Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-06-23
The Maniac Girl,

story published in our last. entitled . Th,
Longest Night in a Life SAYS;
1t has brought wildly TO our mind thrill
ling incident which happens to be within oui
own knowledge, and we cannot forbcar irving
in our poor way to tell the tale The intelii
gent and highly respectable gentleman tc
whom the occurrence happened is now a resi-
dent Of this borough, and in every particular
the story is strictly true.
number of years since. the individual tC
whom we allude was a pupil at school in
tins county, boarding at farmhouse about
one mile distant from the Academy. The
house was one of those built at different pc.
riods of time. and presenting long extended
front to the roadside. 1t was situated in
the gorge Of Il lonely wood, and Just below it
ran deep, dark ravine, which was the
haunted ground of the neghborhood-for it
is well known that every ncghborhood has
its haunted ground.
The sleeping apartments of the family were
in the extreme end of the house, while tina,
occupied by their boardcr was the furthest re.
moved from them possible, One night he re.
manned late at "a lecture delivered to the
school and by the time he arrived the family
had all retired, it being past the hour OF
eleven o clock lie passed into the house and
Immediately went up to his chamber. The
reflected light Of the moon shone in the room
and as he entered the doorway and turned
towards his bed, there stood at the side of it
figure dressed in white, dimly apparent to
him through the shadowy moonlight
lie was, as may well be supposed, terror
stricken. turning for moment from the ap-
partition towards the window, to see if it were
not a fantastic creation, caused by the moon
light falling on some object in the apartment.
his eye again looked for the strange sight
but it was gone, without the slightest pre-
ccptiblc noise. With his whole nervous svs-
TEN completely unstrung, he however sue
ceeded at length in convincing himself that
he had been deceived, quietly undressed and
laid down, but not to sleep, for there was too
much agitation to do so. lie Law in this
wakeful state for about three-quarters of an
hour, when he thought he felt the bed slowly
raised beneath him. He again succeeded in
persuadng himself that he was deceived, and
attributed this to the effects Of the intense
fear and consequent nervous excitement of the
first strange appearance.
After another tedious period of time, the
same rising of the bed was felt and on this
occasion he half arose, leaned over and look ed
partially under the bed and listened with the
most intense earnestness : but not the slightest
noise, even of respiration, on any of tho diffe-
rent occasions came to his ear. He again
stroye to dismiss the fearful subject from his
mind, and at length, by excess Of weariness
fell into an uneasy and disturbed sleep, which
must have lasted for some two hours. He
was aroused from this uneasy repose by some.
thing between piercing shrek and a fren.
zied laugh, unearthly in its tone, breaking
upon his ear in the dead silence of the night
and Immediately at his side.
The unusual and horrible character of the
cry, with all the preceding circumstances
renders it difficult, if not impossible, to re.
present the intense and agonizing fear which
crept over the completely unnamed inmate
of that chamber. Ten years and more hav,
elapsed since the circum stance occurred, anC
yet, at this distant day, our friend always re
lates the incident with an excited tone o
voice, which indicates how dreadful were tn,
realities that surrounded him. lie sat III
erect IN the bed, with every fibre of his hesl
qulvering with terror, and with straining ey,
ana ear sought to solve the fearful mystery
In the midst of this thrilling and excite,
state OF lecllng, there came "a wilder repeti
ton OF the mingled scream and laugh, and
said our informant, lit was such a cry a
can never be ctaced from my memory" III
instantly sprang from the bed to the floor
and in II delrum of fear, dragged the bed
stead from the corner of the room, and there
| behind the high head board, stood the appar
/ ition which had presented itself to his as
tonshed sight when he first entered the room
ON that dreadful night. 1t was the figure O
woman clothed in white, with long, black
luxuriant hair hanging wildly about her per
son.
1t was maniac girl, from a neighborin,
house, who came in the afternoon, during hi
absence to spend the night and had wandere,
from the room where the family supposed
they had secured her. When he entered tn
room she was standing as he first describe
her position, and while his eye was turne
for moment towards the window, she silent
ly crept beneath the bed. We hope the re
cltal OF this story may not have the effect t
disturb the repose Of our young or lad
readers, If there are any fears on that sui
jcct, we advise them, before locking thei
chamber doors at night, to look under tn
bed, and into the band-boxes and closet,
After such AN examination, they may retr
without the slightest alarm.