Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-02-16
\ HALL9W EVE INCIDENT.

In t!sr beginning of the present centu-
~ there stood, npon level plateau cx-
tending back from the banks Of Hunting
Greek. in Calvert county. small village.
called from the ncighboring stream Hunt
ington Fifty years have passed since it
ceased to he village, and fully forty
years sine" the plowsharc first broke the
soil where had lain its last hearth->tone.
The people Of this village were lively
and joyous, and fond of Jokes, especially
Of practical kind Many of thcru. too
AS was the case in all that section Of
country fifty years ago-hai faith in spells
and charms. and witches aud ghosts. in
fact, III all the fauces of superstition -
Among those most strongly imhued with
this filth was tailor's apprentice named
Wat Mills: and one ilallow Eve some of
his young arquaintarces took advantage Of
this weakness Of his to play trick upon
him They told him that if he wished to
learn his future fate. he should 90 on that
night t" the village graveyard, and Gu; It
square sod from a grave This sod should
be placed upon the hearth. with its under,
or root side toward the. fire.
Sitting near this in rcrfcc. silence and
stiffness. he would after while hear the
dogs lark and the wind shake the win
dows and doors. Immediately aitcrwari.
II it was his fortune I" be- married. his fu-
tnrc bride would appear aud salk slowly
through the room, entering at one door
and disappearing through the opposite
door; if it WAS his fate to die a bachelor,
his funeral procession would pass before
him in like manner.
Wat followed the directions given. The
sod was obtained ard placed before the
fir" in the position mentioned AMI the
youth seated himself near i to await the
result with feelings of mingled curiosity
and terror n may be- imagined
The room in which h. thus sat. still.
silent and expectant, had one door which
opened upon one ofthc village streets. and
another which led into back ward -
From this back yard gate. around a."
gable end Of the house, opened also mtn
the street.
The you,h had hccn seated tu. short
while, when the windows and doors rat
tied IA il shaken by the wind, and the
house dog began to bark fcgcrly. Al! at
once these noises ceased and instantly
aftcrward the front door Of the house (arl
the rocml flew open. and form ia flow
ing whit robe entered. He had draw n
sword in his rigk. hand, and was proba :
bly, int ,ntcd 10 represent "Desth. y
He was followed hy four pall-hcarerS. clad
in traili - white garments, and bearing y
coffin covered with a black cloth The
faces of all were pallid with what sceme,'
TO the terrified youth supernatural pal
lor. Their eyes were fixed before them !:
and they moved with soft and noiselcSS
steps toward the back door of the room
which opened rs Of itscfat their approach
They passed through it, and the door
closed after them as hy invisible hands
When III" procession had disappeared.
the terrified Wat-whosc eyes had been
fixed upon il with stare Of horror-fell
PROSTATE and sensclcss upon the floor
When he recovered, several perscnS were
around him. His looks still expressed
horror, and his body and limbs were trcm-
ulnus.
In vain those who had perpetratcd the
cruel joke explained to him the whole at
fair. showed him at the village carpen-
ter's shop. the couffin-shell which they had
carried. the black cloth which had been
used as pail. the WOODEN socks which
they had worn tn hide the sound Of their
Ecaesers. the sheets which had been usei
ms shroads. the sword which haa been
borne BY the representative of"Death :"
in vain they assured him that same Of
their own number hsd shaken the wind
ows and doors AMI bad made the dog
bark. Hc never recovered from the shock
received that night. lie lived but few
years af,erward. aud ncrer cease to t-em-
bic till the day Of his death. ...-
More than sixty years have passed since
this incident occurred bur i, is still told
I'm tire neighbcre.cd. end-she usm--vf all
the parties concerned are still preserved in
tradition. @ F..r f..-t -HAHs