The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1861-06-13
THE WARNING
BY MAY MYRTLE.

peared, was once so prevalent, thai
it was q rare thing for a death tc
take place in a family without
some member of it being warned
of the coming event, in some su.
pernatural way. My revered grand.
mother was no exception to this
ancient belief; on the contrary, she
could relate numerous instances oi
unnatural visitations, and strange
appearances, which had occurred
in her own family. But her par
ticular forte lay in warnings. None
of her kith or kin were ever called
to pass through the dark valley of
shadows without her receiving
some supernatural intimation, or,
as she called it, "being warned' Of
their decease.
I will here state that my grand
mother had been q widow for many
years, and resided with my mother,
as did her two youngest children,
Ralph and Alice. Ralph, q spir-
tied lad of seventeen, assisted my
father in his business, and dear
Aunt Alice's time was mostly en-
crossed by Gus children"
For several months, she had been
troubled with a hacking cough,
which was in itself warning enough
that the time was soon coming
when we should be obliged to part
with our kind and careful nurse.
After awhile, she became unable
to sit up all day, and then my
mother moved Aunt Alice's bed
from her chamber into the parlor,
as she was no longer able to 60 up
and down the stairs, and it was
more convenient to take care of
My grandmother slept
in q chamber directly over this,
the stovepipe from the parlor pas
sing up through the floor and into
the chimney - thus making her
room warm and comfortable.
The night after Aunt Alice was
moved into the parlor, grandmoth-
er received q very decided warning
of her death. She said, that after
she had been in bed a short time,
she was aroused by q light shining
upon her face, and opening her
eyes, she beheld the form of a new
moon arise from one corner, slowly |
sail across the room, and finally |
disappear behind her bed. She
was so sure that she had seen this,
and became so nervous and excited
about it, my mother thought best
to have some one sleep with her
The following night; SO my sister
Mary, a girl of fourteen, shared |
grandmother's bed. But strange
70 say, they had hardly retired to
rest, before we were startled by a
oud scream from Mary. She, too,
nad seen the mysterious appear
ance, just as it came the evening
oefore-a half-moon, rising in one
,orner, passing diagonally across
he room, and disappearing behind
;he bed. The room was lett vacant,
everybody in the house believing it
o be haunted.
When this came to the ears of
ny Uncle Ralph, he expressed his
lecided contempt for the whole af-
air. 1t was second nature for
grandmother, he said, to see sights,
md Mary had, no doubt, been SO
cared at the thought of passing
he night in a room where grand
mother had seen something, that
he had fancied she saw It, too.
lie would sleep in the room him
elf, and was not at all afraid of be-
ng troubled with new moons, or
I'D ones, either; SO he took up his
quarters in the haunted chamber.
Ie made no alarm during the
light; but at the breakfast. table,
lie declined answering any ques-
ions. The truth was, he had seen
xactly the same thing that had so
Harmed his mother and Mary; but
le was bold, determined fellow,
md had made up his mind to find
'ut the cause Of this singular ap-
'sarance; and, besides, he did not
Ike to confess that he had witness
d the same thing that he had
cofed at as a delusion in others.
Tx nights in succession he slept in
he haunted room, and every night,
Ie was lying awake, about mid
light, thinking of this strange cir
umstance, and trying in vain to
rrive at the solution of the mys-
cry, when he heard Alice begin to
ough in the room below. Imme-
lately, be heard my mothers foot
teps coming into Alice's room, as
vas her custom whenever she had
paroxysm Of coughing. At the !
anne time, the supernatural light
ppeared in the corner, foated
lowly across the room, and went
own behind his bed. A thought
truck him.
aSarah," he called, shave you