The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1867-12-05


and received the most satisfactory answers,
except as to references.
''But can't employ you withouta re-
ference said Mrs c., knowing that Fate
had decreed that this girl should take a
place in her kitchen.
F:If you can't must out with it, said
the girl. ''There's my lady's name ma'a
She will tell you I'm honest and capable;
but she turned me off for frightening the
family."
GLOW ?" asked Mrs. Culverton
''Seeing ghosts" replied the girl. sew
erySday l saw little child in white paying
about the honse and all said there was
no such child, though there had been once,
but he was dead. Mistress said pretend,
ed TO see it fer the sake of impertinence,
and she discharged me but l knew by
her trembling that she thought | had seen
a ghost | went to a doctor, and he called
it optical delusion, and it would soon pass
away +; and sure enough, ] have not seen
it since left the house. "
1t was queer story but Mrs. Culver
ton believed it, and before she left the Of
fee, had hired Jessie TO fill Johanna's
place, for the space Of one month from that
day. That evening she come and went to
work with a will.
Dinner time passed comfortably and tea
time came. The Culvertons never ate
anything but biscuit or cake at this meal,
and cups were handed about in the sitting
room. Jessie came in at the appointed
hour with her tray, served every one, and
then stood smiling before Mrs. Culyerton,
as she said
''Please, ma'am, let me pass you, the
old gentleman has not been helped. Yes,
sir, in a minute"
'sThe-old gentlernan!'' cried Mrs.
CuIverton.
''Yes, ma'am-beIind yoa in the cor
ner, there, please
''There's no gentleman, young or old,
there" said the lady. 81 can't imagine
what you took for ONE
The girl made no answer, but turned
quite white and left the room. Mrs G..
followed
At first, she could extort no expIana-
ton. but by-and-by the girl declared she
saw an old gentleman sitting in An arm
chair in the corner, who beckoned to her,
and she fancied in a hurry for his tea.
"What did he look Ike = asked Mrs.
| Culverton.
ssIIe was thin and tall" said the girl
-''hiS hair was white and very long, and
noticed that one of his kness looked
stiff, and thick, gold headed cane beside
/ him.
"Uncle Hiram :" cried Mrs. Culver
/ ton, ''upon my word you've described my
! great grand uncle, who has been dead for
twenty years"
Jessie began to cry.
| 81 shall never keep place" she said
! ''You will turn me away now"
''See as many ghosts as you please, :"
she said, ''as long as you don't bring them
before my eyes," and went back to her
tea without saying word to any of the
family on the subject, although she was
extremely mysteied.
Surely if the girl had ever seen her un-
cle Hiram-which was not likely, cons
sidering time-she must have seen some
thing in the ghost line, and if, indeed it
were her uncle Hiram's spirit, why should
he not come to aid them in their troubles
Mrs. Culverton always had a little SUI
perstition hidden in her soul, and she
soon began to believe this version of the
case.
The next morning she went into the
kitchen, and shutting the door, said to
Jessie:
''My good girl, l do not intend to dis
miss yon, SO be quite frank with me.
do not believe that these forms are optica
illusions. 1 feel sure that they are actual
spirits, What do you think %
J 81 think as you do" she said. "OuI
| folks have always seen ghosts, and grand
/. father had the second sight for ten years
before he died -
''If you should see the old gentleman
you teld me of again" said Mrs, Culver
| story from the young folks, and Dir. Cul
vcrton would only laugh at it but yol
described my dear old grand-uncle, ant
! my belief is you saw him"
The girl promised to mention anything
] that might happen to her mistress, AM
1 from that day an interchange of glance
: between them, and a subsequent confer
ence in the kitchen, was of regular occur
t renee.
= The girl saw her apparition seated o
: the sofa in the parlor, at the dinner table
and walking in the garden, and SO life
like was it that she found it impossible
4 refrain from passing plates, cups and saq
: GERS to it, to the infinite amazement
, people who saw only the empty air in th
g same spot.
a By-and-by she invariably spoke of he
d ghost as the old gentleman, and was n
RI more affected by his presence than by tn;
: of living person. If it were an optics
4 illusion, it was the most singular on r
cord.
e But all this while-ghost or no ghost
the figure never spoke, and never did an,