American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-05-24
YaG AlUAHlO HlAaIH stone

uAubouses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses"
"Do believe in haunted louSes?" sal
the aged woman, speaking rather to hei-
self than to the fair sweet grand cl i'd,
who nestled at her feet and looked up
50 earnestly into the wrinkled face,
Eyes, indeed ! do. There's not a
house in this whole village. not for miles
around, but that TO me is haunted-none,
though, so much as this" Haunted"
continued she, speaking so slowly that
solemn emphasis seemed 10 rest on each
Letter, yes, yes, there are such things as
haunted spo,s" And then she dropped
her knitting, took OFT her glasses, wiped
her eyes, and leaning back in her arm
chair seemed lost in sad yet holy COM
munon with the earlier passages oflile.
IL was dark stormy, winters night
The wind howled 6ercely around the old
farm house, drifting the snow high on the
window sills fastening it to the rough pan
els of the doors, sifyingit through the crew
ices of the messy root and heapng 1T up
like giants graves all along the pathways
throughout the garden. But in doors all
was bright,a and of summer warmth. The
huge back log had been dragged in ere
twilight, and was now slowly dropping,
into Goals; while The flames from the light
er wood, which every few minutes was
cast on with SO free hand, blazed higf
an1ruldy, and cast a genial light and glare
in The darkest corner, and scintillated on
the time darkened ceiling like polar flashes
on the midnight sky.
1t was one of those bitter nights that
make the hearth stone the bonniest spot on
all the earth--a night when the sheltered
lift up their hearts in thanksgiving, when
the homeless bow in supplication; a night
when children kneel before the fire and
read bright prophecies in the living Goals;
when the aged draw their chairs yet nearer
to the blaze and warm their shivering
memories; night when all turn their
backs to the darkness, their faces to the
light.
at is night to make ghost stories
relish well-do, grandmother, tell one"
The head of the young girl rested on the
knees of the old lady, and as the latter
lost the thread other dream and looked
down, she could see an enthusiastic eager.
ness pictured in the bright blue eye, a
longing for some tale of romance, thai
dropping into her heart should vivify its
dormant passions. She hesitated few
moments, and then tenderly caressing the
one lone pet of her bosom, she said, 81
will tell you story about haunted hearth
stone; and Lizzie, it will be no tale of fic.
ton. The plot is drawn from living mem.
ories, the scene inipid-here, here" But
her tremulous voice now quivered- with
added notes, and after a moments stern
but useless effort at self-control, it burs
into sobs so loud and wild that they rival
ed the cries of the winter wind.
The young girl seemed not much fright
ened and spake no soothing words, bu
only clasped the hand she had taken as she
asked for the story, with tighter grasp
The paroxysm did not continue long; but as
it passed away, she rose and turning hel
trembling steps toward the dark, cold bed
room, and going in, closed the door and
was absent long while. The tears
streamed down Lizzie's cheeks when lef
alone, and it was evident that the aged
relative bad some secret sorrow, over which