Litchfield enquirer., 1847-04-22
A YANKEE GHOST.

A YANKEE GHOST.
 Guilt or rcmorse for injuries inflicted upon those whose forgiveness cannot be known, and whose power Of retaliation in their new condition cannot be estima> ted. is the prolific mother of spectral an noyances. Whomsoevsr we have inu- red, however despicable and weak while living, becomes formidable by delth. l have noticed in our thrifty, money lo.- ing community, that ,hore is very com. mon notion that the disposal of an estate, contrary, to the known wishes of the .es:ator. is the most potent spell ot all others for raising Yankee ghost. A. mong the many anecletes which corrob- crate this opinion, l must content my self with citing one, the scene of which happens to be ia an adjoining ,own.
 Some years ago, an elderly woman familiarly known as Aunt Morse died leaving handsome liItle property. No will was found, although it was under stood before her decease, that such doc ument was in the hands of squire S., on" of her neighbors. One cold winter eve- hing, some weeks after her departure, Squire s. sat in his parlor booking over his papers, when hearing some one cough in familiar way, he looked up and saw before him little crooked old woman, in an oil-nut colorcd wolen frocx, tlue and white tow and lncn apron and striped blanket. leaning her sharp pinched face on one hand, while the oh CT supported short black tobacco pipe at which she was puffing in the mos, yes hement and spiteful manner conceiva- bic.
 The Squire was man ofsome nerve ; but his first thought was to a,temp. an es- cape, from which he was deterred only by the consideration that any effort to that effect would necessarily bring him nearer to his unwelco,ne visitor.
 Aunt Morse,' he said, at lengt1 for the Lords sake, get right back to the burying ground! What on earth are yoa here for!'
 The appar,ion took her pipe daliber ately from her mouth, and informed him that she came to see justice done with her will--and that nobody need think of cheating her, dear or alive. Concluding her remark with shrill emphasis, she replaced her pipe, and puffed away with renewed vigor. The Sqnire had reasons for retaining the documents at issue, which he had supposed conclusive, but ho had not reckoned upon the interference of the testator in the matter. Aunt Morse, when living, he had always regar- ded as very shrew of a woman-and he now began to suspect that her recent change of condition had improved her like Sheridan's ghost, the wrong way. He saw nothing better to be done under the circumstances, than to promise 10 see the matter set right that very evening.
 The ghost nodded her head approving ly, and knocking the ashes out of her pipe against the chimney, proceeded to fill il anew with handful of tobacco from her side pocket. And now Squire,' she said. If you'll just light my pipe for me I'll be going.
 The Squire was as had been intimated no coward-he had bzen out during the war in Merrimack priva.eer, and had seen sharp work off Fayal. bat. as he ! said afterwards, it was no touch to light 1 irg Aunt Morse's pipe. No slave of pi- pebearer ever handed the chiboque 10 the Grand Turk with more care aud rever- 1 ence, than the Squire manifested on thi. occasion. Aunt Morse drew two or three long preliminary whiffs, 10 see that all was right. pulled her blanket over her ! head, and slowly hobbled out at the deor. The Squire being true 70 his promise vas never again disturbed. Il IS right In
 conclusion to say thai there were strong | uspicions at the time, that the ghost was 1 reality of flesh ana blood-in shoIt, one
 # the living heirs of Aun, Morse. and noI the old lady herself- Whittier's Super nsturslism ef NsW Englsnd.