Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-03-10
Ghost Stories,


Left Holland House in time to get to Rogers
where Sir w. Scott was to call for us. Called
at three to take us to dine with his son, MAJOR
Scott, at Hampton. Scott very agreeable on the
way. Told him our conversation at Holland House
about ghosts, which brought him out on the same
topic. His own strong persuasion, one night,
that he saw the figure of Lord Byron. Had been
either talking of or reading him; and on going IN
to the next room, was startled to see through the
dusk what he could have sworn was Byron, stand
ing as he used to do when alive On returning
into the drawing room, he said to his daughter,
'If you wish to see Lord Byron, go into that
ROOM" 1t was the effect OF either the moonlight
or twilight upon some drapery that was hanging
up,whch,t to his Imagination, just then full of By
ron, presented this appearance. Rogers story
of the young couple at Berlin in their opera-box,
between whom. at distance, there always ap-
peared to be person sitting, though on going
into their box, ii was found that there was no
there but themselves.
From all parts of the house this supernatural
intruder could be seen; but the people differed as
to its appearance, some saying it was a fair man,
others a dark some maintaining that he was old,
and others that he young. 1t should be
mentioned, that there some guilty mystery
hanging over the connection between these young
people; and as, at last, no one yentured to visit
their box, they disappeared from Berlin. This
anecdote Lord Wriothesloy Russell brought with
HIM from abroad. Scott (who evidently did not
like the circumstances being left unexplained)
proceeded to tell story of Mrs. Hook, the wife
of DIR. Hook, who wrote the Roman History sit
being well " he said, ''to have some real person
to fit ones story on" Mrs Hook becoming ac-
quainted and intimate with foreign lady, IA widow,
at Bath; their resolving to live together on their
return to London. Mrs. Hook on coming down
stairs one day ut this ladys lodgings, meeting
foreign officer ON the stairs saying to her friend
next day, "lou had a visitor yesterday %
the other answering, "No; she had seen no
one since Mrs. Hook left her." Mrs Hook
thinking this odd, going another day into her
friends dressing room by mistake, and
ing the same officer there stretched on the sofa
Being SIRE there was something not right.
said it was impossible, INIT hoaring description
Hook, convinced that it was some improper lai-
son she was carrying on, determined gradually
to give up her acquaintance. The foreign lady
soon after was preparing to go to London; and
Mrs. Hook, being in the room when her maid was
packing, (the lady herself not being presently
saw miniature case fall out of the portmanteau;
and taking it up and opening it, the portrait
OF the very person whom she had met on the
stairs. That" said the maid, ais the picture
ofmy mistress's husband" ''Her husband ~
"1es," answered the maid ''he died short time
before we left Germany" In a few weeks af-
terwards there arrived an order in England to
have this foreign lady arrested charge of
numbering her husband !-Moores Diary.