New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-10-18
NJ randladr.a stow.
Thst hour o. nights black arch the keystone.
Nam 0tShAntEI

te FSoWng little story is founded but strange, She
does not give the details. 1t wasa casestrikingly in
pont for her. Was it too horrible To putin her book
or was she restrained BY the same deicaey that made
every maryetmonger speak Of it in a whisper
ID was told to me in Edinburg, by my landlady,
| Hrs. s.. She was from MontTose, and spoke ia
| geEmarked Gaelic idiom that greatly enhanced her
descriptive powers. 1t is remarkable fact that no
language is well adapted to the thrilling the pa
thetic and the humorous as the dialect of the Scot
fish Highlander. Sir Walter Scott owes much of his
success 70 it, and the lyrics OF Burns would be com
paratveiy lnsipid without it. remember once hear
ing Mrs S. jest with her husband about some
nonsense he peFpetrated in bis courtship She was so
much amused at it, that she fell back in her chair
and exclaimed, a Gamma think o. it, but it makes
me Almost splut me seeds laching.n The same ex-
preston in plain English. cannot think of it, but
it almost makes me split my sides laughing is
utterly tame by the side Of the other But Mrs s.,
moreover bad manner which made her narration
wildly impressive,
1t was in the evening twilight, and we were watch.
ing, from the parlor window, the Inchketh light in
the Firth Of Forth, throwing out its flashes of warn
ing to the mariner. / forget what drew from Mrs
the awful recital, the interest of which I have
teebly attempted to maintain, by drawing upon my
fancy for some slight application but she began,
in substance as foll0ss, occasionally tapping me
upon my shoulder and reducing her voice to hiss
ing whisper
the town Of Haddington. His conduct had been so
outrageously dissoiute that everybody repused him
with adherence Finally he sank down in half
starved condition. at the door of his uncle an old
| blacksmith Of Haddington, and was kindly taken in
and cared for. Everything was done for him that
even affection could suggest hut he grew worse and
worse until he went into a delrium and uttered
things OF such tr1ghtfnl import that few persons
could remain near him. There were certain express
sions which excited more establishment than others
indeed they drew tears from those who heard them
az we'll on account Of the earnestness with which
they were uttered as the distracted gesculatons
win Ftotp1 EIo =
distant otject-dstant as fixed star; and with his
outstTetched hands thrust forward as If to resist the
rapid approach Of something, he shouted in voice
bubbling up through bis deathrattle, Back! back
AVA wi ye! ava vii vel 1t is ia sac written
am not to be bruised. Ne, no, no! 1t is written
that the seed Of the woman shall bruiss-awa wi
ye-@merey! oh, mercy, mercy, mercy! ~ These IA.
wings at last ended in death.
1t is the custom In Scotland to sit up three nights
with the dead. The corpse of Andrew Allan flor
that was the young mans name) was placed up stairs
in back ROOM 1t rested upon rude table, consist
ing OF four rude benches supporting two boards 1t
was wrapped IN sheet, and two haliGrown pieces
were placed on the eyes to keep them closed. The
backsmith's house was builtup0n very simple plan
The outside door opened into small hall down stairs
and at the further end OF this hall were two bed
rooms. staircase commenced near the door and
LED TO the second story, in which there were what
might be called an ante-ro0m, and the large apart.
ment where the body OF Andrew Allan law A door
entered into this chamber from narrow platform at
the head OF the stairs, And one descending the
stairs from the ante-room must pass III contact with
the door.
Evening came on and the blacksmith's two sons,
cousins Of the deceased were appointed to sit up the
first night They were to occupy the ante-room It
was too warm for fire. SO tbey were prnyidpd with
couple of tallow candles, jug Of " mountain dew
and some tobacco and pipes. Jamie was lust twenty
line looking lad, Of quiet deneanor and industrious
habits Archie, twenty-five years Of age was far
more sprightly He took great delight in heinz H.
n bax ,ott
IN the Highlands, the vera dell amang the lassiesn
Hour after hour be entertained Jamie with his con
quests, until the latter began to show symptoms of
doubt
An are We sure, Archie" he asked, you're ma
telling me a pack o. lees ~
They had not given their cousin in the adjoining
room single thought. They could not disq6ise the
TACT tnohody coqd) that they glad he was dead
smothering their qualification, however, under the
old comforting maxim, " it was Wee the puir body
was relieved o. his sufern." The night dragged on
Archie continued his amatory "reminiscences to the
great annoyance OF Jamie, until the town clock
g strak the twal lit was midnight!
The candle required shutting, and Jamie reached
forward his hand for that purpose but a sound
reached his ears from the room where the cornse
was-a sound like the moving Of bench, which
caused him in his tremuOusneBs to put out the LIGHT
The darkness was total. The young men held their
breath, each one choked by the throbbing Of his
heart.
Jamie, J" said Archie, sit was naething-- naetb-
Oh Archie, for the 1--we o. God tax fold o. me-
it s na your voiee-you dinna speak in your ain
voice "
The next moment the brothers were locked in each
others arm ana tel covering agsnst the wall, shud
dering IN the extremity OF terror for another sound
reached them and one calculated to paralyze the
braYest They heard with unmistakable distinctness
the two half crown pieces drop on the floor.u
Nhen The old blacksmith went up stairs ut day
light and saw his sons cronchng in the corner of the
room, be thought they had been drinking too murh
and began to chide them. But he soon stopped for
they rose up and came to meet him with a wild ey.
preston oil Joyful relief on their Gountenances and
pointed to the door at the head of the stairs They
were not able to speak a word The old man. with
out hesitaton pushed open the door and entered the
room; but he came rushing back uttering a cry Of
horFor-such cry as none but an old man can give
-shrill-tremulous They fed down stairs-Onf Of
the house. and into the street. The neiphbors were
eroused-the story tOld-and in less than half an
hour there was tumult The stair case in the black
smiths house was soon filled with people; but none
had courage to open the door The head of the col
ama stood upon the platform resisting the force from
behind u increased to such violence however that
resistance 9Yailed nothing, There was an impatient
rush from below-the door was pushed open, and in
an instant the terrible room was filled with visitors
Not word was spoken-they could only look
Here it was that Mrs. S. placed her hand upon /
my shoulder and whispered in my eaF-her breath I
thfooblng painfully against my excited fympanum.l |
one OF the benches was slightly moved, and the |
49, WV WI EISe iSsteu upon J0e uO0F. Inc I
eyes were open-Wide open, and staring at something
.ar-iaf away. without any change in the lines Of T
The lace, there was yet expression Of curiosity
curiosity merging into fear, which, taken in Connec-
non with the disturbed position OF body, forced the
opinion upon the spectators that the dead man sud
denly started. Terror began to be diminished into /
simple wonder. The people at length conyersed I
win one another but all they could do was to close
inc eyes ofthe deceased and replace the halfcroWn
pieces MT up the leg and again enyeop it in the
sheet That day no work was done in Haddagton-
no one ate anything. But night came on again |
and others must take their turn at watching ia the
antefoom' Twelve men volunteered = eleven of
them cltlzens Of Haddington but the twelfth was an
lpstart student from ST. Andrews, who derided the I
cruelty OF the people and quoted DR.. Brewster.
Excellent cheer was provided for the watchers A I
lre was klnded IN the anteroom, and kettle emil
yened the company with its song The student /
talked !hcessanty about spectral Illusions but his
companions did not listen to hm-they sipped their
not water and whisky in silence, occasionally holding I
their breath at some fanGed s0nnd The night wore /
on. me town clock struck the first peal of the mid
hlght hour. Each stroke sweed on the air like d /
groan, 1t was midnight. The student burst into a /
noister0hs laugh. 1t was Mt first laugh of dersop
Out u soon ceased The young man rose np-gaye |
one ook toWardthe platform ut the head of the stairs
aud Ieii down swooning, for the halEerown pieces |
Jlhgleu upon the h00r-rebounded and fell agaiu--
I'VE 9ehehes were turned over heends of the panks
which they supported dropped down. and the corpse
was distinctly heard to slide along the inclined plane
Lhe listeners all sprang to their feet under an i'm
pulse to make their escape but they dare not pass
tne dreaded platform, SO impressed were they with
te certainty (as they all afterwards testified before
tle investigating committee) that Andrew Allan
WoAld appear, Ia the door OF his chamber ana i'm