Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-09-24

1iY aRAot ahEENwobn.

sixfy years ago, there was gathered about
the wide fireplace Of a large New England
kitchen happy family circle, consisting
Of wellto-do farmer, who was eke a 1,
fnagistmte--known far = and wide as
esquire Percival - his comely wife,
two, fair daughtera,a niece, end last, but
not least, a son, just Home from falesfor
the holidays - I
The night without~as easonably cold, I
I and bril llantNith moonlight and Starlight
| The large stone farrn.hotse stood onstlfe
brow of bl4rbehind a~protccting line of |
| tall pihe.treeszthe dply1Rreenrin the Vide |
ilapdpcape. Tic steep. hillside and wide
valley benqdh were hoaSily blanketed
| with snow. ~ q b. = -
The early part of the evening had passed I
merrly witll-easnes, iests, and song. But \
Tor an houportwo nie oonvefsation Ind I
i taken 0 drift-fnto the realm OF the super
natural O1eghost story had Succeeded
to mother, dn, AS the "witclting time. OF I
night appreaehed, -and the fire burned |
| low, the ciraleinstnctively drew closer to. |
gether, withthrills aud shudders of strange
| spiritual dreHd, whicll isyet-akin to,the |
l keefest pleasure joy, anex-
lquisitc terror. The. soldmn soughing~ of
the winds among the piffes, heard in the |
| pauses of ghostly recitals, added its won
drous, wiOrd ELECT TO thetheme =
just as young John PercIval badcon.
eluded wild German legend, which.he
declared gsplendid shff for dreams, "rthe
ont. side dOor-was heard to,open suddenly
| All looked rpupd, more or less fcarfplly,
to see standingon the threshold the slight
form of a fair young -wOmans clad alfin
white, and hooking -strahgely pure, and
cold and~~luhinous, like incarR@ted
DnOonNght - ~
| ,"Wilh the glide of a spirt,r she came
forward. Her bet were quite bare, and
her arms wsEe-arooping wcarHy. Masses
Of fair hair fell-Over her shoulders, but her
oyes were dark. and fixed. with a.melan-
choly stare. Her lips were slightly parted
and, almost col6rless- She damc into the
4 circle aboutthephearth, aud there paused,
standing atterly motibnlcss--a beautiful;
appalling figure = -
lr~Isorya moment, all Che startled group re-
pIhAihsd as.silent as that Grange visitor
then one young girl caught her breath in
d hystericsll SCREAM, which was instantly
answered byaascry from the pale lips OF
the womanin white" into whose blank
+ eyes rushed "a wild, keen light. She gazcd
about herin terror and bcwildefment then
glanced down upon, herself, md sunk
covering upouthc floor, covering her face
. with her hahdepand giving way to a child
, ISL paroXysm of weeping
The farmers wife, a woman of fare
b sense and presence of mind, at once
n OWNED the ruth. t- i- ~
. "She is asleep .waIkert'' she said. "She
c must be halfdead with the coldl Girls
bring somewrappingsl '-
Immediately-all WAS hustle. The farmer
4 and his son .discrcetly vanished from The
, scene, and elsind mother, daughters, and
aibce dcvoted~, themselves TO their be-
! wildered charge, whustill wept and sobbed
under their kind ministretions, but de-
i clared that she fclt no cold and no pain,
I though heT-deliCate feet were actually
bleeding from-her long walk up the icy
4 hillside and over the erusted snow.
I After having been tendeyly put to bed,
}. however, she becamosu suflloicntly composed
y to reply to the few questions put to her.
/ She said she was Lucy Ellrt, the niece OF
9 the village physician-that she had lately
!. been taken from school, ,~on account, OF
1t nervousness and sent to him for medical
a treatment, but. that homesickness and
: loneliness had made her.Morse She had
occasionally walked in her sleep before
but only about the house And-grounds. al
home, and on-summcr moonlight nights
;, "lthink themoon bewitches me" she said
- smiling through her tears That might
she had, beiorG goingto bed, looked acros!
a the little valley to tho pleasant house OF
5 the hill watched the cheerful. Christina;
c lights cleaning through the pine-trces
and longed to.be oneof the happy party
j. there, though.Shc was stranger to all,
.: She had cried herself to- sleep, she said
k and that was-sA she l<ncy-of' her mysteri
IS ous midnight tramp over snow and stones
and ice. Nota, memory not though
=, could she rccallti the moment whensh
=, found herself standing on that hearth, il
~ ~ her nightdress, with so many wonderini
II eyes fixed upon her
" so dear what did you think of nae
" What co1t. you think of.me now?" sh
/" Never mind what wcGiiab of you, !, m
poor child" said good, muthcrly Mr.
Perciyal, I'VE lore you -ulrcatly, so jus
drink this nice gingGr.tca, and 90 to sleep,
The "paor child gotta little naturi
sleep, and in the morning appeared s0m'
what hess ghostly thUp the apparition {
Christmas night. But she was still yer
pale, with 6pioyfully shy, grieved leol
- She was suffering less than was eXpeete
no from the exposure, bat more from the ne
l yous shock of the night bcloreS and by II
'ul advice of her uncle, who had been san
nd moncd consented to remain with her ne
cs, friends for afcw days. s
nd Young Jah1 Pcrciyal was hospitab
| kind to the invalid guest, not seeming
al lions in sensitive, disQuietcd way. Y
Nv when his eye was not ON her, she was Q
ith served to study his tuee with apcculiari
,st quiring cNPFession..- She could not-T
ng member having seen that Face at the fca
tul moment ot~her awakening and q
mt hopcd he had not been Witness of tn
IRE walking trance, which she regarded Wi
oyS absolute horHoR E -
be Finally, ON the last day of her visit, fin
mr.. ing herself alone with him for momel
the under q desperate. impulse, she asilc'
has did YOU too see me that night, Mr.. T'e
~ cival?n rs -
ned lie was touched by the tremble in t
voice and the wiSthul look in the da
ade eyes; but heanswered honestly; 81 ca
of not deny that loid see you"
INV 80 sir wiTUt must you have thought
~ Z" Thoughty-why, | thought II gho'
would always come in such shapes
,oo would never fear them mOrc.p-
SOW The shy smile and rosy blush that !
Iol' playful answer called forth seemed d
to reveal 20 che young collegian the pa
icS- sad vision of the night asa lovely wakl
ing flesh and blood reality, -
imr imc never heard of Lucy Ellet revisit
ri,S the glimpses al. the mooR' asa somna
~ buliSt aNer this, but did hear that
ns another Christmas night she stood on I
@u.' @ hearth of tue old farm house, dressed
~ a in white, in the midst of the slime fam
! 'V - circle, and that she gazed about her, a
~ said, F" ann afraid am walking in /
tsit sleep again, and that she thenput up 1
%a hands in n. pretty, deprecating way,a
added =" But If ] ann John, don't wa
mer-HedtthaRd Hoa,s,
'H s.f is The Waist of the Period,