Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-05-26

had their parents known the tuition
they were under. Our parents, well
informed though they were on other
subjects, were secretly skeptical as to
their knowledge on this one.
Well, what are we to-day, but chill
dren over again, as we read Dana's
Buccancer, or Poc's Ulalume, or his
Ravan? We never hear of a ravan,
that we don't think Of Poe's lavan,
and see it sitting on the bust above his
door, and hear the melancholy man
soliloquizing as to whether he shall
ever again see his lost Lcnore, while
even and anon, as death knell TO all
his hopes, comes the Ravan croak of
ncvermore. Are Poc's writings fit to
put into the hands of our children?-
Didn't we ask ourselves, as we read,
before we'd sleep on it, and got over
the hallucination, might not such a
thing be? 1t is a question of serious
Importance, whether such literature is
fit for any but adult minds; and wheth
or his brilliant genius has, after all,
served any good purpose.
This piece of chit-chat might have
been forever lost to the world, had
not, the other day, heard ghost story.
piece of raw material, which the pen
Of a rcadicr writer than the present one,
might easily weave into a something
worth reading, and as | had it from
the lips Of one of the actors in the dra-
ma, have the satisfaction of knowing
that l am telling the truth.
In Barchcstcr. Derbyshire, Eng
land, about thirty years ago, there
was large country Inn, named the
"Red Lion" 1t was situated on one
Of the principle highways. and as it
was far apart from other houses, and
places of entertainment, it was very
lucrative. and paying concern. and
gave work to dozen hired girls, and
halfa dozen men servants. Mr.. Wise
man, who was not above the business.
superintendent the culinary department
out of which issued the tcndcrcst NUT
ton chops; am and hcggs cooked to a
turn; roast beef, such as only English
cattle can turn out; potatoes so dry and
mealy, that, if you got such in the
marble palace. the st. Nicholas, of
New York, you might consider your
self fortunate, and plnmb pudding, so
delicious, that you knew, when you
tasted, only an English woman could
make such. No wonder that, with
such a name from travellers, the house
was crowded to overilowing. in spite
OF the weird-wild story of the haunted
chamber, of which some new version
was ever anoat.
1t was fine Spring afternoon, or
evening in May. this same thirty years
ago. The sun had sunk behind the
western horizen, as it often did before;
the stars were peeping out, one by one,
to cast their cold rays of light upon
earth. as they often do now, when the
Quaker, John elliott, with his two
men, George Grccnway and John
Clifton, reincd up in front of the Red
Lion. The old pendant sign was wav-
ing backwards and forwards, as it had
done for many year, and the monarch
of the forest painted thereon seemed to
grin welcome through his white teeth
and wag his bushy tail for joy, as our
| tla'ciciS "PF'o"S"S"'
Good evening, gentlemen" said
mine host.
Good evening, FRIEND" replied the
Quaker. "Can thee accommodate US
for the night?"
"I'm afraid n OF. The ousc is full,
and the beds all hoccupicd, except
one room, and no one ever sleeps in
it,"
1--WE will sleep in it if thce'l let
us. 1t is almost night, now, and it is
some miles to any other public house,
isn't it?"
"Ycs, its three miles to the next
Hmm; but you'd better push on to it,
for you'd see it, if you stayed here
and. besides. you'd only disturb tho
other dodgers during the night"
"Thcc has awakened my curiosity
, friend" replied the Quaker. "nov
wont thee tell me why thee don't wan
me to stay over night?"
"Well, then, if you must have it
the room is auated;, there's sperritl
in it."
The room is haunted. is it? Then
I'll sleep in it. in welcome. if thcc'l
let me; and If thec'd twenty vacan
/. rooms. should prefer this one. Fv'
always wanted to see a spirit and tall
t with one; but never had an opportunit,
before"
. agreed, then, on condition tina
1 you keep quiet"
| II = u n