Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-15
THE HAUNTED HEARTHsTONR.

10 DeleNe III 0duuleu houses : bdlu
the aged woman, speaking rather more to
herself than to the fair sweet grand-child,
who nestled at her feet and looked up so
earnestly into the wrinkled face. Yes,
indeed / do. There's not house in this
whole village, nor for miles around, but
that to me is haunted-none, though, so
much as this" Haunted" continued she,
speaking so slowly that o solemn emphasis
seemed to rest on each letter, eyes, yes,
there are such things as haunted spots"
And then she dropped her knitting, took
off her glasses, wiped her eyes, and, lean
ing back in her armchair, seemed lost in
sad yet holy communion with the earlier
passages of life.
1t was dark, stormy winters night.
The wind howled fercely around the old
farmhouse, drifting the snow high on the
window-sills, fastening it to the rough
panels of the door, sitting it through the
rough crevices of the messy roof, and heap
ing it up like giants graves all along the
pathways throughout the garden. But in
doors all was bright and of summer
warmth The huge backlog had been
dragged in ere twilight, and was now slowly
dropping Goals; while the flames from the
lighter wood, which every few minutes was
cast on with so free hand, blazed high and
ruddy, and cast genial light and glare in
the darkest corner, and scintillated on the
midnight sky.
1t was one of those bitter nights that make
the hearthstone the bonniest spot on all
earth--a night when the sheltered lift UP
their hearts in thanksgiving, when the
homeless bow in supplication a night when
the children kneel before the bed and read
bright prophesies in the living Goals; when
the aged draw their chairs yet nearer to the
blaze and warm their shivering memories;
o night when all turn their backs to the
darkness, their face sto the light
I" 1t was q night to make ghost stories rel
ish well--do, grandmother, tell one"
The head of the young girl rested on the
knees ofthe old lady, and, as the latter lost
the thread Of her dream and looked down,
she could see an enthusiastic eagerness pic
tured in the bright blue eyes, a longing for
some tale of romance that, dropping into
her heart, should vivify its dormant pas
sioRs. She hesitated few moments, and
then tenderly caressing the one lone pet Of
her bosom, she said 81 will tell you story
abouta haunted hearthstone and, Lizzie, it
will be no tale of fiction. The plot is drawn
from living memories, the scene is laid
here, here" But her tremulous voice now
quivered with added notes, and after a mo-
ment's stern but useless effort at self-con-
troll it burst into sobs so loud and wild
that they rivaled the cries Of the winter
wind.
The young girl seemed not much fright
ened and spoke no soothing words, but only
clasped with a frightened grasp. The par
oxysm did not continue long but, as it
passed away, she rose, and turning her
trembling step toward the dark, cold bed
room, and going in closed the door, and
was absent long while. The tears streamed
down Lizzie's cheeks when left alone, and it
was evident that the aged relative had some
secret sorrow, over which she mourned in.
tensely When she returned and again
seated herself in her usual chair, only draw
ing it little closer to the fire, there was
such q calm, beautiful, spiritual look ex-
pressed upon her countenance that you could
not but fancy she had conversed with
the angels. Without any allusion to the past,
without any preface she began, after ST.
lence Of half an hour, the promised story.
Handed down to me, it read like this
1t was a night much like this; forty
years or more have passed since its wind
blew and its snow drifted since its cold pal
sled and its darkness frightened. Beside the
same hearthstone-the same only that it
was not worn so smooth, for the house then
had tested but thirty instead of as now
seventy.odd winterg-an aged man and his
wife sat before the blazing fire, striving TO
while away the long evening hours. There
was not then, as now, daily news coming
into our little village, freiShted with news
in every shape. The press did not TEEN, as
now, with magazines and books; it was
rare to see newspaper in this old kitchen
and rarer any volume, save the one. The
old man had studied that some time, and
carefully replaced 1.-THE Bible did not
then, as now, grow dusty while other books
were thumbed to piece. He had eaten his
apples, drank his cider, and cracked some
walnuts for his wife, whose teeth were
seunder than his own and now sat close as
he could draw himself to the flames without
scorching bis homespun garments, nodling
goodbye 10 the sky-hound sparks. The old
lady had rolled up her knitting, aud with
her broken iork-in those days they had
not heard Of nut-picks with her twO-tined
fork which had lost one OF its members, sat
digging out, with patience worthy OF the
gold mines OF these times, the rich, sweet
kernels.
Suddenly she dropped both fork and nut,
and in another instant started to her feet,
her pan falling from her lap and threaten
ing many grease-spot on the well-scoured
toor fastening to her husband, she shook
his shoulders saying, Wake up quick, and
listen" Half frightened, he jumped and
came near setting his stockinged feet upon
the living Goals; but his watchful wife,
drawing him Of the hearth, whispered q
little wildly, Listen, now don't you hear
itW I" Hear what?" said he, still half
asleep. "Why, the sound like child cry-
ing. There, there now it goes again. Do
60 to the door," The old man, now fully
reused, stood with hand to his ear, the right
one-the left had been deaf for many year
"lts the wind; wife don't you know it? i
is fashion it has when it is cold
ut wasn't the wind said she solemnly,
with little nervous agitatio yetVisible il
her face. 81 know the cry of wind i
never makes sound like that. There,
and she clung to him quivering like a dead
leaf, "don't you hear it like the cry of a
child y and now it did not die away, as II
did when his wife noticed it, with a single
sob, but heightened into screams. But how
could it sound so near, or whence come, wal
a mystery; for the house then stood fal
away from any house; but it was child
cry, that was certain.
"Tll 60 and see" said he, summoninl
courage TO his somewhat faint heart and h
turned TO the door. His wife followed clos
and fast on his steps. AS he withdrew thr
little sloop of wood that fastened the latch
-. II