Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-06-10
Peculiar Circumstances

Ny father, who was an old ma
val captain, met with an untimely
death at sea. He was in com
mand of his ship when he was
caught In a severe gale off the
coast of Syria; a heavy sea was
rolling, and, as he stood near the
companion ladder, be was thrown
violently down, breaking his leg
in two places. The shock of am.
putation was too great for his sys.
TEN, and he died shortly after the
operation.
1t was then serving in the Chan.
mel Fleet, but | obtained leave of
absence and hurried to Devon.
port, where my mother resided,
After my poor fathers affairs were
settled she took a great dislike to
the sea. The sight or sound of it,
the appearance of sailors in the
street, or the firing of a salute,
served to remind her most acutely
of the loss she had sustained. OF
course it was decided that she
should leave the town, but where
to wend her steps she knew not.
She herself had no choice OF a
neighborhood, SO we had nothing
to DO but to look out for an eligi-
ble house in some inland town.
Soon the following advertisement
caught our attention.:
no BE LET ON LEASE, IN A SMALL
i Market town, near railway station, six
roomed house, in good repair, with large gar
den, back and front. Rent very moderate,
owing to peculiar circumstances.
I applied where I was directed,
and was informed that the cottage
was situated in Burnside, Derby
shire, and that it might be viewed
on further application. l should
say that the letter also stated
that the rent would be only eight
pounds, if taken for fourteen years.
l hastened to the place, saw the
cottage, was delighted with its
appearance and situation, and
then sought tor information, as to
the "pecdliar circumstances" un-
Ger which so charming a little
house was to be let for so trihing a
rent.
After some general reason for
leaving, which / ventured to hint
could hardly be called peculiar,
the lady-outgoing tenant-con.
1essed that she had recently taken
the house for fourteen years, but
found that it was haunted, or at
least that most unaccountable
sounds were heard at midnight,
causing her much uneasiness, and,
at length, becoming a source Of
great alarm to her daughters, who
were but young girls. The lady
herself, / should say, was a wild
ow.
Ioffered to try and find out for
her the cause OF the strange noise,
and even then take the house,
perhaps at a higher rental; but
she said that if / liked to risk the
finding out and putting a stop to
them / should have the cottage
at the rent named; for she said
it had been left her by a person
of whom she knew but little, and
that therefore the rent, though
small, would be some addition to
her income.
l agreed to take the house at
once, for it was empty, and / pro-
posed sleeping in it the same
night.
The lady had not removed all
her furniture, 80 she kindly made
me up a bed in the back parlor,
and placed there also an armchair.
A fire was lit; / provided myself
with the materials for a good sup
per, and locked myself in the
house at ten o'clock.
OF course no one ever heard of
a respectable ghost ever appearing
before midnight, SO that / had
two hours before I should test the
truth of the reports / had heard.
/ made q hearty supper-there
was something material in that,
and if the conflict about to be was
one of spirit ve1s,ts matter, / felt
that I would not 60 into battle on
an empty stomach. To keep my
head clear, and not to allow it to
run riot in imagination, picturing
all the possible forms that might
appear, and recalling all that !