American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper., 1845-09-23
From the Saturday Evening Post.l
A NIGHT IN A HAUNTED HOUSE
BY MARC EvERGREF

From the Saturday Evening Post
A NIGHT IN A HAUNTED HOUSE.
BY MARC EVERGREEN,
"Grin reader. did you ever see a ghost:
No, but you've heard,-l understand, be dumb,
And don't regret the time that you have lost,
For you have got that pleasure yet Ia come."
Dos Juan.
"The only ghost | ever saw" T." said my faith
er, and there he made dead stop.
There were six Of US in all, that is, two Sis
tiers, three brothers, among whom numbered
one,-and my father. 1t was fine clear win
Ter night without; the moon was shining, the
stars were shining, and ten thousand little icl-
cles in every variety Of shape and form were
shining also. Within the scene was different,
very bright coal fire burned in the CRATE, an
argand lamp shed a food Of soilened light from
the manlc!-p ece; around the former, tolera-
bly, correct segment Of circle was formed by
FIVE chairs, on which we five were seated Be-
sides them, and in full view Of the fire, stretch
ed out on sofa lay my father.
'The only ghost | ever saw, these words
were slid in between the pause of converse
ton, which we were holding upon the interest
ing subjects of "demonoiogy and wtchcrait," -"
and had the instant effect of reducing us to a
dead silence of expectation;-but my father did
not 90 OH. There was a considerable pause,
during which we could hear the ticking of the
tall grim looking clock in the corner, the whls-
tie of the draught up the chimney, and even
the beating of our own hearts, but nothing
else.
My sister Mary's curiosity prompted her to
break the silence first:
$50 you really did see ghost, father:' said
she.
For moment he made no reply, and then
instead Of answering i'll the affirmative, he
but stop; must say word on another subject
first.
My father is the most remarkable man
alive.
"Now, for the sake of the jest, | would just
like you would try a few guesses at the trait for
which you presume he is remarkable.
No, that is not it,--though my father is is
great reader.
Nor that either, for though man Of very
general information, it does not lie in any par
tculav branch,
Nor that-but you may as well stop; you d
never guess If you tried thousand years. Pll
tell you: my father is remarkable for his sleep
inc abilities Understand me: | don't mean
that there are not men, and ,oOme;. too, who in
point of time, can out sleep him, who can take
their afternoon nap sonndIier, 90 TO bed carrier.
and lie later, than with comfort to his physical
economy he an,-but for sleeping at the short
test notice; for talking to you senslbly tins mo-
ment, and dreaming of The Lord knOl0s tcho the
next defy the world to produce his equal
And now YOU probably know the nature of the
answer which Mary received to her questions.
Yes: instead Of the expected, ooh, yes; and I'll
tell you all about it," u long, deep, sonorous
snore, sent thrill Of disappointment TO the
heart Of every one nt his llstners.
4 pretty smart chorls of"How provokn9s,
did YOU evers, )" with several etcoteras follow
ed this demonstration OF my ather's situation,
and were i'll their turn succeeded by another
blast fon his nasal trumpet, like the alternate
sounds OF tenor and bass liddles in an orchestra
and then we mutually looked at each othcr, as
to say, ''What shall we do:"
There seemed to be but one alternative in
the case; that is in case we wanted to hear bis
story;-'Wake him." was the general cry.
Now my father did not like to be walked, MOI
was it an easy matter to do it; however, it was
to be done, and was deputed to the task.
approached him cautiousIy,- called him; nc
answer, shook him first gently, at last smart
", and at length he opened his eyes on me
with sleepy, unmeaning stare
"Dear father" SAID II felt bound to be
dutful, eve are all eager to hear that story "a
bout the ghost, and, do you know, you are ac'
tually going TO sleep"
CAN" said he, raising himself on his ell.
bow, "Oh, yes, certainly, certainly. But Marc
nv boy, believe am sleepy" Here very
long yawn fully established the truth oil his
belief
ssBut never mind" continued he. "You see
that draweI?" every eye followed the direction
of his at once ''the key is Oh the table, open It,,
and in one corner you will find a-a-you vii
find Observation-Disclosures. and with this some
what startling annunciation my father gently
sank to a recumbent posture, and, for the Sc
cond time that evening, sunk TO sleep
| need scarcely say that we lost little time In
following his directions. Scarce two minutes
had elapsed until we had fished up from among
a confused mass OF papers dlngy looking man
uscript, which, from its superscrlption, we tooF
to be that which we sought, and were not dis
appointed. have been at some trouble TO oo
tain copy of it for your especial use, unknown
to him, but have got it at length.
would merely premise, that beheVe 1t to
have been the production OF some leisure houi'
of his youthful days-any one who would ac
cuse him Of such piece OF work 'lo'o, "oulo
show very little knowledge of his character; fo'
this reason also am inclined TO believe the
story true one.
THE MANUSCRIPT.
1t is melancholy consideration to those who
value what Byron calls, "That source OF th'
sublime and the mysterious" that as clvlllza
ton advances with its matter-of-fact theory o
life, all those legendary beings, who once peo
pied hill and valley, lake and stream, gradually
disappear No more OH midsummer night, OF
all-kollow-eve, do the fairy hands turn out il
the silver moonlight, to bewilder such poo