The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-07-08
ALMOST A GHOST STORY.

On a Christmas night, some fifty or
sixty years ago, was gathering about
the wide fireplace of large New
England kitchen, a happy family cir
Gle, consisting of a wcll-to-do farmer,
who was also a magistrate known far
and wide ass Squire Perciyal,'-his
comely wife, two fair daughters,
niece, and last but not least son,
Just home from Yale for the holidays.
The night without was scasonably
cold, and brilliant with moonlight and
starlight. The large stone farmhouse
stood on the brow of a hill, behind a
protecting line of tall pine trees-the
only green i'm the wide landscape.
The steep hillside and wide valley be-
heath were heavily blankcted with
snow.
The early part of the evening had
passed merrily with games, jests and
song. But for an hour or two the
conversation had taken drift into
the realm 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 instinctvcly grew closer
together, with thrills and shudders of
strange spiritual dread, which is yet
akin to the kcenest pleasure-an awe
some joy, an exquisite terror. The
solemn signing of the wind among
the pines, heard in the pauses OF
ghostly rccitals, added its wondrous
wicrd effects to the theme.
just as young John Percival had
concluded wild German legend,
which he declares a splendid stuff
for Dreams" the outside door was
heard to open very suddenly. All
looked around, more or less fearfully,
TO see standing on the threshold the
slight form of a woman, clad all in
white, and looked strangely pure and
cold, and luminous, very like incar-
mated moonlight.
with the glide of spirit" she
came forward. Her feet were quite
bare, and her arms were dropping,
wearily. Masses of fair hair fell over
her shoulders, but her eyes were dark
and fixed with a melancholy stare.
Her lips were slightly parted, and al
most colorless. She came into the
circle about the hearth, and there paus-
cd, standing utterly mOtionless-a
beautiful, appalling figure.
For moment, all the startled
group remained as silent as the that
strange visitOr-then one young girl
caught her breath in a hysterical
scream, which was instantly answered
by a cry from the pale lips of the
"woman i'm white" into whose black
eyes rushed a wild keen light. She
gazcd about her i'm terror and bewil-
dermcnt then glancing down upon
herself, sunk covering upon the floor,
covering her face with her hands, and
giving way to childish paroxysm OF
weeping.
The farmers wife, woman of rare
sense and presence of mind, at once
OWNED the real truth.
"She is q slcep-walker she said.
"She must be half dead with cod !!
Girls, bring some wrapping|
Immediately all was hustle The
farmer and his son discreetly vanish
cd from the scene, and the kind moth
CIR, daughters and niece devoted them
selves to their bewildered charge, who
still wept and sobbed under their
kind administrations, but declared
that she felt no cold and no pain,
thoughher delicate feet were actual
ly bleeding from her long walk up
the icy hillside and over the crusted
snow.
After having been teDderly put to
bed, however, she became sufficiently
composed to reply to the few ques-
lions put to her. She said she was
Lucy Ellet, the niece of the village
physician-that she had lately been
taken from school, OH account of ner-
rousness, and sent to him for midical
treatment, but that homesickness and
loneliness had made her worse. She
had occasionally walked in her sleep
before, but only about the house and
grounds at home, and OH summer
moonlight nights. 81 think the moon
bewitches me-" she said, smiling
through her tears. That night she
had, before going to bed, looked across
the little valley to the pleasant house
Oh the hill, watched the cheerful
Christmas light cleaning through
the pine trees, and longed to be one
of the happy party here, though she
was a stranger to all.
She had cried herself to sleep, she
said, and that was all she knew of hel
mysterious midnight tramp over SNOW
and stones and ice. Not memory
not ethought could she recall till the
moment when she found herself stand
ing on that hearth, in her night-dress
with so many wondering eyes fixed
upon her.
'Od ear. what did you think c fme
What can you think of me now? sht
said, mournfully.
Never mind what VIC think of you
INV poor child said good, motherl.
Mrs. Percival, we love you already
so just drink this nice ginger tea ant
90 TO sleep -
The poor child got a little natura
sleep, and i'm the morning appeared
somewhat ieSS Shootll tHaH tHC appa
rition' of Christmas night. But sh'
was still very pale, with painful!
shy, grieved look. She was suffering
less than was expected from the ner
yous shock of the night before, ant
by the. advise OF her uncle, who ha(
been summoned, consented to remain
with her new friends for few days
Young John Perciyal was hospita
bly, kind to the invalid guest, no
seeming TO perceive that she shranl
from his attentions in sensitive, dis
quiet way. Yet when his eye wal
not on her she was observed to stud!
his face with peculiar enquiring ex
preston. She could not rcmembel
having seen that face at the fearful
moment of her awakening, and sh,
hoped he had not been witness o
that walking trance, which she regard
cd with absolute horror.
Finally, on the last day of her visit
finding herself alone with him for /:
moment, under q desperate impulse
she asked, Did you, too, see me tina
night, Mr.. Percival?,
He was touched by the tremble il
- H. 81 n 1aAl- q, fhs