Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-06-09

"Do believe in haunted houses i'--Said
the aged woman, speaking rather to herself
than to the fair sweet grand-child who nes-
tied at her feet and looked up so earnestly
into the wrinkled face. "Yes. indeed | do.
There's not house in this whole village, nor
for miles around but that to me is haunted
none, though so much rs this. Haunted .''
continued she speaking SO slowly that sol
emn emphasis seemed to rest on each letter,
yes there are such things as haunted spots.
And then she dropped her knitting, took of
her glasses, wiped her eyes and leaning back
in her arm chair seemed lost in sad yet
holy communion with the earlier passage of
life r @ ......
1t was dark, stormy winters night. The
wind howed fercely around the old farm
house, drifting the snow high on the window
slls fastening it to the rough panels Of the
doors, Sitting it through the crevices of the
messy roof and heaping it up like giants
graves all along the pathway throughout the
garden. But in doors all was bright. and of
summer warmth. The huge backlog had
been dragged in ere twilight and was now
slowly dropping into Goals; while the flames
from the lighter wood, which every few min
utes was cast on with so free a hand blazed
high and ruddy, and cast genial light and
glare in the darkest corner, and scintillated
on the time -darkened ceiling like polar flashes
on tie 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 home
less bow in supplication. a night when the
children kneel before tho fire and read bright
prOphesies 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 fa-
ces to the light. 'r" "0j
1t was a 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, aud, as the latter lost
the thread of her dream and looked down. she
could see an enthusiastic eagerness pictured
in the bright blue eyes; a longing for some tale
OF romance, that dropping into her heart,
should vivify its dormant passions. She hes
itated few moments, and then tenderly ca
ressing the one Pet Of her bosom, she said II
will tell You story about a haunted hearth
stone and Lizzie, It will be no tale Of fiction,
The plot is drawn from living memories, the
scene is laid-here, here But her tremh-
lous voice quivered with added notes, and af-
ter moments stern but useless effort at self
control, it burst in sobs SO loud and wild that
they rivalled the cries of the winter wind,
The young girl seemed not much frightened
and spake no soothing words. but only clasped
the hand she had taken US she asked in the
story, with tighter grasp.--The paroxysm
did not continue long but, as it passed away
she rose, and turning her trembling steps to
ward the dark, cold bedroom, aud going in
closed the door, and was absent long while.
The tears streamed down Lizzie's cheeks
when ieiI alone and il was evident that the
aged relative had some secret sorrow, over
which she mUurned intensely. When she
returned and again seated herself In her usual
chair, only drawing il a little closer TO the
hre, there was such calm. beautiful, spirit
ual look, expressed upon her countenance,
that you could not hut fancy she had conver-
sed with the angels. Without any allusion to
tue past, without any preface, she began,
after silence of perhaps half an hour the
promised story Handed down to me, it
reads like this :--iti .ff ...f Il. - 1--II
III was night like this. forfS years or more
nave passed since its wind blew and snow
erll,ed, since its cold palsied and its darkness
riehtened Besides the same hearth. stone
the same only that it was not worn So
smooth for the house then had tested but
thirty instead Of as now seventy and odd win
ters-.an aged man aid his wife sat befora
the blazing lire striving TO while away th,,
long evening hours. There was not then as
now, daily mails coming into our little village
freighted with news OF every shape. a'Ihe
press did not teen, as now, with niagaziues
and books 1t was rare to see a newspaper IN