The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1857-10-16
A True Ghost Story.

"Did you ever hear" said friend once
to me, " real true ghost story-one you
might depend upon?"
9 Fhere are not many such to be heard"
| replied, g and am afraid it has never
been my good fortune to meet with those
who were really able to give me genuine
well authenticated story"
Well, you shall never have cause to
say so again; and as it was an adventure
that happened to myself you can scarcely
think it other than we'll authenticated.
| know you to be no coward, or | might
hesitate before l told it to you. You
need not stir the fire; there is plenty
of light by which you can hear it.
And now to begin. | had been riding
hard one day in the autumn for nearly five
Or six hours, through some of the most
tempestlous weather to which it had ever
been my ill luck to be exposed. 1t was
Just about the time of the equinox,
and perfect hurricanes swept over the
hills, as if every wind in heaven had
broken loose and had gone mad, and on
every hill the hail and driving slcet
poured down in one unbrokcn shower.
When l reached the head of Went
ford valley-a narrow ravine, with rocks
on one side, and rich, full woods on the
other, with clear little stream winding
through the hollow dell-when l came to
the entrance Of this valley, weather-b beaten
veteran as was, I scarcely knew how to
hold on my way. The wind, as it were,
held in between the two high banks,
rushed like river just broken loose into
a new course, carrying with it a perfect
sheet ofrain, against which my poor horse
and l struggled with considerable diff
Guilty. Still went on, for the village lay
at the other end, and had a patient to
see there who had sent a very urgent
message, entreating me to come to him as
soon as possible. We are slaves to a
message, we poor medical men, and l
urged on my poor iadel brute with a
keen relish for the warm fire and good
dinner that awaited ME as soon as I could
see my unfortunate patient, and get back
to a home doubly valued on such aday as
that in which was then out. 1t was
indeed dreary riding in such weather. and
the scene altogether, through which l
passed, was certainly not the most con-
ducivc toward raising mans spirits, but
positively half wished myself out in it
all again, rather than sit the hour | was
obliged to spend by the sick bed of the
wretched man had been summoned to
visit. lie had met with an accident the
day before, and as he had been drinking
up to the time, and the people had de-
laycd scndirg for me, | found him in a
frightful state of fever-and it was really
an awful thing either to look at or to
hear him.-Ile was delirious, and per-
fectly furious; and his face, swelled with
passion, and crimson with the fever that
was burning him up, was a sight to
frighten children, and not one to add to
the tranquility Of even full-grown men.
| dare say you think me very weak,
and that | ought to have minded his "a
wings no more than the dash of the rain
against the window; but, during the whole
ofmy pract c., i had never seen man or VIC
man, in health or in 1ever,in SO frightful a
state Of fllries frenzy with the impress of
every bad passion stamped 50 fearfully
upon the face; and, in the miserable how
Ell that held me, with his old witch-liko
mother standing by his side-the babble of
the wind and rain outside, added to the
rawlings Of wretched creature Within be-
gan to feel neither in happy nor an in
yiable frame Of mind. There is nothing