The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-01-01 00:00:00

"THE DIVINIZ Flame'

Blood from hia vesture dripping, lies from tongue.
" The divine Uwe from the North stalks by
In grimly joy at the foul thwody
For whore last Oct Impious Ti Drums sang
Affront God's our and shock humanity.
And now exultant morigre4 gather round
The noble quarry standing sthl b.r
Tb. treacherous Greek, the beaten Serrian hound
That cringing at his feet did mercy pray
And swore obedienoe only to betray.
Europe looks on complacent I What dont thou.
My country, once the bulwark of th' opprest I
Wilt thou. • craven, veil thy lofty crest.
Biding the deepots time, or strike one righteous blow
—Vanity Psis.

A IrrtoaT Or TEE Wig.
A rich Jew of Koranllk, fearing a sudden advanos of
the Russians, concealed his valuables in the shape of
jewel' in the lining of his sheepskin cast, and laid it by
ready for dight When
. the moment did some, however,
he took the wrong ma k and did not discover his mistake
until he got beyond Feld degbra It wan too late to
back, so be wended his way melancholy to Adrianop
wandering about the street', until one day by an odg
chance be espied a Cireesdan riding with his coat on.
He followed that Circaasian fraternised with him, invited
him to d neer, nod admired his coat. Would be sell thet
coati No, it was his lairt, he would not pert with it on
any c.oneideration. It wax in vain the Jew urged him.
At last he summand the Circassian before the Naha, and
demanded his property. The Cocas+lan defended him-
self. "Is my coat te he taken away because a Jew says
it is his Where are his witamessr The Pubs decided
against the Jew, and the cam was dismissed. The Cir.
caselan left the town and the Jew gave himself up to
depair. A month seemed, and to his Joy he met the
Cimmerian again, when he said, "1 hat • got a better ootrA
and will now sell you the one you want," which he did
for three times its villa°. The Jew hurried home to get
his treasure. but to hie horror and amazement It was gone.
The Circassian, enspectine something, had etumnined the
coat and found the valuebles

BULGARIAN HORRuRB.
In a letter the Commissioner of the Turkial
Compaasionate Fund says :
" From September 26th to November 11th I visited
nearly all the village. vituated in the valley of the Tnisija.
I gave relief to over lOW destitute women and -children,
in the shape of firstrate dour, rice, beans, salt, soap, dm
I also distributed warm clothing, which was very much
required In the village of Offend.' I relieved 214 widows
and orphan., whose relation. hnve been masearmd by Bul-
garian. living in the same villa's. I was taken to the
spot where the bodiew of these poor men were, and I
counted TB within • email space of a quarter of an acre.
The Bulgariana received their order. from Cossacks who
were present the whole time of the massy-re. At the
village of Muffin, near Hain Rom, I received HIS women
and children, Here another horrible 'laughter took place,
bat by Bulgarians only. The victim upon this ogreadrin
were all women and children, and over 100 were murdered,
Sot in the village itself, hut at a place some hours' dir
tang, frown it in the Balkan mountains, Thee. poor
women and children were taken into the mountains:
worn. of them were ravaged, and then the daughter
began. I saw the bob... and • more horrible eight!
never PM. The lareesta of some of the women were cut
off, little children with theli throat. cut, end! saw other
thing, whicli.l could not write shout.

At the sills,. ofiover,7bout stx mile. from Shiplra,
1211 men were totirdered in • ravine. I visited the place
and saw the bodies. Two men escaped from the massacre,
and gave very clew evidence that Cossacks were present
during the slaughter, and in fact gave the order to the
Bolgarians to murder these people. A Bulgarian priest
was also present, and read thine prayers whilst these poor
people were bean( killed. After it wee all over be shouted
out, • Loon live the Car r I may also mention that
whilst I wan staying at Kewdik • little girl was brought
to me. She leas a pretty little thing of about two years.
She was found far any in the Balkan tuountadrs by MIN
Turkish soldiers. Her father waa found hanging to •
tree her mother was close by with her throat cut, and
the baby was trying to obtain food from the breasts of the
dead mother."

[Laney.]
(Bv TdepraplL )
Anima, Monday.
The insurgents in Crete bare captured the position
of Bpeekova ; the insurrection is on the increase.
PIRA, Monday.
fichamyls, son of Feizie Pasha, has left Ezeroum.

IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT.
AI GHOST STORY. —IIT IMIIWND YAM.
(CoM An.TA. W"id.)

"That's a most infernally unpin:prat noise," said
florsoe Quiddit, looking reproachfully over his shoulder
towards the window.
"It was ten years ego, and I had lust returned from
India, thinking myself • great swell with Plenty of motley
at my beck, and with as little ides of ever becoming •
wins merchant sa of turning clown at a circa. I went
into society a good deal in those days, dancing Parties.
and all that kind of thine, and I—well, I fell in love, and
tram ensued to he married.' I didn't care what I did : it
was my pride to anticipate her every wish: and when it
became • question of where we should lir after we were
married, T told her she should have the best hones in
London, and at once proceeded to loth after it. I non.
stilted the leading bonse-rentu and wee taken by them
over many "desirable mansions' and" palatial rerdencea,"
but only one specially struck my fancy—No. SO, Severn.
square, in the very heart of the fashionable quarter of
London, hut, in appearance, in interest, in what I may
cull "feeling," as far removed from the giddy vanities r
if it had been • turreted castle with • drawbridge, moat,
and dungeon-keep in the !rut of Gloacestershire.
"What was its history, I asked the agent when he first
mentioned it to me. It bad belonged, be said, for many
yeses to the family of Lord Starboard, the great naval
commander: and had been reared during her lifetime
by the Honourable film Braswell, • 'trent* old maiden
lady, the last surviving member of the race. She died
several years ago. and since then the house had been let
tarnished at various time, on short tenancies. Now the
leer and furniture were to be sold.
Something in the manner of Hr. (Senior the rent, as
be gave me this information, Impressed
meoldie, and
wanted more particular. Was the house in demand!
Were there many people after it I Why, when taken
furnirtd, had it her let for short terms only? Mr.
Hlenlnce shrugged hi. shoulder. He would he frank
with me, be said. There was a ridiculous rumour that the
bowie was haunted: the tenser arid not 'top there •
they said thee somebody or heard something, but did.
not know what—probably all nonsense. Truth of the
matter Iris, the Honourable Mi.. Bracewell did not die •
natural death: was found murdered--strantlej, in her
bed, in Point of fact :and doubtless henry the n•
rumours. The notion of scar to a haunted =als:Cch
would bar excited the curiosity of many, the fear of
more, hid no sort of interest form,.

sni CI -looking place as we
pad it from the rest:side. The window, grimy sod
"he:Ts:Meted with the black depoait of • handred London
rainatorma, the door Dainties., the area-railings rusty and
broken. An old woman. towed with are and stiff with
rheum‘ Una, which showed itself in !Iry gnarled Joints.
onnned door, remmusive to Mr. Olenlnces ring—a very
old woman,with bright heady eyes in a dall white fans,
on whirl :bristly gray hairs new in abnormal places. She
looked somewhat garotte...l at being gammesaat but,
~..„,„hosta the wet bobbed a curtay and gave no
admittance. She was very deaf sad aisseas e.g.., Kr.
°Unlace told ma, hat wee the only Person be could
prorurn, no matter what wages were offered, to Bleep in
the hones. She had been there in HIM Bracewell's time
as lady's-maid, be added. with • confidential wink, and
il;:kEr4TKKmilleraelia by
woe " eapanwsi to know a lot."
bed-
is,....med by Ode Orange attendant we entered to.
hall. which was lofty and spacious, and went %marts the
alirborirliso 9.laadilyiwtacjimpreredPal
h damp mouldy emell, and the
that I -thing, throughout the house, had had
their effect upon tan
"There is no need to describe in detail why the phsaa
as
regard the bowie were never retried oat." recommenced
Horton, alter a short pant,. 'Prom certain circumstances
Tay, marriage wee broken off, and though I bad cons.
plated the purchase of the lease, and the Image was mina.
t /onshore giving orders for any of Use alterations. At
leneth, an opportunity for other investment. offering, I
determined to sell my property in Severnequare. I mentioned the circumstances to my friend Welker, bare,
to
who.. / had swerionsly described my ',fiat to Use
haunted house and all I had heard shoat it from Mr.
01.111G011, when he implored nee, before pestle, afth
Heist, to rive him an orwortanitY of puling one night alone in the house in Severnequare. I did my beet to dieaisade Mtn from attatoptink snob a. misrulm, but in
vain; the more I argued the more determined he grew,
until I finally gave him the permialaa simairmt What happened to him there he has now eassmetted to tell us.'
The /arson alluded to raised his,Lhaad bum ids bark iss
which t had been buried almost simallMasmemehmeneat
of Horton'. recital, and looked eaggsairsami. we
asiked
that his face if possible we" eta -Way boo mg mere
blondish= than before, and Mere was • certain
twitching of the muscle; of the mouth wists=
pert modal emotion.
"My friend Horton has so cleared the way for am: be
maaseasseed, 'that Isbell be able to comtoe serra-
tion ci exierience into • man amp.m.havealways had • leaning towards the Pretereatural. for the
tutor with whom my two or *set yams after leaving
Harrow were pared had • manikins ritgarteisv ghost
sterile: and a liking for mrstladre whims he taper-
=imy instilled into Ilia Polkas. Whoa • otstala book
d. ' think, the BrOttolis_ If Noun, anissen't
now many yews since. I wiles to ths authoress requesting her to name to me the where-shouts
of certain houses in which apKageakais wan
to have been men: anti her salami—ft Ms ems=
such information maid_
_maim her ilahls to meal adios
from the owners et the W.Wenr...tif whetted my dedre to ham am orwhaiMM al
what he h Jend
i„,..54 M ho small degree'
flee bee =ohm to Pans a.hipist *vat
WI la the atm. eat atmett gim to t• 0uth..t00....adl oseaff &at the family te who.. it had
Nut a lose time my Wife ; imp'. at
___ll k drab.' eadelagrialimala.• aath an aid ymomems, guliimands4 vas ill boss

• men of pleasure- in his day, sod whose still bra
faculties enabled him to talk with tolerable. perspicuity al
those among whom his brim had been passed.
Ile bat town emoething .4 time oirrurable Biss Bram-
well —B eters Bracewell as he used always to call her—at
whom mention has been inele as the last tenant of the
house. She was • woman, as described be him, of great
beauty and 'Ter strength of will, of whom stories had
been freely On. Or thelli *Wring related in an
intrigue which she was supposed to have had with a
person of • position is life inferior to her own—a foreign
are,an or ships captain, as I was told—which intrigue
had resulted in the berth of • child; although, according
to nip informant, the child had never been seen. This
Intrigue, which had been carried on at the family seat
somewhere on the 0,11114 of Devemairs, lied been the
cause of a serious quarrel with her father, from whom,
some before his death, Miss Bracewell had been
entirely separated; and when, at his deosese, she arrived
to take porneeloo of the house in Severn-square,
anoonspaning only by her maid, she retired In absolute
seclusion, ran nowhere, and receiving no company. Her
end sea it Inglis.' one, and made • stir at the time, She
had been in the habit at various intervals of sending this
maid to the family seat in Devoeshire, on missions of
whom, object my informant could tell me nothing.
save that they were considered suspicious and
unsatisfactory at the inquest which was held.
While the maid was absent on me of these
mysterious journeys, a neiekbouring housemaid, com-
mencing her work In the early morning, saw the area-
gate of No. go standing open. Surprised at so unusual •
circumstance, she called the attention of a means police-
man to It Inrestingation was male, and Xis@ Brace well
was found deed in her bed, her eyes staring wide open
and the marks of pressure on her throat. An entrance
into the house had been effected through the lower
premises, and in the drawingroond an escritoire was
fuund forced open and empty, which the maid declared
on her return had help many papers, whose contents
were to her unknown, but which bed now disappeared.
'This users/Joe admidated my curiosity still more
strongly, and I never rested until, under the circuit-
Aeneas you have beard, I obtained Horton's preasiseion
to pees a night alone in the haunted hoses. The old
woman, of whom our friend spoke, had given up possess-
ion and retired. and I receivedthekey, with theassurance
that there wee not only no companion for we, but that I
should be wholly dependent on orreelf for the light, fad,
food, end whatever else I might require, as it was utterly
impossible to get any ODD in the neighbourhood to enter
the ghostly pranncts eve, for a few moments. Such an
arrangement suited ma well—the theirs, of • lifetime was
about to be accomplished ; I had not the slightest feeling
of tear: and I joyously put the key—an antiquated and
rusty piece of ironmongery—into my pocket, bidding my
servant meet me at eleven o'clock outside the door a No.
feSevern- square and bring with him certain articles, the
list of which I gave hint
Pulling the key from my pocket. I fitted it with some
difilculty into the lock, tamed it, and pushed the door
21:11,
paflotrhlue as Ilbe.lii.evee,, =1314e had been closely
it
breath of wind, damp, salt, leand clinging, pot
MG. I lne.roy servant felt it too, for IG -alaudZered
and pulW his coat closely round him but be
lost not • moment in depositing my penal on
the ground—the brendy•flask, pair of candle., box
of matches bundles of wood and dark lantern
already • light, which he brought with him—an
In beating • speedy retreat, taking with him, at my
reiterated desire, the huge key. I walked out on to the
steps, saw him drive off in his cab, look round at the
carriage-lamps flashing her. and there in the squase.
listened to the distant roar of the traffic as something to
which I was saying farewell for ever then turned tack,
and pushed the heavy door with my shoulders, It clapped
to with • resounding bang. an I was alone in the
ha!!..tfld.ll*.ass _ .

Aide. where the rays of the unveiled lantern
anew a streak of light along the floor and the opposite
wall, on which I could see great beads of damp standing.
I had scarcely moved when the breath oi damp salt air
again blew over me, more powerful this time, raising
th hair from my cheeks and fluttering the Minn in which
some of my things were wrapped ; and at the same time I
heard,.. plainly as I have ever heard anything in my
life, the pattering sound of • pair of feet naked
feet they seemed to my listening ear—dropping one after
the other just in front of Ina. I stopped, lowered the
lantern, and gaud intently in advance, but could me
nothing; the footsteps had rtopped too; but when I
again, they recommenced—patter, patter; just the Sound
one hears at bedtime or in early on a nursery floor.
' I passed my hand over my eyes and went on, the foot
steps preceding me, till I reached the first-door. I had
previously determined to make this my renting-plans for
the night; and stopping at the drawing-room door heard
the little feet go pattering up the staircase until the-
sound was lost in the distanon it had hen strange and
mysterious, this pattering sound: but I had found
nothing terrifying in it, and there was • sense of regret
when I felt myself deserted by my unseen child-coin-
Melon- Nest moment I opened the door, and, entering,
relieved myself of my burden, and proceeded to look
round. A large nare room, with three windows, looking,
as I imagined, on to the square, hung with huge curtains
of fadel damask, overturning the long Pier-ginme whin
stretched from door to ceiling between them. On the
hearth were some half-burnt logs, which had never been
cleared away since the time of the lust tenant and with
these, and the bundles of wood I bad brought with me, I
set about to make • fire. The damp wood crackled and
sputtered angrily at first • but eventually it blared up,
and aided materially in dispelling the gloom which hung
round the vast apartment, and in which the feeble light
of the two candles my servant had left with me was as
nothing. But I pieced them, with • volume of Words,
worth, a brandy-Auk, and my cigar-case, on a small table
In the middle of the room; and with the dark lantern in
one hand and six-barrelled Derringer in the other, I
continued my survey of the apartment. Opposite the
windows were two large folding-doors, one al them partly
open. Pawing through the aperture I found myself in
another apartment, similar Is style and eat, and hung an
three sides with failed tapestry on the fourth, facing( the
folding-doors by which I had entereil. was a large
Raicing the lantern to it, I found it
to be • portrait, Probable In Ihr Joshua or one of his
closet imitator. a portrait of a woman, young
and beautiful, dressed in • rose-coloured brocaded mope,
with • gray-silk quilted petticoat, from underneath which
peeped her gray-silk stockings with red clocks, and her
tiny shoes with high red heels. Her dark chestnut hair,
which she wore without powder, was mused upon her
forehead, and fell in luxurious curls over her shoulders.
The facie was one of much beauty combined with great
power—the eyes gray, the nose aquiline, the lips full, the
jaw set and firm. • strange face truly. the eyes gazing
out from the canvass at me as I looked at them with •
gine* of superb scorn. Armin and again I returned to a
colintempLation of this picture, until at last it seemed to
ins as though its subject were endowed with life, ars
though thelhaughty glance grew haughtier still, and the
outstretched hand, holding the peacock fan, were wane."
me off from further investigation.
" I returned to the front drawing-room, when t'aellnl
was now blaring brightly, shut and locked the folding.
doors behind me, and seated myselt at a little eal,u, with
the idea of reading until I felt inclined to sleep, At that
moment my senses were clear,my mind well balanced, my
brain in its normal active rt•te. I laid my watch on the
table, and checked the beating of my pulse by it—seventy-
five to the minute, its ordinary rate. Since I had heard
the pattering noise on the stain in front of me, when I
commenced my ascent from the loeer ball, I had felt no
leer, though the strange expression of the female portrait
in the further room gull haunted me unpleasantly and
would not he banished Dona my mental eight It ;Wed
ppm, me from the walls, from the door. from the pages hf
my book which I had taken up, and waa about to lay
down in despair, when the iron tangoes of the neighbour-
ing church clocks clanged out the hour of midnight. The
sound had scarcely nand, the air was still resounding
with the vibration, when I heard • long low n-y, • cry as
of • child in agony or distress. It seemed to nes in the
basement, and to grow in vehemence and excitement as it
came sweeping up the stabs until it found articulation—
" Help I help r—ln a piercing childlike shriek. I seised
my 'evolver and sprang to my feet. Then, all if at • blast
from the damp silt air which came whirling into the
cheziaain, the door flew open, the candles were
extinguished,and the llamas of the burning logs threw a
lurid t over the room. 'Help I help r The piercing
appeal
lputiwelg oechrrigieThildish fee the
t, this d n°i; cam. sgain
to the room
and close by the spot where I stood. They passed me
clue, quicker and more agitated than they had been at
drab; and after them ware more footateps, heavier this
time—those of a man with • strong determined stride.
" Help I help r The cry waxed fainter, It seemed to
pass through into the further room, the door swung
heavily hack of its own accord, and I sank into my chair
with the cold drops of sweat standing on my brow.
'How long I remained thus, I know not I imaging
however, that I required but • few minutes to steady me
nerves and regain my canyon» ; fir when the clocks'
outside struck the half-hour I was sufficiently myself to
be aware of the advantage of • light, and was creeping
about for the match-box, with the intention of Vxch=
the extinguished candle. I dropped on my h
knees, for I thought I had heard the box roll under the
table, when I was startled with the sound of three loud
kn but molded as it wre by distance—heavy
and strong. with an interval between each; the sound
coming tiarently from the basement-Moe yet fax in the
rear of tU house, instantly the description which I
heard from Horton of the closed cellar beyond the
servant,. stops hall dashed into my naiad It was there
the noise proceeded; it was thence whatever jugglery
might have been at work—for up to that moment I
redhead to ascribe all I had heard to super-natural anion'
—must have originated. I knew not exact whareabouta,
but from what I had heard I should essilr
discover it. I remembered the spiral etettside ;
the secret door in the beck drawing room would probahir
"'dcl
ish:eft to give giam"vve mehereligh"art. Takitinel "dit instilineymblentrusd, Ladd
wain seizing my revolver, I opened the folding-doors. which
I had previously carefully locked, and went into the back
room. Involuntarily my first easios wee at the portrait.
Great God, it was gone I The trains was still there, but
efuPtr ; and there, with her book to me, bending over the
old•faahioned escritoire, w the lady i the rose-coloured
'smug But whet a clangs I Alis hair, falling,
dishevelled over her shoulders, was now Oda
and gray, her back Ism bur, her nrsna—so much
as I could see of thorn yellow and wrinkled. I
stood sull•bound. I longed to fly—for seambow I felt
Intuitively that if Hooked upon her face I should &ri—
nd Iw.. rooted M tbe spot. Still sbe pored over the
...Pt, Chia, still her bands rammed fruitlessly lemon
Ibis drawers as though in quest of papers, when saddenir
through the dread silence came again the pattrissi of the
naked feet, and the piteously childish ny for help echoed
along the staircase. At that moment the Sande figure
raised its bead' and, turning slowly round, looked fully at
me. Me face of the portrait was no longer there, but in
its place an aged wrinkled mask, bearing the Imprint of
every conceivable vice—faded Last, active Hate. itneWine
Revenge, and ungovernable Rage; and round the wrinkled
throat was • deep-blue line, and on either side beneath
the sus the purple marks of the death-grip. I saw her
eyes glare, I saw her make one step tower& me. Then
my menses failed, and I fell heavily to the ground."
At eight o'clock the next morning my servant duly
nine with the key, and focuid me stretched on the door
In the back room, still in • swoon; the extinguished
males and the brandy-flask and the book were on the
table as I had left the.., and there was the portrait
exactly as I remembered it, no that there wee as question
of ocular deception. What I saw I saw, and RA truth of
it I win attest to fed dying &Z."

VTANTED, good TAILORS. Work on the
premises L best priose_gineo.D=to lir.
W. Rzatnr, Ste, itiet4lrrot Waft,

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