Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-11-06
oK Almost a Ghost Story. !
,oS .taBY GRACE ieREESwooD. a,ui-3

'aOn Christmas night, some fifty or
sixty years ago, there was gathered
about the wide, fireplace of large New
England kitchen a happy family circle,
consisting of n wcll-to-do farmer, who
was eke a magistrate-known far and
wide as esquire Percival''-l comelv
wife, TWO fair daughters, niece, and
last, bat not least, a son, just home from
Yale for the holidays. ..al ,.
The night without was scasonably
cold, and brilliant with. moonlight and
starlight. The large stone farmhouse
stood on the brow of hill, behind a
projecting line Of tall ping trees the
only green in the wide landscape.
The steep hillside and wide valley
beneath were heavily blanketcd with
snow. -. .....
The early part Of the evening had
passed meriily with games, jcsts, and
songs. But for an hour or two the con-
versation had taken drift into realms
OF the supernatural. One ghost story
had succeeded to another, till, as the
"witching time of night" approached.
and, the fire burned low, the circle in
-stinetiSely drew closer together with.
thrills and shudders of strange spiritual
dread, which is yet akin to the keenest
pleasure---an awesome joy, an exquisite
terror. The seughing of the winds
among the pines, heard in the pauses
Of ghostly recitals, added its wonderous,
weird effect to the theme. 5..a.i -a4 -sl /
just as young John Percival had con-
cluded wild German legend, which he
declared splendid stuff for dreams,"' the
outside door was heard to open suddenly.
All looked round, more or less feartully,
to see standing on the threshold the
slight form of fair young woman, clad
all in white, and looking strangely pure,
and cold, and luminous, like incarnated
moonlight. '''- -'''i '.i.'' .. .'. s
ss "Wlth the glide of spirit" she came
forward. Her feet were quite bare, and
her arms were dropping weariy. Masses
of fair hair fell over her shoulders. but
her eyes were dark and fixed with mel
ancholy stare, Her lips were slightly
parted and almost oolerless. She came
into the circle about tho hearth, and
there paused, standing utterly motionless
"A q beautiful appalling figure
For a moment all the Startled group
remained as silent as that strange visitor
-Tthen one young girl caught her breath
in hysterical scream, which was in
,stantlyyanswered by cry from the pale
lips Of the Sweman in white" into whose
blank, eyes rushed a wild, keen light
She gazed about. her in terror and bewil-
1crment, then glanced down upon her.
sell, and sunk lowering upon the floor,
covering her face with her hands, and
giving way to childish paroxysm OF
"eeWhg.H ~ yAYT
The farmers wife, woman of rare
sense and presence of mind, at opce di-'
Sined, the trpth.9ass jan; DEIV} ii N
n''She is u sleep-walkerp she said. .
"She must be half dead with cold !!
Girls, bring some wrappipgs," Hsi'
immediately all was hustle. The far
mer aud his son soon discreetly vanished
iropI{the seepe, and the kind mother,
daughter and niece devoted themselves
to their bewildered charge, who still
yept and spbbed under their kind minis-
Etrations, but declared that she felt no
cold and no pain, though her delicate
feet were actually bleeding from her long
walk up tie icy hillside and over the
oRusted snow. tF' rr.ip 10
- After. having been tenderly put TO bed,
hoIeye yer,y she became slIAicientlyl COM
posed TO reply tolths few questions put
to her, She said she was Lucy Ellet, the
niece Of the village physician that she
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