The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-10-18
The Ghost OF a Love Sorv.

The Ghost OF a Love Story.
In an, excursion once made in Brittany, I
arrived one evening at the little iown of Pom
taven in Lower Cornwall-for Cornwall is on
both sides of the channel-with. all its tors,
tres, and pens, as well on the French as on the
English land, which goes far to prove that the
two countries of Great and little Britain were
once united.
It was beautiful summer and the charming
country in that point of projecting land, be-
tween the bay Of DonaTnenez and the inlet of
Benodet, had never looked more smiling and
agreeable. was on my way to Quimper, the
| capital of the district, and need not have ven
tured on such fare as the very shabby inn Of
fered, but had a fancy to stop in order to have
an opportunity of visiting the ruins of castle
which [ had observed on my way, crowning a
hill rising above village called Nixon, short
walk from Pontaven.
AS was well aware th5t to view ruin
Alright, one should Ego visit it by the pale moon
light and the moon being then Gin her high
est noon,'' [ mediated an excursion with my
companions-one of whom was Breton born,
and the other brisk little native of Normandy
to the castle of Rustefan, as soon as our supper
had little Restored us after days Journey
over bad roads.
The walk was extremely pretty through deep
shaded lanes, across which the clearrays of the
moonlight danced as they escaped through the
leaves, stirred by a soft breeze We soon
reached the village, and mounted the steep hill,
at the highest point of which rose the hume
rous walls and towers of what must once have
been large castle. In what had been the
inner court the ground was covered with soft
turf, where formerly the village fates and dan
ces were held. A. G
One night, merry party Of young people
were dancing on this green, and had not yet
ceased, when the clock of the chapel of Nixon
tolled twelve. Exactly at that moment, although
the weather had been beautiful until then, for
it was warm summer, sudden chill came
over all, the moon became obscured, and the
| wind rose in sharp gusts which Violently shook
the thick ivy garlands on the WALL The party
stopped in the midst of their dance, for every
one haa felt the influence of the change, and
as the sky grew darker and the wind louder they
clung to each other in actual fear. Presently
those who had courage to look round them were
aware that, gazing at them from the pointed
ruined window of the donjon, stood figure in
the dress of monk with shaven crown and
hollow ]ustrous eyes. As the great revolution
had long since cleared the country of monaste-
ries, and as no monk had ever been seen in the
locality except in a picture, the general aston
ishmentwas great. The terror increased when
the figure, slowly moving from the window,
reappeared at lower one, as if descending the
broSen stair, nds6nally was seen to emerge
from bepeath the stone portal into the Interrupt
teN moongh and apprenticeship fixing his
lustrous eyes upon them-to be advancing.
With a general cry ofGerror, all rushed toward
the opposite entrance. and, nearly falling over
each other in their eagerness to escape, darted
from the castle and msole the best of their way
to the bottom of the hill, nor stopped until they
had regained the cottages.
After this, the ruins were never visited by
night, but occasionallSit happened that stran-
ger coming from distance. would have to
cross the lower part of the hill, which the cas-
tie crowned, and if he looked up from the
marshy lake into which drains all the water
from the heights round about, and which is one
of the most dismal, dreary looking spots in the
neighborhood, he was sure to see, mounting the
hill and advancing Slowly to the chief efentrance
to the castle, funeral procession conducting
bier covered with white cloth, and having
7; four tapers at the corners, Just asSls usual on
the coffin of young girl. This would enter
the castle gate and disappear.
Others have heard, as they passed under the
walls, the sound of weeping and lamenting ,and
sometimes of a low melancholy singing, and
walls Of a female figure, as Of very young
girl, dressed in a robe of green satin strewn
with golden flowers, who walks mournfully
a1ang utterng sighs and sobs, and occasionally
singing in a fearful voice, words which no one
has been able to comprehend.
! - Ny Breton friend to whon}e all the legends
of his country were familiar, finding shat was
interested in the accounted these apparitions OF
theq3astle, thus satisfied my longing to know how
the belief could have arisen of these appearan-
ces of monk and lady.
Il suppose it was to give gloomier horror
to tha3egend that our friends the peasants OF
Nixon fixed upon monk for their ghost. The
fact is, it is priest who appears, with shaven
head and brilliant eyes, one of those whom you
may meet any day in the parish, indeed, the
real hero of the tale filled that very office. You
may have observed two names frequently re-
pealeu over tne snOpS, Dotll III VIC 'hlooS oe'o"
and at Ponhven-both Naour and tlecher are
common hereabouts, the first are extremely
proud of their name, for it proves them to be
descendants, Of the once powerful lord OF the
castle of Rustefan, in days when lords were
people who had the command Of all the coun-
try and all the peasants within their ken. AS
! for Flecher, it was never more illustrious than
1T is now, yet it is connected with the history
of these old ruins as much as the other.
"Tbe5 peasants of Brittany are very ambl'
tious that their sons should enter the church;lt
removes them from evil habits apd had labor
it gives them educations and certain superiority
which every mother wishes her 5ild to attain,
moreoversin their opinion, it secures them
heaven, and provides prayers for their kindred
and if the priest should happen to turn out
saint, the whole fahfly is made immortal fame
"Mara Flecher, widow with an only son
lived at Pcntaven, and, every time her pretty
| little Ivan came home from the hills after tend
ing the foeks of the farmer who employed
him, she sighed thatso promising child should
have no better occupation. AS he grew older
her reoret increased, until at last she became