Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-11-07
MONTPELIER, VERMONT,

lment: and indeed, had, when hr't welcoming
with some pleasure the idea Of sleeping in a
haunted house, determined fully to explore for
nv own satisfaction, before retiring for the night
yet fatigue or caprice made me now readily a.
bandon my intention, just whenmy means for
carrying it into execution were being withdrawn;
for the candle expired while was opening the
door of the lantern, to throw its light more fully
upon mass of drapery which seemed to be
suspended across the further end Of the cham
ber. The complete darkness that mOmentarily
ensued blinded me entirely; but in the course
of few moments the shadows became more
distinct, and gradually by the light Of the moon
was able to make out thatNAe object opposite
ME was only large old fasiiOned bedstead,
prodigally hung with tattered, ctFtainS. gave
no further heed to the subject butufShg over,
composed myself to rest.
Sleep, however, whom Shakespeare alone has
had the sense to personify as woman, was coy
in coming to my couch. The old mansion whee-
zed and groaned, like broken.winded buffalo
hard pressed by the hunter. The wind which
had been high, became soon more bOistrous than
ever, and the clounds hudded together SO rap
idly over the face of the moon, that her beams
were as broken as the crevices of the ruined
building through which they fell.
A sudden gust would every now and then
sweep through the long corridor below, and
make the rickety staircase crack as if it yielded
to the feel of some portly passengers; again, the
blast would die away in a sulen moan, as if it
batiied on some wild night-errand, while anon
it would swell in monotinous surges, which
came booming upon the ear like the roar of
distant ocean.
| am not easily dlscomposed, and perhaps
none of these uncouth sounds would have oiven
annoyance, if the changing of wndow-shutter
had not been added to the general chorus, and
effectuaIly kept me from sleeping My nerves
were at last becoming sensibly affected by its
ceaseless din, and wishing to cut short the fit of
restlessness which found stealing upon me, |
determined to rise and descend the stairs at the
risk of my neck, to try and secure the shutter
so as to put an and to the nuisance.
But now, as rose in my bed for this purpose
| found myself subject to a new source of an
noyance. The mocking wind, which had ap-
peared to me more than once to syllable human
sounds, came at length upon my ear disctinctly
charged with sounds, came at length upon my
ear distinctly charged with tones which could
not be mistaken. 1t was the hard suppressed
breathing of a man. listened, and it ceased
with slight gasp, like that Of one laboring un
der suffocation. listened slill 20 it came a
new,z7strenGeE and as.sas siinllss 's.y' 'o~s I
Whence it proceeded l knss--not; but that !
was near me, was certain. A Suspicion ofrob
bery-possbly assualion-fashed upon me
but were instantly discarded, as foresign to thC
character of the people among whom | was trav
cling.
The moonlight now fell upon the curtainel
bed opposite me, and | saw the tattered drapery
move, as if the frame upon which it was suspen
ded was agitated. I watched, | confess, witt
some peculiar feelings of interest was no
alarmed, but an unaccountable anxiety crept o
yer me. At length the curtain parted, and {
naked human leg was protruded through thu
folds-the foot came with numb, dead likt
sound to the floor, resting, ii seemed to me, a
least half minute before the body to which i
belonged was disclosed to my view Slowly
then, pallid and unearthly looking figure emer
ged from the couch, and stood with its stark lin
eaments clearly drawn against the dlngy curtaiI
behind it, 1t appeared to be balancing itsel
for moment, and then began to move along
from the bed. Bat there was something horribly
unnatural in its motions. Its feet came to thu
floor with dull, heavy sound, as if there wa
no vitality in them. Its arms hung apparently
paraIyzed by its sde,a and the only nerve or rigid
ity in its frame appeared about its head th,
hair, which was thin and scattered, stood out il
rigid tufts from its brow-the eyes were dilate,
and fixed with an expression of ghostly horror
and the petnied lips moved not, as the hideou
moaning, which came from the bottom of it
chest, escaped them.
1t began to move across the floor in the direc
ton of my bed with sudden jerk, nearly to it
body, and its feet coming to the floor as if the
were moved by some mechanical impulse, an
were wholly wanting in the elasticity of Twin
members. 1t approached my bed-and mingle
horror and curiosity kept me still. 1t came an
stood beside it, and child-like still clung to m
couch, moving only to the farther side. Slowly
and with the same unnatural foo falls it pursue
me thther, and again changed my POSITION
1t placed itself then at the foot of my bedstead
and moved by its piteons groans, tried to rail-
my thoughts to reason with myself and specu
late upon the nature of the subject before me-
One idea that went through my brain was to
extravagant not to remember. thought, anon
other things, that the phantom was corpse an
inated for the moment by some galvanc process
in order to terrify me. Then, as | recollecte
that there was no one in the village to carry sue
a trick into effect, supposing even the exper
ment possible, rejected the supposition. How
too, could those awful means be made from a
inanimate being2 And yet, it seemed as if e,
cry thing about it were dead, except the mer
capability of moving Its feet and utterng thos
unearthly expressions of suffering. The spcctr,
however, if so it may be called, gave me but Ii
tie opportunity for reflection. Its ghastly limb
were raised anew with the same Outomatou
movement; and placing one of its feet upon til
bottom of my bed, while its eyes were fxe
steadfastl' upon me, it began stalking towart
my pillow.
confess that was now in an agony of ho
ror.
sn,ono from tho nouoh and dnd the NM