The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-03
The Best Christmas story OF the


From tho Baltimore American, Isl.
Towards midnight on Thursday gentle
man residing on Cooke street near carey,
| while vending his way home, received sucn
| n shock to his nervous system rs to compc'
him to keep his he'd during yesterday, nc
had been in the city during the night o.
Thursday enjoying himself with lew CON
vivial friends, and after quitting one OIL 'he
city cars ut the Pennsylvania avenue Ter
minus. started across the commons 1or hls
home. Luna scared high in the heavens,
hut tho light from her lamp being ON the
w,nc our hero found bat little guide for his
| feet ana bv the time he had reached the
vicinity Of the old Catholic battle-ground
he had managed to wander into half do
zen mud-holes. When directly opposite
thc graveyard his ears were saluted with
most unearthly sound, and in an instant
his mind was filled with horrid iancies OF
COLLINS, &c. The rotations that he had m
bibel during the evening increased ms
ideas to wonderful extent, ana casting MS
ewes towards the spot from whence the
sound proceeded. be was confident
that he perceived ghost stalking
towards him. His mind was now fully
made lid that an uneasy spirit was leav-
| ing its tcnment of clay and wished to COM
muuicatc with him, but, ne not being IN q
communicative mood, started on full rum
md lust as he had entered into run On
other sound more sonor0us ana terrifying
| than the one which had first engaged hls
attention fell upon his ear. With bound
he was off like meteor, but alas Tor HIM
his troubles had but commenced. Alter
/ hum rn1
he went into ditch, and In an instant ne
was laundering in thick yellow muo' ana
in his dilemma, instead OF backing ou' OF
the difficulty, be kept straight ahead, ana
the consequence was that he waded cntireiy
| across the ditch and at times up' ms
| waist in mud During this tramp ne did
not fail to keep up lively fusilade OF roars
| for help but the locality being but sparsely
inhabited, no help arrived. After emerg-
ing from the mud-holc he again started on
run. hut made slow time, OWING to the
heavy condition of his clothing. lie was
Jus, conyratulating himself that his troll
Ilcs were ended when he performed 1eat
worthy Of the most skilled acrobat In
the land. II. his flight .he had failed to
notice that he was nearing the brink OF an
excavation. and headlong he rushed into
the opening. Fortunately, the bank was
no. very high, but down he came into an
other puddle of mud. In due course OF
time he reached his home: and found his
wife sitting up for him; but when he pre-
scented himself before that good lady his
snrcarancc war such that she in turn be-
came more frightened than was the hus-
band when the sepulcirral sounds greeted
him ut the graveyard. The wife gave one
look At the muddy form before her, and in
IN instant her terrified screams not only
aroused the inmates Of the house, but the
neirhbors became likewise affected, and
in less than five minutes there was
q lively scene Of confusion. The
wife ran into the street, exerting her
lungs in the most lively manner,
while the servants Of the unfortunate gen
tleman rushed from the place in terror, de-
clarinc that "the ID had come, sure"
Peace, however, was finally restored in the
household. and yesterday morning the
causes which SO frightened the gentleman
when he was passing the graveyard were
explained. On Tuesday last n white horse
had been lett to die i'll lot adjoining the
cemetery, and as the gentleman alluded to
in this affair was passing the grounds, poor
Dobbin, probably surmising that a doctor
was coming, gave q gr0an and partially
raised his body from the earth. His white
appearance was mistaken for the outlines
OF a veritable ghost, and hence the fright
CT the thoroughly scared gentleman.