The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-10-26
An Hour with a Ghost.
By GEORGE ARNOLD.

sOnS1 WnoS dccOruing 10 tne Olu sdylDS1 'Ieaf
neither man nor devil !" but such tenant
ships are rarely of long duration; /; and the
skeptic generally moves again after brief
experience, preserving mysterious and pet
uent silence concerning what he has seen
and heard.
Now, believe in ghosts. do not hesi.
tate to soy it f; for am not at all ashamed Of
the belief. Everybody has had some person.
al acquaintance with facts that no human
reasoning can explain-as the shallow phi
losophy of the day has it-"on Datural
grounds" The wisest, even of the skepti
col sort, can only say Of such things: "Why
do you ascribe them to ghosts :" To this
oppose an equally cogent argument-"Why
not 7" r. ..
once had a fright in one Of these haunt
ed houses, that lasted me for long time
l regret that cannot explain the cause of
the phenomena that gave the place its repu-
tation, but Dy readers may accept of my be-
lief in the matter, or leave 1t unaccounled
for, as they choose. The incident | shall
here relate does not elucidate any theory,
nor does it bear upon the supernatural char.
acter Of the house, except indirectly.
Travelling through certain rather thinly'
settled region, came to small village-a
shire.town-just at night. AS it was court
week, the place was crowded with visit
ors extra accommodations were unusually
scarce and was compelled to procure
lodgings wherever might. The hotel OF
the place-a little one-horse tavern-served
as hostelry so far as refreshments were
concerned, but had to look elsewhere for
sleepiDg-room.
After long search, found that certain
Mr.. KeIbie, q canny Scot. had fitted up an
old she'll OF house which belonged to him,
with temporary accommodations, hoping to
turn on honest penny by the influx Of stran.
gers. From the landlord of the hotel,
learned that this house was hnunted-or re-
ported so to be-und was further advised tc
sleep in the street, in preference to running
the risks attendant upon a night among
ghosts.
But am no more afraid Of disembodiet
people than of those in the flesh, nor am
aware that deserve any iIl-treatment at the
! hands of either so took my chance, ant
babe the landlord goodnight, as gayly al
possible.
, The haunted house stood near cross
, rosd-proverbial trysting- place for demon;
g and was saabby rookery of two stories
low of ceiling, gaping of door, with broker
p and mossy roof, ruined chimney, uneve'
? floors, courtyard strewn with wrecks o
t bottles, brick-piles, lumber, rags, and othe
v rubbish. The windows were patched witt
ancient hats and squares of Tin the plaster
d ing was cracked and broken away, and ha
o it not been for sort Of Scotch cleanlines
e that reigned inside, upon the beds, with the
d clean sheets and varegated coverlids, an
!. the washstands, with their neatly folded tow
o els, pure water, and little squares of red on
q white soap, should not have considered th
d apartment inhabiable.
As it was, felt n sort OF chill creep ov'
!. me ut the thought of sleeping there; but
n mus. turn in somewhere, and was too tire
ct to look further.
" (Which room wad ye like 7" asked NJ
a, Kelbie, lighting me into aepacious chamb
er on the lower floor.
I'd care many Of them taken, yet :"
a, "Not mony-indeed, sir, may sny MOI
cs as yet but expect they will be-"
as Evidently, mine host of the tavern hid
u. formed his guests of the pre- occupation
lie Mr.. Kelbie's quarters.
Ie "Well, if | can have first choice, ] W
it sleep here-this seems well enough"
ult "Hoot ye may well say that. Yell fl
'ut yerself as comfortable here as onywhel
elt sir"
,e. bode my second host farewell, and p1
8 I psred to retire. The establishment wol
up have offered but title in the way Of obstac
mo to the advances OF professional burg
/, | and had some valuable papers, as we'll a
eat considerable amount of money, with me
it made up package of these matters,
of placed it under the pillow Of the tall, Gle
or chilly, pim bed.-a bed which looked as
Il I were made expressly to lay out a dead
at upon.
YER Being overcome by somnolent tenden
To turned in without thinking much about
lite visitors I was likely to have during the mig
see For the first half-hour, did not find the p
ver py-crowned goddess kindly disposed, in 81
hat of the sleepness which had sent me
I'm. promptly to bed I lay awake, but heard
nnt thing, and began to think that the house
.ov. not haunted after all. At length, my c
sciousness departed, and l fell into so
sleep, without having heard even the arr
n at of another lodger.
ZEN. How long slept I do not know but
les of sudden awoke with a start. A
his long, melancholy howl broke the dead 8
her, ness Of the night, and startled me into 8
g q of perfect wakefulness. The sound see
his human, and after the first moment of
10 a prise, fixed its locality as in the cellar.
ted, confess that my heart beat a little fai
H." at this ; but was not frightened, really
his never heard Of anybody being hurt l
sound, end have no prejudice: against th