The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1864-12-23

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trembling violently, and I could feel il
the darkness that his usually smooth coat
was bristling with terror. There is a feel
ing which once knoEni is never forgotten,
but describe it who can. It is not fear Of
harm, but a horror we cannot define nor
account for, and this feeling settled down
upon me in full force. I had always been
an avowed disbeliever in all superstitious
and spiritual manifestations, and it now re-
mained for me to put to test my boasted
belief, that nothing eonld occur which
could not in some way be accounted for.
/ It required all my nerve to arise from the bed
and cross the room, but 1 did so at last, and
raising the curtain, looked out into the night
The stars above shone brightly down on the
frozen earth, while the bare brown trees and
withered shrubs in the gardens could be faint
" seen in the still freezing air An within
, sight was quiet as death and moveless, but
as I crossed the room I though I could detect
a faint rattling in the alley at the side.
stepped to the window heretofore mentioned
and gazed cut. I looked, as I before said
upon the blank wall Of the building next
door, and as looked I could see feint Ii ight
coming and going on the wall, as though
thrown up from the-aIey below. The space
between the buildings was very narrow, aud
as peered out shivering with cold and
vague fear, from the alley below the rattIing
came again, this time distinct, and from the
depths there arose a spectacle the sight Of
which made every nerve in my body tingle
with horror unutterable Smile not, dear
reader, am not goiug to tell you after awhile
that all this was serried dream or nightmare.
What I try to describe I saw, as palpably as
you now see the paper before you. A CHASTITY
figure, with cheeks sunken and haggard, jaw
dropped, and head hanging to enc side, the
limbs dangling helplessly and with motion
as though suspended in air, rose slowly up,
up, followed by my startled gaze higher and
higher, until lost to view between the two
buildings-liko an awful phantom passing
slowly away from earth; and reeling back
from this dreadful vision, had just strength
enough to reach the bed, upon which fell
unconscious. When I came to myself, poor
Nap was licking my cold face, and chilled
and shivering erept beneath the blankets to
pass the remaining weary hours, between
sleeping and waking but in either state with
the fearful sight ever. present. Slowly the
light of morning stole in at last at the win
dOws, and still more slowly did my benum bed
faculties resume their sway once more. I
looked about the room, but all was in, order,
and as I had left it the night before; no ere
denee Of the fearful visitation could be seen.
I arose and went through the business Of
dressing, and though I succeeded in meas
urein throwing off my feelings, I could not
entirely Danish them. Nap, as lively as ev-
er, did his best to divert my thoughts, and
vent through his well learned part Of the
toilet arrangements to the best of his ability
bringing my boots one by one in his mouth.
putting away the slippers etc, accomplish
ments he had been taught and took great
canine pride in showing off. On descending
to breakfast my pale looks excited the atten-
ton of good Mrs. Granger, but making
plea Of headache escaped into the open ar
as soon as possible.
How I blessed the employment that kept
me from thinking, that long day. Reason as
IwOuld, I could not account for my dreadful
visitor, nor drive away the ever recurring re-
membrance of him. Towards night, while
hurrying along the street, I felt a hand upon
my shoulder and heard familiar voice pro
nOunce my name, turned and 10 my surprise,
beheld an old friend, from my native town,
whose presence in the city was not aware of |
but who hurriedly informed me, (fOr he was
as busy as myself at the moment, that he was
attending medical lectures during the winter
in town, and that he would gladly call in the
evening and give me some late items from
home. As gave him my number and street
he smiled and remarked, " Oh we are near
neighbOrs, and was soon lost in the hurry
ing crowd.
That evening I waited impatiently the com
ing of my friend The fire burned as CHEEKY, |
the easy chair was just as comfortable as on
the preceding night, but the charm Of Ey
new room had vanished, and gladly would
have exchanged Mrs. Granger and her quiet
house for the most spi;efuI landIady and
greasiest boarding house in the town, had not
pride and the want of an excuse for changing /
so soon, stood in the way. had settled on q
little plan for keeping my friend all night,
even if had to sleep on the sofa. When I (
heard his ring at the door, and soon we were .
deep in the discussion of recent events in our /
native town. "By the way" said he, as he
finished up his report Of deaths, marriages, |
etc., "you have desirable boarding place,
and have been thinking that it would be
very convenient for me to board here, if an
arrangement could be made. You recollect l
told you was attending medical lectures this
winter, and comfortable quarters so near the
College would be very desirable" $50 near
why where is the College" said "for am
ashamed to say do not know it ?" 'Why
the building next door is it possible you did
not know it?" he answered. With this an
a light seemed ts break in upon
me, and hurriedly, and for the first time,
related my vision of the night previous, no
ping eagerly that the conjecture had grasp
ed at, would prove solution of the dreadful
mystery My friend smiled, as he answered,
"Give yourself no more uneasiness about
your fearful visitor being of a ghostly nature
It was real enough, though no doubt suAioi-
emily startling to upset any ones reasoning
powers, and he proceeded to explain the cir
oumstances that had weighed so heavily on
my mind. It happened that when the body
who supplied the College next door
with subjects, had arrived with their ghOstly
burden, the night before, they were met by
an unexpected difficulty. The stairway in
the back of the building, up which their fear
ful burdens were usually taken, to the dissect-
ing room, was undergoing repairs and had
been left impossible by the carpenters; and
as it would not do 10 risk detection by taking
the body in the front way, how to dispose Of
it became a somewhat hard matter to decide.
In this emergency, it was suggested that it
might be drawn up by rope to window
looking out into thealley between the College
and my boarding place, which plan.was final
Iy carried out and il was this sure enough
visitor from the grave that had met my view
rs looked out, This explanation relieved