Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1870-01-31
Almost a Ghost Stery--A
Real Incident.

fire place of a large New England Kitchen. a
happy family circle, consisting Of q well-to-do
/ farmer, who was magstrate-known far and
wide as Squire percivaI"-his comcly wife,
two fair daughters, niece, and last but not
least a son, just home from Yale for the boli-
days.
The night without was seasonably cold, and
brilliant with moonlight and starlight. The
| large stone farmhouse stood on The brow of a
hill behind projecting line Of tall pine Tires
the only green in the wide landscape. The
steep hillside and wide valley beneath were
heavily blanketed with stow.
The early part of the evening had passed
mcrrly with games, jests and song. But for
an hour or two the conversation had taken a
drift into the realm Of the supernatural. One
ybost had succeeded another till, as the " witch
Ing time of night" approached, and the fire
burned low, the circle iastinctively drew closer
tcse,her. with thrills and shudlers of strange
spiritual dread, which is yet akin 10 The scen-
est plelsure-an awesome joy, an exquisite
terror. The solemn signing of winds among
the pines. heard 70 the parse' = ghosily rei-
tails. added is wcudrous, u.erl eject % the
theme
1 Jrsl e. youusI5ia ltrcival crnclnlei vili
German legend. wLich De ie,iascl splendid
.iua Gr lrcams.7 the oui.i,le laar was Beard
o. open suddenly. All1okcl around more O.
less fcarfu'ly. o see standing ou the threshold
toe eight form 4 a fir young woman, clad
al ia white. ali lookios strangely pure, and
cold aud luminous. l.se incaruaied moonlight
With the glide II a spirit she canr ior-
ward. Her Zee, were quite lare. and her arms
were lrolring wearily. Masses q fdr hair
ffI over Der shoulders, but Lcr eyes were dark
aud fxel with ne'snciolystare. lIeriips were
slightly parted and almost colorlcss. Shecamc
into tie circle aLou, Tic hearth and paused,
standing utterly motionlcss--a beautiful, ap-
pclling figure.
Fora ;homcr, all the startled group remain
as silent as that strange visi,or-then one
young girl caught her breath in a hysterical
scream, which was instantly answered by a
cry from the palelips ofthc ''woman in white
into whose bauk eyes rushed a Wild keen light
She sazcd about her in terror and bewildcr-
mcnt then glanced down upon herself, and
sank covering upon the floor, covering her face
with her hands, and giving way to childish
paroxysms Of weeping.
The farmers wife, woman Of rare sense
and presence of mind, at once OWNED the
truth.
She is sleep walteri' she said, d" She
must be half dead with the cold. Girls bring
some wrappings !"
Immediately all Twas hustle. The farmer and
his son discreetly vanished from the scene, and
the kind mother, daughter aud niece deroted
themselves to their bewildered charge who
still wept and sobbcd under their kind miustra-
tions but declared that she felt 10 cold and no
pain, though her delicate feet were actually
bleeding from her long walk up the icy hill
side and over the crustcd snow.
After having been tenderly put to bed, how
ever, she became sufficiently composed to reply
to the few questions which had been put to
her. She said she was Lucy Elicit, the niece
Of the village physician; that she had
lately been taken from school, on account of
nervousness. and sent to lin for medical treat
ment but that home-sickuess and loneliness bad
made her worse. She bad occasionally walked
in her sleep before, bat only about the house
and grounds at home, aud on summer noon
/ light nights. think the moon bewitches
me, hesaid smiling through her tears. That
night she had before going to bed, looked
across the little valley to the pleasant house on
the hill, watched the cheerful Christmas lights
cleaning through the pine trees, and longel to
be one Of the happy party there, though She
was a stranger to all
She had cried herself to sleep, she said, and
that was all she knew Of her mysterious mid
night tramp over snow and stones aud ice
Not a memory, not thought 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.
90, dearl what do you think Of nc =
What can you think Of me enow?" she moaned.
Never mind what we think of you, my
poor child, said the good motherly Mrs. Per-
cival, we lore you already, so just drink this
nice ginger tea and go to sleep"
The " poor child got little natural sleep,
and in the morning appeared somewhat less
ghostly than the appartion Of Christmas night.
But she was still very pale, with a playfully
shy. grieved look She was suffering less than
was expected from the exposure, but more
from the nervous shock of the night before,
aud by the advice of her uncle, who had been
summoned. consented to remain with her new
friends for few days.
Young John Percival wcs Hospitality kind
to the invalid guest, not seeming to perceive
that she sbrauk from bis attentions in a scnsi-
tive, disquietcd way. Yet when his eyes were
not on her, she was observed to study Lis
face with peculiar inquiring expression. She
could not remember having seen that face at
the fearful moment of her awakening, and she
hoped he had not been witness Of that walk