The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-10-24
From Olrsn'S % FOOTBALLS on the Boundaries of ApoM
JFOrld.n
THE TWO SISTERS

WOrld.nl
THE TWO SISTERS
In the month of October, 1888, Mr.. c., gen.
tleman. several members of whose family have
since become well and avorably known in the lite
rary world, was residing in country house in IIa-
milton county, Ohio. He had Just completed new
residence, about seventy to eighty yards from that
in which he was then living, intending to remove
into it in n few days The new house was in plain
sight of the old one, no tree shrub intervening,
but they were separated about halfway, by small,
somewhat abrupt ravine. garden stretched from
the old house to the hther edge of this ravine and
the further extremity of this garden was about
forty yards from the newly erected buileing. Both
buildings fronted west, toward public road, the
south side of the old dwelling being directly oppO
site to the north side of the Attached to the
rear of the new dwelling was a spacious kitchen,
of which door opened to the north.
The family at the time consisted of father, mother
ters, then between 10 and lG years DID, was named
Rhoda; and another, the youngest but one Lucy,
was between and years of age.
One afternoon in the month of October, after
heavy rain, the weather had cleared up and be-
tween four and five o'clock the sun shone out
About o'clock Mrs. C stepped out into yard
on the south side of the dwelling they were occu-
pylng, whence, in the evening sum- the new house
including the Kitchen already referred to, was dis
tinctly visible. Suddenly she called a daughter
A, saying to her, "What can Rhoda possibly
be doing there, with the child in her arms. She
ought to know better this damp weather." A,
ed, saw, plainly and unmistakably, seated, in
rocking chair just within the kitchen door of the
residence, Rhoda, with Lucy in her arms
"What strange thing!" she exclaimed; f'it is but
a few minutes since left them up stairs'' And,
with that, going in search of them, she found both
in one of the upper rooms, and brought them down.
Mr.. c. and other members of the family soon
joined them. Their amazement, that of Rhoda es-
pecially, may be imagined. The figures seated at
the hall door, and the two children now actually
in their midst were absolutely identical in appear
ance, even to each minute particular of dress.
Five minutes more elapsed in breathess expecta-
ton, and there still sat the figures; that of Rhoda
appearing to rock with the motion of the chair on
which it seemed seated. All the family congrega-
ted, and every member of it-twelve persons in
all-saw the figures, noticed the rocking motion,
and became convinced, past all possible doubt that
it was the appearance of Rhoda and Lucy.
Then the father, Mr.. C, resolved to cross over
and endeavor to obtain solution of their mys-
terry, but, having lost sight of the figures in de-
scending the ravine when he assembled the opposite
bank they gone.
Meanwhile the daughter A had walked down
to the lower end Of the garden, to get close
view; and the rest remained gazing from the spot
whence they had first witnessed this unaccountable
phenomenon.
Soon after Mr.. C. bad left the house, thev all
saw the appearance of Rhoda rise from the chair
with the child in its arms, then lie down across the
threshold of the kitchen door; and after it had re-
mained in that recumbent position for minute or
Two, stlll embracing tne chlld, the ngures were
seen gradually to sink down out of sight.
When Mr.. c. reached the entrance, there was
not trace nor appearance of human being The
rocking g-chair, which had been conveyed across to
the kitchen time BEFORE still stood there Just
inside the door, but it still empty He searched
the house carefully from garret to cellar but moth
ing whatever to be seen. He inspected the
clay soft from the rain, at the rear exit of the
kitchen, and all around the house, but not foot
step could he discover. There was not a tree or
bush anywhere near, behind which any one could
secrete himself, the dwelling being erected on a
bare hillside.
The father returned from his fruitless search, to
learn, with a shudder, what the family, meanwhile,
had witnessed. The circumstance, as may be sup
posed, made upon them a profound impression
stamping itself, in indelible characters, on the
minds of all. But any mention of it was usually
avoided, as something too serious to form the topic
of ordinary conversation.
| received it directly from two of the witnesses,
in New York, February 22d, 1860, Miss A and
her sister, Miss P. They both stated to me that
their recollections of it were as vivid if it had
occurred only few weeks since.
No clue, or explanation of any kind, was ever OBJ.
tained unless to accept such the fact that
Rhoda very beautiful and cultivated girl, at the
time in blooming health, died very unexpectedly
the llth of the November of the year following;
and that Lucy, then also perfectly well, followed
her sister on the 10th of December, the same year;
both deaths occurring it will be observed, within a
little more than year of that day on which the
family saw the apparition of the sisters.