The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-26 00:00:00

A GIIOST STORY.

A. well-looking girl, named Mary W., recently formed
the acquaintance of the servant of a family residing in
West Nile-street, and latterly she became known to the
mistress of the house, who formed a favourable
opinion of her. On Monday last, the girl came to
the hones, apparently in much afilic.ion, stating that
her only brother bad died on the preceding Saturday,
and that her mother had departed this life
ou that very day. Amidst her sobs she begged, as
a favour, that Mrs. S. would lend her a black dress
and bonnet for the funeral on the Wednesday fol-
lowing, until her own mourning could be got ready.
This was readily promised, and on the day appointed,
the girl was dressed respectably, if not handsomely, in
clothes belonging to the lady, with which she attended
the funeral, as was understood, and returned with the
garments in the afternoon, when she obtained a promise
that she would again have them on the following day,
when she attended the house to dispose of her mother's
effects, to whom she was sole heiress. About eight
o'clock the same evening the bell in the West 11 de-
street house was rung, and the servant went to the
door. She was heard to open it, and in a moment or
two af'erwards scream out, " Mary's mother," and
then fall on the floor of the passage with a
clash." A female inmate then proceeded to the
door to see what had happened, but she followed the
example of the servant by also screaming in dire alarm,
and then tumbling over in a fainting condition. The
mistress then went forward, and waleing over the bodies
of the prostrate maidens, found a pale-faced decent.
looking woman standing in the passage, respectably
dressed, with a white cap on her head, and a good-sized
haddock' iu bci baud. Cltici split/ uo. bof
intently on the two girls who had been frightened into
oblivion by her very appearance. " Are you Mary's
mother 1" said Mrs. S—. " I am," said the
pale-faced woman. " Were you not buried to-day ? "
" Not to my knowledge," rejoined the other.
"Then come in." The matron was accordingly brought
into the parlour, and an explanation made to her re-
garding the reasons why she should have been accounted
dead and buried on her own daughier's authority. On
her part she stated that she had herself been within an
inch of fainting, when she noticed others go over with a
yell without any perceptible cause. She had noticed
her daughter that very day dressed in a suit of
mourning, and she had made free, while out pur-
chasing a haddock at any rate, to call for the servant
at West Nile-street, to ask if she knew where the
dress carne from. No sooner were these explanations
made, than the girl Mary called, still in a very doleful
mood. She was at once brought into the room, and con-
fronted
with her mother, when she yelled in real alarm
at the exposure, and bolted to the kitchen. Eventually
both were sent off together, and the house settled into
its ordinary wont, after having been for a time in great
confusion. It is believed that the girl had fabricated
the story of Ler mother's death and funeral, to obtain a
suite of good clothes in which to show off before her
sweetheart or acquaintances, and at last she might have
walked off with them altogether. At any rate toe West
Niie-street ghost has given rise to a good deal of merri-
ment in the neighbourhood.—Gletsgoto Herald.

WEST COAST OF AFRlCL.—Plymouth, Monday.—The
African Steam Ship Company's mail packet Armenian,
Commander Corbett, sailed yesterday afternoon, with
mails for Madeira, Teneriffe, Gorse, Sierra Leone, and
the Weat C )ast of Africa. She has a full general carg,,,
and is crowded with passengers, having 37 in all, of
whom 12 are ladies ; several leave at Madeira. Among
them are Captain Burnett, R.N., C. 8., and Captain de
Ruvignes, Captain Bravo, Lieut. Murphy, and En iges
Brew, Maw, and O'Callaghan, West India Regts. Capt.
Burnett leaves at Sierra Leone, and proceeds thence in
one of H.M.'s cruisers for the Island of Ascension,where
he takes command. This is the first trip of the Arme-
nian in the present line. She was built on the Clyde
about two years since by Messrs. Smith and RoOger,
burden 1,100 tons gross, and has engines of 280-herse
power. Her passage from Liverpool was vsry satisfac-
tory. The mail packet Ethiope, Commander Croft, due
here Feb. 6, is probably at Sierra Leone owning up, and
the Gambia, Commander. Tutt, should be also there
going down the coast.
HON. ARTILLERY COMPANY. —This regiment, of which
H.R.H. the Prince Consort is captain, general, and
colonel, assembled at head-quarters yesterday morning,
under the command of Major Middleton, and after a
royal salute had been fired by the artillery division of
the regiment, under the command of Captain Kiteher,
the corps went through several manoeuvres, in honour
of the nuptials of H.R.H. the Princess Royal and
H.R.H. Prince Frederick William of Prussia.

THE ROYAL NAVAL COAST VOLUNTEERS.—The usual
notice for the training of the Royal Naval Coast Volun-
teers of the fifth division, under Captain S. T. Carnegie,
has ju-t been issued. The let and 2d sub-divisions,
from Bsrwick-upon-Tweed to Newhaven, will be nailed
out for 28 days' drill on the lst March ; the 3d and 4th
subdivisions, from Buckhaven to Cove, on the 31st of
March ; the sth and 6th sub-divisions, from C.lll,(ston
to Buckle, on the 30th April, in the Pembroke, off
Leith ; the 7th and Bth sub-divisions, from Lossiemouth
to Portmahomack, on the Ist of June; and the 9th sub-
division, from Portgower to Canisby, Caithness, on the
27th September. The annual bounty is to be paid to the
men on embarking, and a suit of clothes will be given to
each volunteer while under training.
TAKING A HAND AT WHIST AT AN INN.—At the
public office, West Bromwich, on Saturday last, Mr.
Benjamin Pountney, the landlord of the Scott's Arms,
Barr, was summoned under the following rather singular
circumstances :—lospector Price, who bas been long in
the force, and is stationed at Pelsoll, was, as he said,
travelling by the Scott's Arms on the 11th of January,
about eleven at night, when, needing some refreshment,
intimated
he entered the inn for such purpose. To his great
surprise, hefyoiunngd
,i,nvirthe y parlouraa i
rroewsp
tebcitsabrl,e i
n patty of
gentlemen playing at cards. Calling Mr. Pountney, the
thati°p inspector,
s or, s
amaiter must be reported, and RO it was. Mr
Watson, retained for the defendant, said that it 'was' well
known that Mr. Pountney conducted his house in a very
proper manner, and as to the present charge he should
circumstances as must operate
ies
years
stiethman gthatereatzlendloi\sr. it
show such extenuating
in the minds of the
ably. The learned
flat 'ore rr t-
Scott's Arms. Mr. Craggs
stated 8 l't ea st pe
de C
thatted occupier
o n the doafy
re-
ferredthe
Craggs, for many
for the Prosecution of Felons dinner of the Barr Association
Towards evening some
o
to the anniversary
hand at whist, and it wof
tthe
ewgaus
ehsetlsd awtaMo
tre.
dPtoou ne
et
jnoeyy ' ea.
hoaldienitoattiaonpaociktboefgceaeradtsaesihialehfbaisoctrbrt,oh,weasteedm. mine host Pountney
incen-
tives to theil tabooedewever,
ianto
ethee.
gaming, and the whist party were playing merely
for glasses round, when in walked the inept ctsr. Mr.
Watson told the bench that in Birmingham, at the
hotels, card parties for whist were held weekly, and that
magistrates and professionals took a hand regularly at
this favourite game. After some brief consultation Mr.
ICenrick said the matter was not very serious, and
ll defendant must pay a fine of one penny and the costs,—
' Birmingitat Daily Pot.