Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-02-19

ridiculous. have heard or read~
a story in point. which fully proves tn0
ence of such arparit:ons and which froh
character of it, at the time believed and ST.
believe matter of fact. When or where how
ever heard it, or read it, DO not now reooi-
lect, or the names of the persons concerned or
the scene Of the tale, but as such minor details
cannot affect the credit Of the chief facts Of the
case, or the differences TO be drawn theretrom,
will supply them and tell you the story.
Henry (;esner had just completed his stud
les at Leipsie. Previous however to settling
down in business, it was considered essential
by his father to the completion Of his educa-
ton, that he should travel beyond the bounds
OF Faherland. But to which Of the neighbor-
inc countries should he direct his course! In
Italy he could study the relics Of antiquity en-
.balmec in the Imperial city. and the most H.
lustrious models of sculpture and painting
In Switzerland he could survey nature in Ter
widest forms and most sublime scenery. But
it is not wonderful that the capital Of France,
with her paieties aud amusements should pos
sess far greater attractions for our hero at the
age Of two and twenty, than the study of nature
or the arts, and that he should prefer Paris tc
Rome or the Alps. He might not however
have been able tc persuade the old-gen,lemen,
who held possession of the funds and thereby
a veto-power over his sons projects, Of the
wisdom of his choice, and that the society Of
the fashionables Of Paris would give better
finishing touch to his education, than Of the sa-
vans of Rome, but that little off the route to
Paris. on the Rhine was the residence Of his
fathers old friend and fellow-sudent Baron
- and visit of his son to his old friend out
weighed all other considerations. Our hero
departed to spend a season in Fratce, with on
ly the drawback to his expected pleasures, of
parental Injunction to visit the baronial cas-
tie Of his fathers old school-mae. He deter
mined that the visit should be as short as po-
likeness would allow. On his arrival at the
Baron's residence, he was received with great
ccrdiality, introduced at once by his host, as
his old friends son, to the most familiar foot.
ing in his family and became acquainted with
the Baron's daughter, the fair Theresa. The
Baron was delighted, he seemed TO renew his
memory, his school-boy froics required with
double force to his recollection, and he RECALLED
the younger Gesner with the nad-cap follies
ofhimself and the elder Gesner, when burschen
at Leipsig, some perhaps whicn the old gem
teman would rather have had his son remain
ed ignorant Of, for few fathers desire their own
wild pranks exposed 10 their children. The
guest was delighted with the ladies of the Bal
ron's household, but most especially with
Theresa, whose beauty and vivacity cap,iva-
ted him, and to him, whom the monastic rules
Of university had hitherto precluded from the
enjoyment Of female society, she seemed d.
vinity, the beau ideal of his conceptions Of fe-
male loneliness The day passed away, and
late in evening, the subjects Of ghosts and
haunted rooms happened to occur in the con-
yersa,ion. Gesner declared at once his utter
disbelief in all such superstisions. The Baron
informed him, that one room Of his chateau was
supposed to be haunted, that some who had
attempted 10 sleep there had been auaccoun,a-
bly, disturbed and Of late no one had dared pass
the night there; that if his young friend SO Mt
terfy disbelieved in Supernatural appearances,
he might like to lest the matter; and. il SO,
he would lind the haunted room as co,nmodi-
GUS . bed-chamber as any in his building, sep
arate from supernatural visisations. Gesner
accepted the adventure gladly. Il had spif-
it Of daring in it, which it pleased him to have
chance Of exhibiting, more especially as he
cav Theresa turn pale at the thought Of the
neril he was about to encounter, when he bid
Goodnight on retiring TO rest. He was escor-
ia TO the haunted chamber by servant, who
dayed 70 however no faTthsY than the door and