a pile
blue misty outline of a human figure,
but an outline ,so indistinct that I
could ,only distrust my -own vission.
The dog now was quiet "Put back
that chair opposite to me," said Ito
F—; "put it back to-the wall."
F— obeyed. "Was that yon sir ?"
said he, turning abruptly.
"I—what ?"
"Why, something struck me. I
felt it sharply on the shoulder—just
here."
"No," said I. "But we have jug
glers present, and though we, may not
discover their tricks, we shall catch
them before they frighten us."
We did not stay long in the draw
ing rooms—in fact, they felt so damp
and so chilly that I was glad to get
to the fire up-stairs. We 'locked the
doors of the, drawing rooms—a pre
caution which, I should observe, we
had taken with all the rooms we had.
searched below. The bedroom My
servant had seleotod for me was the
best on the floor—a large ono, with
two windows fronting the street.—
The four-posted bed, which took up
no, inconsiderable space, was opposite
to the, Are, which burned' Clear and
bright ; a door in the wall to the left,
between the bed and the window,
9 oramtinioatecl with the room which
ray servant appropriated to himself;
'This last was a, small room *ith aso.
faJbed,'An4; Ind i cornraunica,tpqa
;44tbithe leading plic*- - -ztoi Absai door
that witililosistdstated toriath Wit
i 3 0 ,1 vol , oil6llin irrodf.: t _bc.“l-1 1 fft
!Pt: 7rSilmiT
MEI
LEBANON, PA., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1864.
rOOlll I was., i to occupy. On either
side of my.fite place was a cupboard,
without locks, flushed with the wall,
and covered*ith the same dull.brown
paper. We examined these cupboards
—only hookino suspend female dress
es—nothing-W:se ; we sounded,itha
walls--evidently solid—the ..outer
walls of the lititilding. Having flhish
ed the survey of these apartments,
warmed mYstga few moments, and
lighted my cigar, I then, still accom
panied by F- 2 =-'-;., went forth to ~•com-,
plete my reconnoitre. In the 'land
ing place there was another door; it
was firmly , closed. ‘ 4
4 Sir, " said ffiy
servant in surprise, "I unlocked this
door with alt the others when :I first
came; it cannot have got locked from
the inside, for it is a—"
Before he bad finished his sentence; .
the door,
,which ' neither of mg then
was touchineopened - qUietiy of itself.
We looked fiteol other-a, siiigle
stant. - The-tatine thought seized both
—some bean agency might be de
tected here. I rushed in first, my
servant followed. A small blank
dreary room without furniture—a few'
empty boxes and haniliers in a corner
—a small )vindow—the shutters clog
ed—not even a - fire:• rilace—nO3other
door but that by which-We had enter
ed—no carpet on the? -floor,lnd the,
floor seemed very old, uneven, worm'
eaten, mended here, and there, as was
shown by the whiter patches on the
wood; but no liyinglieing, and no visi
ble place in which a living.being could
have hidden. As - -'We - stood gazing
round,-tie door by'which welled- , dn
tered closes as quietly as At .had
before opened:: we were , imprisoned'.
For the first time I felt".a creep of
undefinable horror. Not so 'my ser
vant. "Why, they don't think to
trap us, 'sir, I could break that
trumpery''door with a kick of my
foot."
"Try, firstif, to your
hand,' said I„ shaking off ,the :vague
apprehensien that had seized me,
"while I open 'the shUtters and see
what is with Out"
I unbarred the shutters—the win
dow looked on the little
,hack-yard
have hefore-described ; there was no
ledge without—nothing but sheer de
scent. roman getting out of that
window would have' foand any foot
ing till ho hart fallen on the stones be
low.
meanwhile, was vainly at;
tempting to open the door. He now
turned round to me, and asked my
permission tons° force. And I should
here state, in justice to the servant,
that, far from evincing any supersti
tious terrors, his nerte, composure,
and even gaiety amidst circumstances
so eXtramAittr'siirtrefred - my -toln
riiil6ll3" arid 'male tile, congratulate my-
Belton having secured a companion
in every way 'fitted to the occasion.—
' willingly gave hiin the permission
he required. Bat . though he was a
remarkably strong man, his force was
as idle as his milder efforts ; the door
did not even shake to his ;stoutest
kirk. Breathless and plaiting he de
sisted. I then tried .the door equally
in vain. As I ceased from the..efrort,
again that creep of horror Caine over'
me ibut, this tithe. it Was more cold
and stubborn. Ifelt as if soMOstrange
and ghastly exhalation were rising
np from the chinks of . that rugged
floor, and filling, the atmosphere with'
a venomous- influence' , hostile-to hi
man lifet c , The, door now very sloiv.;
ly and quietly opened as °kite own
accord. We precipitated ourselves
into the landing-place. both saw
a large pale light-t-as large as the hu
man figure, but 'shapeless and unsub
stantial--,move s before us, and ascend
the stairs that led from the landing
into the attics. 1 folloWed' the light,
and my seTvarit followed me. It en
tered, to the right of - the landin o, a
small' garret, of which the door stood"
open. I entered in the same instant.
The light then collapsed into a small
globule,-exceedingly brilliant and viv
id.; rested a moment on it bed in the
corner, quivered, and vanished.. We
approached the bed and examined it
—a half-tester; such as is,commonly
found in attics devoted to servants.-
0 n the drawers that stood near it we
perCeived an old . faded silk' kerchief,
with the needle still ;left in the rent
half repaired. The kerchief was coy
ered 'with'dfist ; probably- it had be
longed to the 'old woman' who hml
last died in that house, and this might
have been her sleeping room. -I had
sufficient .curiosity to open the'draw
ers ; there werep a few' odds and ends
of female dress, and two letters -- tied
round with a, narrow ribbon , of faded ,
yellow. I took the liberty to possess '
myself of these letters. We found
nothing else in the room worth notic
ing—nor did the light reappear ; but
we distinctly heard, as wo turned to
go, a pattering' footfall on the floor
just before' us. We went through the_
other attics (in all four,) the footfall
still preceding ne, Nothing
. to be
seen—nothing but the footfall heard.
I had the letters in my hand ; just as
I WitS descending the stairs I dititi net
ly felt my wrist versed; and a faint,
soft effort made to - ,draw the letters
from thy I only held them the
more tightly, and the. effort ceased.
We regained the bedchamber ap
propriated to myself; and I then re
marked that' my dog had not follow
ed us when we had left it.. Ile was
thrusting himself close to the fire, and
trembling, rwas impatient; to, ex
amine the letters ; and, while read
them, my servant opened a little box
in which he had deposited the wait
pons I had> ordered him to bring; took
them out, . placed. them on a; .table
close at my ,had-head, , and.then emu
pied hi mse lf in soothing the dog,
who; hoWeref ) Veiited,tri feed him'
- • • ; •
6 .3 1 *el*
1114 aofr F rvlriarrm , i..•atr.,
- ;*
dated ; the date exactly thirty five
years ago. They were evidently
from a lover'to his mistress, or a has ;
band to some young wife. Not only
the terms of expression, but 'a dis
find reference tet`.a former voyage in
dleated ;the writer to have a Sea
farm'''. The 'and handwriting
were these of a man itigierfeetly edu
cated; but still the langnage itself
was forcible. • In'the` expressions of
endearment there'Wat a kind - ofrough
wild love ; but here and - there were'
dark unintelligible hilikt some se
crel not of InVe—so secret that
seemed of crime: ""(Ve ought to love
each other," was one of the sentences
I remember, "for how every one else'
would execrate us gall was known."
Again : "Don't let any, one be in the
same recut with you ut night—you
talk' in year sleep."' -And again :
"What'Sdone can't be undone ;
.and
I tell'on there's nothing against us
unless the dead could come to life."
litTe" there was underlined in 'a bet
ter handwriting (a female's). "They
do -I" At the-end of the letter latest
in date the same female hand had
written these words : "Lost at sea
the 4th of June, the same day as---"
• I put down the letters, and 'began
to muse over their contents. '
Fearing,:liowever, that the train of
thought:into which I fell might un-'
steady my nerves I fully determined
to keep my. mind in a fit state to
cope with whate.ver of marvellous
the advancing- night might bring
forth. I roused myself—laid the-let
,
ters on the table—stirred up the fue
which was still bright and 'cheering
—and opened iny volume of Macaulay.
I read quietly enough till about' half=,
pasteleven. I then threw- myself
dressed upon the bed, and. told my
servant he might retire to his own
room, but must keep 'himself awake.
I bade him leave open the doors be
tween the two rooms. Thus, alone,
I kept two candles burning on the ta
ble by my bed-head. I placed my
watch besides the weapons; and calm
ly resumed my Macaulay. Opposite
to me the fire burned clear ; and on
the hearth-rug, seemingly asleep, lay
the dog. In about twenty minutes I
felt an exceedingly cold air pass by
my cheek, like a sudden draugl4t. I
fancied the door to my right, commu
nicating with the landing-place, must
have got open ; but no—ft was clos
ed. I then turned my glance to the
left, and saw the flame of the candles
violently, swayed as by a wind. At
the same moment the watch beside
the revolver softly slid from the ta-
Ne—softly, softly—no visible hand,
it was gone. I sprang up, seizing the
revolver with one= hand, the dagger
`with the oth'er--; -T : , 'was , not i;villing:
that my weapons should share: the
fate of the watch. Thus "armed, "I
looked round the floor—no sign of the,
watch. Three slow,- loud-, distinct
'knocks were now heard , at the bed
head ; my servant called but, "Is that
you sir ?
"No ; be on your guard."
The dog now roused 'himself and
sat on his haunches, his ears moving
quickly 'backwards aud forwards.
He kept his' eyes -fixed on Me with a
look so strange that he concentrated
all illy attentionon - Slowly
he rose up, all his'hair bristling, and
stood perfectly rigid, and 'with the'
satiTd :wild stare. I had no tithe, how
td'exarnine the dog. Presently
ray eery - ant emerged from his rooni ;
and-if I ever saw horror in the human.
Mee, it Was then: I should not have
recognized him had we met in the .
street, so altered was every linement.
He passed by me quickly, saying in a
whisper that seemed scarcely to come
froth his lips, "Run—run 1 it'is after
me !" grined the door to the
landing, pulled it open, and rushed
forth. I fellowed him to the landing
involuntarily, calling to him to stop ;
but, without heeding me, he hounded
down stairs, clinging to the balusters,
and taking several steps at a "time.—
'" heard, where .-1 stood, the street
door operi 7 -heard it again clap to. I
was left alone in the haunted house.
.It was but for a moment that I re
mained undecided whether or not to
folion , my servant pride and curiosi
ty alike forbade so dastardly a flight.
I re-entered myroom closing the
door after me, and proceeded cautious
ly into the interior chamber. I en
countered nothing to justify my ser
vant's terror. I again carefully ex
amined the walls, to see if there were
any concealed door. I could find no
trace of one—not one even a seam in
the dull-brown paper with which the
room was hung. How, then, had the.
Tama - Whatever it was; which had so
scared him, obtained ingress except
through my own chamber. '
I returned to, my room, shut and
lotkid the door that opened upon the
inMrier one, and stood on the hearth,
expectant and prepared . .
now per
ceived that , the < dog had slunk into
an angle, of the wall, and was pees&
ine: himself close against it, as if liter
ally striving to force his way into, it.'
I approached the animal and epoke
to it; the poor brute was evidently
beside itself with terror. It showed
all its teeth, the,slaverdroppingfroM
its jaws, and would• certainly, have
bitten me if I had touched it. It did
not seem to recognize me. Whoever
has seen at the Zoological Gardens :a
rabbit fascinated by a serpent, cow
ering-in a confer, may form some i
dea el the anguish which the dog ek
hibited. Finding all efforts to soothe
the animal in vain, and fearing that
his bite Might be as venomous in that
state as if in the madness of hydro
phobia, I left him alone, placed <my
weapons on this table • beside the fire,
eeated myself, and - recommenced myj
• • -=
- Ferbrips; fa order nob"to appears
,ftektrig ittAttiftnkra emegitte, ortratte ,
1 -. wk 7.1:1 •
1 '1 4, 111 -
WHOLE NO. 789
er a coolness, which the reader may
conceive ',exaggerate, I may be par
doned if i pause to indulge in one or
two, egotistical remarks.
As I hold presence of mind, or
what is called courage, to be, precise
ly proportioned to familiarity with'
the eirentnetanees that lead to it,' so
I should 'say that I had been long
sufficietitly familiar withsall - experi
ment§ that appertain' toile Marvel
lous.- I had witnessed - many very ex.
tradinary:phenomena in various parts
ofthe world—phenomena that would.
be either totally disbelieved if I stets
Ad them Oraseribed to supernatural
agencies. Now, thy theory is that
the Supeimatural is the Impos
sible, sithitat what is called superna
tural is only a something in the laws
of natere_of 'which we have been hith
erto igiitiratit. Therefore, if a 'ghost
rise befbre reSe i l•have not the right
to Say," "So, then, the supernatural
is possible," but. rather, " So, then
the apparition of a ghost is, contrary
to received opinion, within the laws
cif nature—i. e. not supernatural."
Now, in all that I bad hitherto
witnessed, and-indeed in all
.the won
ders which the amateurs of mystery
in our age record as facts, a material
living agency is always required. On
tbe Continent you will find still ma
gicians who assert that they can raise
spirits. Assume- for the' moment that .
they assert truly, still tbe living ma
terial form of the magician is present;
and the is.the material agency by which
from • some constitutional, peculiari
ties, certain strange phenomena are
represented to *your instilled senses.
Accept, again, as' truthful, the tales
of Spirit Manifestation, in Arnprica—
musical or other sounds 7 -writings on
paper, produced by no discernable
hand—articles of furniture moved
without apparent human agenoy—or
the actual sight and touch of hands, to
which no bodies seem to belong—still
there must be fOund the mEDIU:II or
living being, with constitutional pe
culiarities capable of obtaining these
signs. In fine, in all such marvels,
supposing even that there is no' im
posture, there must be a human being
like ourselves, by whom, or through
whom, the ffects presented to hu
man beings are produced. :t is so
with the now familiar phenomena of
mesmerism or eleetro-biology ; the
mind of the person. operated on,
is affected through.,a material living
agent.- Nor, supposing it true that it
mesmerised patient can= respond to
the will or passes of a mesmeriser a
hundred miles distant, is the,response
less occasioned . by a materiel:, being`;.
it may be through a material fluid
call it Electric, 'call -it Odic, call it
what you will--which has* the power
of traversing space and passing ob
stacles, that the material effect' is
communicated from one to the other:
Hence all that I had hitherto witness
ed, or ' expected tp 'Witness in this
strange house, I believed to be occa
sioned through some agency or' me
dium as mortal as myself ; and this
idea neees@arily prevented the awe
with which those who regard, as su
pernatural things that are not *with
in the-ordinary operations-of nature,
might bavesheen.:impressed •by I the
adventures of that memorable night. -
As,..then,_wee
,my es:lnject:tire that
all that was presented; or would be
pree§nted,io senses; 'must origi
nate. in sonle human being gifted by
constitution with the power .130 to
peettent them steed having some : ; mte
tire so te.de .1 felt an interest in thy
theory, 'Which rath§r
` philosophi
cal than - superstitious. - Andl can
sincerely say that I was in as tranquil
a temper for-observation as any prac
tical ekperitnentalist could
* he in
waiting, the effects of 'some rare,
though perhaps perilous, chemical
combination; Of course, the more I
kept my mind detached froni fancy,
the more the temper fitted for obser
vation would ; be obtaiued ; and I
therfore riveted eye and thought on
the strong day light sense in the page
of my 31116131 y..
-T now becamn aware that some
thing interposed between the page
and the light—the page overshadow
ed ;I looked up, and I saw what I
shall find it very difficult, perhaps
impossible to describe.
It was a Darkness shaping itself
out of the air in very undefined out
line. I cannot say it was ofd human
form, and yet it had more resetn
' blanch to a human form, or rather
shadow, than anything else. As it
stood, wholly apart and distinct from
the air - and the light around it, its
dimensions seemed gigantic, the sum
mit nearly touched the ceiling.—
While, I gazed, a feeling of 'intense
cold seized me. An iceberg before
me could not more have chilled me ;
nor 'could the cold of an iceberg,have
been more purely physical.- feel
convinced that it was not the cold
caused by fear. As I continued to
gaze, I thought—but this- I cannot
say with precision—that I dietinguish
ed two eyes looking down on me
-from the height. One moment , I
seemed to distinguish them , clearlse ,
the next ahey seemed gone; but still
tvvo rays of x pale-biuo light fequeat
ly stiot through the- darkness, as
from the height on which, I half be
lieved, half doubted, that I had en
countered the eyes. ' •
. I strove to speak—my voice utter-
.ly,failed,me;l could only think to
myself, "Is this fear I it is not fear Vi
I strove to rise— in vain , I felt as' if
Weighed down by an irresistible force.
Indeed, my impression was that - ain
immense and oeerwhelminge'Pdwer
opposed to my volition Opsat sense
of utter inedequmiy to. cope with a
force beyond men's one may
f i eiltyaibdlti a storm sea, in a
acinfrontins
wildifolast, or *bar,
>A n lid Egi:Pfft i sj
ME
tire sti6arti,sfsr:
A FAMILY PAPER TOR Twat AND. MONTER,
IS 111,117T4D AID PUBLISHBp -wpm
By vat. =MIN, f
3d Story of Funck's Nes Building, Cumberbin' TS,
At One Dollar and r ifty Cents a Tear.
_ . .
ear Aorsomorters inserted at the Mull rutin. 'IA
AtiKIANDBILLS Printed at ari hours notion:
RATES OF POSTAGE.
In Lebanon County, postage free
In Pennsylvania, out of Lebanon free ,
d amid per
quartet, or 20 cents a year.
Out of this State, 6 1 4 cte. per quarter, or 20 845. • yaw
if the. postage is not paid in advance, rates are donna.
perhaps, the shark of the ocean ; 4 felt
morally. Opposed to my will was
another will, as far surrrior to its
strength as storm, fire, and sliark'are
saperior in material force to the fOree
of Men.
And new, as this impression" Blew
on ure,.noW tame,' at last; , horror—
horror to 'a.degree that no wordscan
convey'. !Still I retained Pride if snot
courage ;'and in my own said,
'This is 'horror, but it is ;not' fhar ;
unless I fear, I Cannot he' 'harmed ;
my reason rejects this thing ; it is an
Illusion—l do not fear." With a vio
lent effort I succeeded at last in
stretching out my hand towards the
weapon on the table : as I did •so, on
the arm and shoulder I received a
strange shock, and my arm fell •te my
side powerless. And now, to add to
my horror, the light began slowly to
wane from the candles—they were
not, aa it were, extinguished, but
their flame:see'med' very gradually
withdrawn„: it was the same with the
fire—the light 'was extrigited from
the fuel ; in a few- minutesAhe rd out
was in •utter 'darkness: , The dread
that came over me, to be -thus to the
dark with that dark - Thfrog, whose
power was so intensely felt; 'brought
a, reaction of nerve. In feet, terror
had reached that climax, that either
my senses alueVhaxe deserted" me
, or
I must have thirst through the spell.
I did burst through it. 1 found" voice,
though the voice was ;re:shriek. 'I re
member that I broke - forth . 'with
words like these—"l do not fear, my
soul does not fear ;" and-al, the same
time I found the strength to rise.—
Still in that profound gloom I rushed
to one of the windows—tore aside the
curtain—flung open the shutters; my
first thought was--LIGHT. And when
saw the moon high, clear, and calm,
I felt ajoy that almost compensated
for the previous terror. ' was
the moon, there was also the light of
the gas-lamps in the deserted slum
berous street. I turned to look back
into the room; the moon penetrated
its shadow very palely and partially
still there was light. The
dlying, whatever it might be,
w b one----except that I could yet
see a dim shadow, which seemed the
shadow of that shade, against the op
posite wall.
Dly eye now rested on the table,
and from under the table (which was
without cloth or cover—au old maho
gany round table) there rose a hand
visible as far as the wrist. It was a
hand, seemingly, as much of flesh and
blood as my own, but the hand •of an
aged person—lean, wrinkled, small
too—a woman's' hand. That hand
very softly closed' on the two lettere
that lay on the table ; hand and let
ters both vanished. There then came
the same three loud measured knocks
I had , heard at' the bed.head before
this extraordinary drama had 'cam
menced. •
•As theie sounds sloWly cintsed;,l felt
the whole room vibrate: sensibly ;
and at the 'fir end there rose, as from
thefloor,sparks or globules like :bub
bles of light, _many-coloured—green.
yellow, firelred!,-azure, up and dawn,
te.andfre, hither,,; , thither„. as :tiny
Will‘c.'4lle-wisps,'theeparks;- moved,
slow sea, , at its oven caprice.
chair' (as draling' 'room be
!lfitV)Utat3 'n now adVarte4frthri the:wall
without4ptirentiagency,--and placed
, at, the . .. Opposite of the' - table.
,Suddenly al' forth Train the . chair,
there , greir , !&-• fStiape.---a!'woman 'a
'shape. It was distinct: as al..:shapa.
of life—ghastly . .aslashape of. Afeatii.
!Inn face- was that, olyauth,. - with a
'strange mournful beauty. ) ;, the : throat
'and, shoulders werehare,„the rest of
the form in :'loose robe of cloudy`
,white.. it began: sleeking its long
yellow hair, which fell. over its ; shout
ders ;Its. eyes were not towards ; me,
but to the door ; it seemed listening,
,watching,lvaiting. The shadow of
the- shade in the background grew
darker; and 'again I thoaght I beheld
the eyes gleaming out train the sum
mit of the shadow=---eyes hied upon
that shape.
As if from the doer, thotigh it did
not 'open, there grew 'out , another
shape, equally distinct, eciaallyghast.
I,y—a Man's shape—a young Man's.
It .was in the dress of the last Centu
ry, orrather in a likeness of . such
dress for, both the male shape and
the female, though defined, were evi
dently ansubstantial, inpalpable—
' simulacra—phantasms ;, and .' there
wassomethingineongruons i grotesque
yet fearfal in the contrast between
the elaborate finery, the courtlY, pre
eision of that old fashioned garb,; with
its ruffles and lace and buckles, and
.in the corpse-like aspect and ghost
like stillness of the flitting .wearer.
Just as the male- shape appro4Ohed
the female, the Shadow started
from the walf, - all three fora motnent
wrapt in darkness. When' the ';• pale
light returned,. the two phantoms
were as if in the graSp of.theiStin,dow
that towered 'between .theiti',;` and
there was a bloodstain on the.'breast
of the fetnale ; and, the 'phantai9=tnale
was leaMng its phantom •"sword,
and, blood. seemed trickling fast from
the, ruffles, from the "lice.; and the
darkness. of ;the intermediate'Shadow
swalloivad thinh up-4,hey were gone.
And again the bubbles Of light shot,
. •
and sailed,and undulated, growing
thicker- and thicker and more wildly
confutied 'in their movements.'
The closet door to the right of Oka
fire placenow opened, and Irani the
aperture there came the- form of a
woman, aged. In-her hand she held
letters—trm very fetfers over Wliich
had seen the Iland close- and.l;ehind
her I heard a footstep. She turned
around as if to' 'listen, and then she
opened the . letters and, seemed to
reads abd artiliei 'Amidst , I saw
ibl`fOlior a anus' desaised.,
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