Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-09-05
BY d. P. PALMER.
3 From the Southern Literary Messenger.
A GHOST STORY.


had evidently been some time brewing.
The wind howled, the wind and hail bea
against theawindows, and we instincliyel,
drew our chairs closer around the cheer.
ful, blazing FIRE; we felt when doing so
if,our comforts sUithin were sensibly
increased BY the violent raging Of tht
storm lOithOvt We talked over our re,
miniscences of former storms, and told
many story of peril by food or field.
One of our party had been quiet lis
teneIal evening, which we thought IN
fair, 50 before separating for the night
we urged him TO give his contributions
for the amusement Of the rest.
81 have been very little of traveller. -
said he, "and have no personal adventures
10 recount; butify you wish il, | will re.
late ghost story, and moreover, lam
prepared to vcuch for its truth.
'Let us have it by all means,' cried we
all atonce. Our friend then gave US the
following history:
@'The city Of Exler, in the south Of En-.
gland, contains one of those venerable
cothedrals, whose magnifcence gives ev.
idence alike Of the wealth of the Church.
and OF its liberal expenditures, in those
days when England acknowledged the
spiritual supremacy Of Rome. Dwelling
houses are jnined to The remains of the
mOnkish eloister; and at the time | speak
OF, two mansions, on opposite sides Of
the cSthedral, were inhabited by Mr..
Smith and Mr.. Sheffield; both Of them
were clergymen and had connexon with
iIs ministerial services.
'In order to pass from one honse 10
the other, you were obliged to make a
considerable circuit. Therefore, for the
convenience OF social intercourse, the
families had solicited, and obtaiied per.
mission, each to make short passage,
by opening doorway into the cloisters;
by means Of which, they could pass pri-
vately from house to house. This ex-
planation is necessary for the understan.
ding Of the story.
Fanny Sheffield had been spending an
evening at Mr.. Smiths where The young
people had enjoyed themselves with so
much gayety, that time had slipped a.
way more rapidly than any of the party
were aware Of; and when Fanny arose to
60 home, the Smiths begged her to stay
the night. which she had often done be.
fore; but she positively declined il, say
ing she would just skip across the clois.
tar, and that the door was 10 be left o.
pen fer her. She wished good night, and
danced through with the exuberance of
spirits as she tripped through the an.
cient mOnastic precincts. When she
reached the door, she was dsm9yed at
fnding II locked. The hour was so Iate,
that the family had made sure she was
remaining at the Smiths; and all had res
tired to rest. She knocked as hard
hard as she could with her hand Then
she kicked the door; but all IN Vain.-
The passage that interviewed bet ween
the door end house, prevented the sound
being heard. After moments consd.
eratiOn, she ran back to the other side,
totry to gain admittance; but she was
equally unsuccessful; for the door had
been locked as she went from il to 90
home. sH ah GR l8ssaIs
: Fanny was by no means Of timid
temperament; and when she found that
she must spend the nightin the cathe.
dFal, her feelings were rather agreeable
than otherwise ;and the more she thought
of it, the better she felt pleased at the
occurrence that saYored so strongly of
Tomance. The moon was nearly at the
fdf. and sometimes shone brightly
through the gothic windows, forming ma
ny gFotesque figures, by the shadows it
threw around. Flying clouds
swept over It occasionally, and all was
dark then again il would emerge bright
sever. Ills not surprising that Fanny
should have little INCLINATION 10 sleep uns
der, these circumstances, She walked
slowly up and down the aisIes, sometimes
stopping before monument; where the
crossed legs told her that the mortal re.
mains ofa gallant crusader had been de-
posted, and then passed on to toHbs
where the youth and beauty Of more
modern days had alike mingled with
their mother earth. No one could be a.
lone, at midnight, in such place; with
out feelings Of awe; and most parsons
woela be unnerVed. After pacing a
round inyarious directions, Fanny be>
gan TO fancy, that she saw something in
motion near the organ; but she would
not permit herself to dwell on the
thought, for, said she to herself, Il know
that lam alone in this place, il can benoth-
ing but The moonlight, however as | am
growing fanciful, ! had better go to
sShe thought the pulpi: would be
good place Tor rest, and she mounted its
ttepss arranged soma cushions amused
herself With picluring the surprise Of the
family when they should hear, III the
moFnIng, where shesiad passed lie night,