The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-04-09

to speak. When he had almost come up
with her, be repeated her name, in that low,
earnest tone. which people sometimes use
when they wish to draw the attention Of n
listener but she either did not hear, or did
not Wi6 to hear him. he made certain Of
meeting her, however, az she returned but
here also he was deceived, for she went
round by the other side of the kaiyard, for
the purpose, as it appeared, Of taking with
her handful of sticks, with which to kindle
up tie fire next morning. On seeing this
man0uvre. be jumped over the dixie, re-
peating her name as be had done before :
but, on the present, ~ on the former occa-
sion. she either heard him not, or pretended
not to bear him; and, by fastening her
pace, she had reached the house door before
he could intercept her. As deyxter re-
source, the aforementioned parsonage was
now ordered to gang and water the horse. A"
And he rose to obey but here again Jenny
seemed to sympathise with him in his labors.
{" As the COW had tsggit i the afternoon, {"
she said. sit was like aneugh the horse
micht rim ava i the e'enin; and, 10 the
laddie, puif thing, bad chased the COW till
be was ready 10 a. down, il couldna, be ex-
peckit that be would be able to chase the
horse. and sae she would gang and help
him."
II ever Jenny Jervis had been puzzled
to account for the conduct of Sandy Craw-
ford, be was now 90 much puzzled to &C
count for the change which had come over
her. He thought of the subject without
being able to come to any conclusion, and
then thought Of ii again to rs little purpose
as be had done before, till at last, wearied
out with vain conjectures, be flung himself
upon his bed in state Of mind not easy to
be described and when Jenny, who was in
no great haste to return, came in, bis heavy
breathing told that he was already asleep.
On stealing a glance into the apartment
where be was, she saw that be was still
lying with bis clothes on, and that bis
sleep was of that profound sort which com
monty lasts for the night.
Sandy Crawford hsd fallen asleep, little
dreaming Of either alarm or danger but,
about midnight, be was disturbed BY an in
distinct and inarticulate sound, which,
though it conveyed no meaning to his ear,
was loud enough to awake him. Slowly
and heavily he opened his eyes; but it was
not dark, as be expected it to be. On the
strange light glimmered around
him, and, on turning bis head to zee whence
It proceeded, he saw in the middle of the
floor a spectre, which might have well ap-
palled the heart Of hero. The ghost Of
Howdycraigs, to which his present visitor
bore . striking resemblance. rushed back
upon bis memory, and be would have
trembled, but that be did not recollect any
bad consequences which followed that me
mortal event. Thus, in time, even ghosts
might fail to terrify, were they 10 repeat
their visits teo often. In the present in
stance, it were difficult to say if Sandy was
not strengthened for the sight by some faint
hope that this might be q second marriage
making expedition Of the same benevolent
spirit, and that it might eventually help
him to wife, the getting Of which thing be
had begun 10 regard a no easy matter.
The ghost Of Gsiryburn, however. at first
bade fair for being As famous in its day and
generation as the ghost Of Howdycrsigs bad
been and doubtless it had succeeded in a
less hazardous enterprise. Like the other,
its head was tied up in a white handker-
chief. its body was carefully wrapped up in
the folds of an ample winding-sheet. On
its feet it wore white stockings, but no
shoes-the absence of which exhibited a
finely turned ankle to such advantage, that
any male onlooker might have been excused
for wising it a substantial woman, But
then its face and hands were as white as the
finest -four or the whitest chalk could have
made them-thus setting every earthly
feeling, except fear, ut defiance. In one
hand It carried q candle. which burned as
blue as any spiritual light ever burned,
while With the other it managed its apparel,
which was scrupulously clean-thus making
it appear that it had been washed since It
left its subterranean abode, from which cir
cumstance it were reasonable to infer that it
was either female ghost, or had got wife
to do these things for il.
Though We have thus detained the
reader, by describing i., IL detained not its
auditor for. as soon as be appeared to be
fully awake" Sandy Crawford" }" il said
But it was evidently an apprentice in the
task it had undertaken, and knew bat little
of the manner in which message should be
delivered for here its voice faltered, and
its hands trembled ia most curious manner
thus making it evident that ghosts have
feelings as well as mortals, and that they
may sometimes be sent on errands they dis
like. The shaking Of its hands caused the
blue flame to fall from the candle, which
Immediately burned out with a clear and
natural light; while that which had fallen
hissed and sputtered on the floor. In at
tempting to remedy this mistake, by restor-
ing the blue fame to its proper place, it
seemed to burn its fngers-at least it drew
back its hand with the appearance of pain,
drawing in its breath, and starting up
rather hUrriedly at the same time. While
performing the last mentioned Of these
operations, it unfortunately struck its head
against the back ofa chair, which chanced
to be ttanding near, and rufaed its head
dress, from under which most enchanting
ringlet of fair bair escaped, and began to
play about it's white temples. One mistake
followed another: in attempting to replace
the hair, it passed portion Of the winding
sheet, in which it was muf'cd up, over its
face and when it was removed, its lips
were no longer pale, but provokingly red
one cheek was Of the same hue, and the
deep blush Of the other was now beginning
to shine through its trsacherous covering.
As further proof Of its inexperience, It
heaved deep sigh, and was about to retire
in apparent confusion, when Sandy, who
had overcome hia fear so far as to look at il
steadily for the last minute or two. started
LII - m~ll~- -