The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-02-16
AUNT ANN'S GHOST STORY.
[From Black woods Magazinel


the Ukraine, and there wait his return al
however, | was utterly inexperienced in Til
customs Of Russian country life [ was fur
nished with guide, philosopher and friend
+, in the person Of his sister Olga, then yer
rr charming debuia1te now a very distinguish
ed member of the Russian corps dipl0mGt3
que. Itwas no wonder after turning S
many heads during the winter that her o9
began to swim aud that she should loo
4 forward with pleasure 10 the repose of conn
try life and the novel task Of Initiating
stranger into lis mysteries Nor was
without a flutter Of excitement That | foun
myself packed into a roomy travelling car
rage containing my friend, the b40y ant
the nurse, and followed by two other curl
ously constructed vehicles, covered with al
many goods and chattIes as if we were go
Iing finally to settle IN some newly inhabited
colony When | looked at the servants
beddiug. and provisions that were stowee
away in and over our cumbrous equipages
|, felt as if was leading an exploring party
and responsible to the Geographical Society
4 for the results of my observations indeed
lso vivid were the impressions of this my
first journey through the heart Of the coun.
try made upon my mind that | feel sure
) that | should have produced very good
tpaper for an evening meeting But now
how monotonous does that well-known way
with its sign posts over dreary wastes OF
snow in the winter, its bottomless sloughs
IN spring and autumn, its clouds of dust in
lsummer, its tracts of deep sand, and rolling
grass steppes-seein to me How distinctly
do recall the deserted post stations where
1.-THE horses are never forthcoming and how
i well seem to know the individual horses
when they do come, and can distinguish be
tween the yaunc iks, who are my friends,
and those Tor whom have an antipathy.
AS for night quarters there is not an inn on
the whole lines OF roads, the rooms which
nave not, at some time or another, furnish
| ed with all the portable material which
carry with me OH such occasions, and which
II It goes on incre sing, will ultimately in
clude piano and a pier glass.
How | wondered then at the rapidity
with which the servants made things com
Portable, and still more at the singular ideas
which both they aud Olga entertained Of
what real comfort was &! A..
At length after many days and now and
then a night or two of travel, we came up
on the steppe country, where the forests
|
sparser, until at last the whole Landscape
was lboundless expanse ST grass, except in
one direction where dark mass, like the
shadow Of cloud marked a distant wood.
No sooner vast visible than my ,compan-
ion clapped her hands with delight, the hor-
ses were urged into a gallop. the carriage
bounded more wildly than ever over the
deep ruts formed by the winter 'rails, now
baked into troughs that would have smash
ed ordinary springs, and needed no other
evidence to prove to me that our destination
was at hand. / confess my heart sank with
IN me, for there was something iuexpressi-
bly, dreary in the prospect. Ny baby who
had undergone the trials of the journey with
o tortitude and power Of endurance truly
Sciavonlc, set up a loud wall, which it seem
ed to me could only arise from instructive
dread and dismay. looked around in ev-.
cry direction and though the range Of vision
was most extensive, not the vestige OF a cot
tage was visible, not human being en-
Iivened the scene; SO I sank gently back
and in silence and added my tears to ba-
by's. fortunately Olga was too much ex-
cited to1uotice me, and after violently hug
ging my first bora III paroxysm of delight
she performed the same operation upon me.
Ilranl<s to moisture she had acquired from
the cheeks of the little cherub, she did not
discover the tears Oh mine so we plunged
into the gloomy reeesses Of the wood, and |
was cheered by seeing road branch off to
| the right, which she Informed me led to the
village. While wondering whether it would
be possible to do d little parish in it, aud
secretly making up my mind to open Sun
day School, was startled by the hollow
lsoalld of the horses hoofs upon wooden
bridge, aud looking out saw that we were
crossing dry moat, and entering an old
moss grown castle, through somewhat di-
Iapidated archway.
immense trees oyerhung the building,
which | had only time to observe was very
ancient, but still apparently substantial, and
very quaint aud irregular in form.
We pulled up at low door in a grass
grown quadrangle, where stood an old white
headed servitor, into whose arms olga pre-
! cipitatad herself with I e most ardent ex-
pressions of joy; behind him row of do
mestics evidently gazed with no little awe
and respect upon the retinue of town SER
vents we had brought from st. Petersburg.
Notwithstanding the hustle and the high
state Of preparation Of everybody for our ar
rival, | felt chilled by sensation of soli-
| tude and desolation had not experienced
since leaving England the whirl and gale
| ty Of the capital, the constant attendance at
court which tellto my lot-the excitement
and novelty of life altogether which never
allowed a moment for serious thought-had
kept me, as supposed contented and hap
Ipy. loo young to discover cares III life
IXNTlJ yJct priI to
occupation did not desire. | aad lived like
a butterfly In a beautiful garden, and now
suddenly found myself without the flowers,
and the sunshine and the other butterflies
that used to pay me court. 1t was mo-
ment of terrible reaction-even my COM
panions high spirits failed to make me take
a cheerful view of the things. When | fol-
I, lowed the old white headed man under the
low doorway, and olga linked her arm in
mine, felt as if he was the jailor, and she
was escorting me to dungeon in which
was to be confined for life. 1t was very
wrong, know, and [ concealed my feelings
as much as could, but she felt me shud.
dering as leant upon her arm, and stopped
suddenly. ''Why," she said, "do you trem
bic so much? are you frightened? Who
told you the castle was haunted 2"
had never heard anything about the
castle except that my husband used to
make there what he called his economics
by which he meant that lie had a bailih
who lived in it and farmed bis property for
him. and as for its being haunted, it was
a positive relief TO my mind to hear any
thing about it half so interesting. So !
laughed at the notion of an Englishwoman
either believing in or being afraid of ghosts
+ and said shivered because a cold draught
came down the passage along which we
3 were passing. YES" observed my com
; pauion, since the bailif refused to live il
f it, the castle has been.quite uninhabited, sc
, that the air feels chilly; but We will have
the stoves lighted and make ourselves com
Portable. There is not the least danger ii
a the daytime, and at night We will sleep IL