Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1850-08-24
A Fearful ApparitlOn.

height, an old forest.
One stormy evening in harvest, its lord look
ed from his window into the darkness, and
over the we'll guarded gate of the castle, to-
wards the opposite hills, where the tops of the
trees still visible, rustled and waved in tie
dark blue heavens. The rivulet in the valley
sent forth wild and strange sound, and the
creaking weather-cock clattered and brawled
as if ehiding the storm.
The scene and the hour were congenial to
the mind of the lord of the castle. He was
no longer the mild and indulgent master; his
only daughter had fed from the fortress with
handsome youth, far inferior to her in birth,
but sweeter singer and harp-player than any
inhabiGant of the Wild Highlands; and, soon
after their flight, the lover was found dashed
to pieces at the bottom of rocky valley; in
to which, in the darkness of the night, he had
fallen Thereupon the daughter, by an un-
known pilgrim, sent letter to her father, say
ing that, night having robbed her of her low
er, her eyes were open to her fault, that she
had retired to a convent to do the most Sc
we're penance, and that he would never see her
more. From this event the lord of the castle
had become almost as obdurate as the sur
rounding rocks and as unfeeling as the stony
pavement of his fortress.
As he now looked from the window, he saw
in the yard lantern move backward and for
wards, as if in the hands of some one who,
with tottering steps, stole across the arena
Angrily he called out-"Who goes there :"
for his domestics had strict orders to admit
no one within the walls; and since the fight
of the young lady, these commands were rig
| idly obeyed-it seemed as if lifeless stone
alone dwelt therein.
To the lord of the castle there came soft
voice
AN old woman it said, 'begs some food
noble knight
But the humble demand was impetuosly
refused
py-vagrant-witchp were the appella-
tions showered upon the beggar; and because
she did not retire, but reiterated her petition
with fervent though weak voice, the knight,
in the widness of his wrath, called on his blood
hounds to hunt the beggar woman away
Wildly did the ferocious dogs rush forth; but
scarcely did they approach the old woman,
when she touched the strongest and fercest
with slender wand. The domest!cs who
had come out, expected that the savage dog
would tear her in pieces; but bowling he
turned, and the others laid themselves down,
whining, before the beggar.
Again the lord of the castle urged them on,
but they howled and moaned, and lay still.
A strange shuddering seized him, which
redoubled when the old woman raised her
lantern on high, and her long white hair ap-
peared waving in the storm, while with sad
and threatening voice, she exclaimed
Thou in the heavens who seest and hearest!'
Trembling, the knight retired from the win
dow, and ordered his people to give her what
she demanded. The domestics, frightend al
the apparition, placed some food without in a
basket, and then secured the doors, all the
while repeating prayers, until they heard the
strange old woman carry away the food As
she stepped out of the castle gate, the hounds
moaned mysteriously after her
From this time regularly every, third even
ing, the lantern was seen in the castle yard
and no sooner did the strange twinkling begin
to visible through the darkness, and the light
steps to be heard to totter softly over the pave
ments, than the lord of the castle hastened
back from the window, the domestics put out
the basket of food, and the hounds moaned
sorrowfully till the appearance vanished.
/ One day-it was now the beginning of win.
ter-the knight followed the chase into the
widest part of the mountain. Suddenly hi;
hounds darted up steep height and expect
ing good capture, at the risk ofimminent dan
ger, he forced his shuddering horse over the
stony, slippery ground Before a cavern, il
the middle of the ascent, the hounds stood
still; but how felt the knight when the figure
of a woman stepped to the mouth ofthe abyss
and with stick drove back the dogs. From
the silvery locks of the woman, as well as from
!, the moaning of the hounds, and his own in
ternal feelings, he soon perceived that in thi
drear spot the lantern bearer stood before him
Half frantic, he turned his horses head
buried his spurs in his sides, and gallopec
down the steep side, accompanied by the yell
ing hounds, towards the castle.
Soon after this strange occurrence, the Ian
tern was no longer seen in the court oft cas-
tle They watched one day-several days
: but the apparition was no longer seen.
If its first appearance had alarmed the lore
of the castle and his domesticS, its disappear
ance occasioned still more.
They believed the former prognosticatet
: some dreadful event, which the latter betok
ened to be near. On the knight, the antici
patton had dreadful effect; he became pal
and hagafd, and his countenance assumed
such disturbed appearance, the inmates o
the castle were of opinion that the apparitiol
gave warning ofhs death: 1t was not so.
One day, as was his custom, the knigh
rode to the chase, and in his present distrac
ton of mind, he approached, uuawares, tha
: part of the country where the old womal
with the white hair appeared to him, ant
which he, from that time, had with great car
avoided Again the dogs sprung to the height
bowling, and looked fearfully into the cavern
The afrighted baron in vain called them back
They stood asif faeinated on the dreadful spot
: but on this occasion no one appeared to chas
them away. They crept into the cavern, ant
from its dark bosom the knight still hear,
their meanings and cries.
AT last he summoned resolution, spranj
from his horse, and with determined courage
clambered up the height, Advancing into tn
cavern, he beheld the hounds crouched aroun
wretched messy couch, on which the dea
body of woman lay stretched out
On drawing near her, he recognized tn
pure white hair of the formidable lantern bear