The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-24

the servants go in that part of the house after
night, when they were 80 afraid OF it,"
Inc Arlington mansion was one of the Oldest
houses In the State Of Virginia, and though there
had been modern additions that gave all the com.
torts OF the present age, there portions OF it
tesque hdeOusness Of the foes Of several gen.
erst;ors OF owners, and in this part of the house
| the blue chamber lay. Whether it was really
| visited by the dead, no one Of the present day
knew. for II had not been slept in for thirty years
| hot Sybil had often told MS of its legend, when
| school girl like we would lie down and tell mar
| row zing tales at the witchng hour OF mid
night. This is it:
| Some sixty years before the date of my story
Hugh Arlington, the owner of the estate, had lost
| his first wife, dame of hau hty and imperious
| temper. who, dying suddenly left him two sweet
little girls TO console him for her loss. His msr-
| rage having been one Of interest rather than
affection, people were not astonished that he was
| not ipconsolsble. though they were tempted to
reprove when he selected young and giddy girl
! of seventeen 10 take the place Of mother to his
| little girls But Hugh was a man who would
gang his ain gate" and ask no leave. He was
| desperately smitten by the beautiful girl, who.
though of good family, was painfully poor, and
| good marriage. So, when Hugh. who, though in
| bis forty-ffth year, was hale, ine.looking man,
| offered her his hand and settlement of forty
| thousand dollars, she was far from saying 40. 1t
was shortly after their return from their bridal
| tour that the young Mrs. Arlington, who was pas
| siopately fond of dress, had gone 70 the blue
| room, which had been the first Mrs. Arington's
bed room, and opening the dressing-cases. had
taken out the rich heavy silks, satins and velvets
| that had been the wardrobe OF her predecessor,
| and was overlooking them when suddenly she saw
a stately lady standing before her, who said 10 a
stern voice, Let those dresses alone, madam,
they belong TO my daughters, and are not
| for such you. Touch them not"
| With q shrek that resounded through the house
| MIS- Arlington tainted and when her husband
and the servants reached her, was in strong con-
WILSON'S. When restored to sensbility she shud.
deringly told her husband what she had seen,
and begged him to take her away from the
place. This he did, and it was some years be-
fore they returned, and then that portion of the
house was closed, as he had built the large and
| cCmmodious modern addition now occupied by
the family. The two little girls of the first wife
| died before reaching womanho0d, and the rooms
| were not opened or even entered during the
| life of Hugh Arlington and bis wife. At their
| death the property fell TO a nephew of Hugh
| SYPHILIS grandfather, and, though he and his
family paid but little attention TO the tale of its
| being occupied by a ghostly inhabitant they
! found the modern portion of the house sufficient
| for the family, and the rooms were only
opened once or twice year to be aired, and
then some of the white family had TO go with
the servants to insure that il was done, 30 great
| was the terror of those rooms.
| Not even old Maumy would light US up there
that night, and the poor old woman cried bitterly
as she begged her young mistress to give up the
! iGea. But laughing at her fears we up the
great fight OF stairs into the main hail leading
INFO the older part of the house, and turning down
| long, dark corridor, Sybil threw open the door
4 of a large room of oval shape. The door
! opening into the hall being az one end of the
ellipse, the broad old fashioned fire place with
| richly carved mantel-piece in the opposite end.
| Ii was furnished in the rich, heavy carved fur.
niture of a hundred years ago. and the walls
| painted deep blue. The windows, bed aud
| parts of the walls were draped in blue damask,
| piDked out with white. The dark oak floor that
| had been waSed and polished ia olden times until
| IL TO walk il still retained
some Of It's slippery beauty and was bare ex
ceptipg small square of blue aud white Tur-
| key carpet that near the bed. The quaint
| old fashion bureau with its dressing glass, the
| heavy csrved chairs and tall mirror reaching
| from ceiling to floor, all covered with dust
end cobwtbs that hung in long trail
| iIg fesiOCDs, presented singular picture Of
| desolation in sn inhabited house, that rather
| daunted Us. mo fear of being crowded in
| this bed, girls" cried Jane, as she went
| up TO the bedsfead that stood near the center of
| the room and was large enough to hold dozen
| instead OF four slight girls. Hurry. Sybil, and
| let's make up the bed take of this old satin
coverlid and let's get something less ghosty in its
| place. woDder how many tales of sorrow and
Of joy that old counterpart could tell If it could
| speak CT fair brides coming home of youthful
| Leirs born; Of stately men and beautiful women
| going down into the dresr valley and across the
chill ~atsrs OF tina. dread river We all mast cross
| Kate, put down that kindling wood on the hearth
and strike match to it quickly it will air the room,
and won't il stsrtle the shadows to see the I'M
woDted sight Of fire in that chimney placer Did
! you bring full trimmed lamp, Lizzie / don't
fancy beng left in the dark in this room, even if
| bsve three lion. hearted girls to keep me com pany.
What would John and James say, Lizzie, if they
| knew we were here? Wouldn't the boys be in
| pretty fright if they dreaDit where we were and
| won't we laugh at them in the morning when we
| tell them we have spent the night in the blue
chamber and dare them to do it?p
| "Sybil, where do those doors lead to ~ asked
pointing TO door on either side OF the fire place.
They are the dressing rooms, and contain what
! ever may be left of the clothing Of the lady who
| s said 10 haunt this room. IL was out OF that
| On the right that she came when she spoke to her
| husbands second wife about her wardrobe"
| We had by this time made up the bed and kindled
| bright FIRE that not only startled the shadows in
| the room but large colony of chimney swallows
I that had held uIdisturbed possession for years
| past, and mace frighful noise as the smoke and
flame reared up. reaching their nests and girl
ike, we were eitting before the fire. chatting over
| the day and its events before preparing for bed.
ltwas now near or quite midnight, and Sybi said.
=" Come, girls, If we don't hurry up the lady will
catch Us up let's get ready for bed now." Bat
| Jspe sale, =" Let's look in the dressing room al
| those dresses FIRST and see If the moth and damp
| have spared any of them. and how they look com
| pared with the fashion Of our day. As we don't
| want TO wear her dresses, guess the lady won't
mind our looking at them," and opening the door
on the right, sbe held up the lamp, letting its full
/ light fall upon the rich silks and linen, yellow
with age and DUST that draped the walls and filed
| the sleeves. As she did so, the old hall clock
struck twelve, and q. that moment the door of the
opposite closet slowly opened, and tall, majestic
lady in full dinner costume of George the Seconds
me came forth and said in a low, alm voice that
thrilled Is, " Let those dresses alone. woman. they
81 not for such as You, they are my daughter's."
With fearful scream, Jane dropped the lamp
| and made a rnsh for the door leading into the
| hall, followed by ell Of Us, shTiekng, we ran
| towards Mrs. ArliDgton's room Oh the ghost!
The CHEST Mrs. Arlington, we have seen the
| lady who haunts the blue room" Jane cried
| snd sank utterly exhausted into the arms OF Mrs.
| Arlington, who ran 10 meet us, Toosed by our
cries. The whole house was reused, as we could
! hear the doom open and sb1t snd steps hurryipg
+, through the halls. just at that moment. Kate,
, looking towards the door. uttered a cry: Look
! she has followed Us Look look +" And there,
| sore enough, stood tie lady. surrounded by
| James Harry and Dick. II was John Arlington.
| Ole Maumy bad gone 20 him ~ get him TO pre-
| vent us eirls from sleeping in the dreaded cham
| be4. and be ard Dick, thinking il a good chance