The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-11-17
THE HAUNTED HOUSE AT HART.
FORD.
nv MRS. THOMAS J. woRRELL.

BY MRS. THOMAS j. WoRRELL.
My grandmother was pure type
of an EUglishwoman; handsome,
healthy, and clear.headed as a man.
Brought up with the stFictest busi-
ness habits in a well regulated hOus e.
hold, consisting principally of me n,
! she escaped, in a great measure, a
taste for those friYolites which so of
ten neutralize the better qualities of
an equally sensible girl. She mar
ried happily, become widow sOme
| seven years after, married again,
and, on the death of her second hus-
band, emigrated to America. She
was residing in New York when the
yellow fever of 81 first made its ap-
pearance. Sharing the general pan
| ic, she conceded to the wishes of
/ American friends and left immedi-
ately, with her three little girls, for
the more salubrious climate of Hart
ford, Connecticut, where she design
ed remaining until the pestilence had
| passed away.
This slight sketch is necessary to
the interest of my story. Every
household, how ever great or humble,
has, believe, its superstitious le-
gend: If English, its ghost; if Irish,
its fetch; if Scotch, its wrath. Now,
our family legend came down from
my strong-hearted, healthy grand
mother, who had no nervous fancies,
no dyspeptic misgivings, and who
held supers tition in the prOfOundest
contempt, AS pertaining only to the
ignorant or diseased imagination.
She never attributed the strange
phenomena of the Hartford house to
supernatural causes; but as her good,
! sound sense and acute penetration
| could never present more tangible
reason for what occurred there, the
! legend caIne down to her more cred
ulous listeners as my grandmother s
story of the Haunted House. In
her own words 1 give it, then, with
| out CONN tent or circumlOCutiOn
On arriving at my place of destina-
tiOn found handsome, Old-fashion-
| ed mansj on, somewhat on the skirt
of the beautiful, cleanly little town OF
| Hartford. There was no other hous-
es for several squares and as this
stood some distance from the main
road, surrounded by its pretty Yam
kee garden, it presented rather an
imposing appearance when cOmpar-
ed with the more humble edifices OF
the neighborhood, its symmetry be-
ing only marred by curious little
wing attached to the main building
and which did not appear, from its
more modern architecture, to have
originally belonged to the ratheg
stylish old mansion. The family
consisted of DIR. Marston, his wife
and grown daughter. They did
not profess to take boarders, but, the
house being more commodious than
was necessary for their requirements
they had advertised for lady board
er with one or more children. Most
gladly did l avail myself of the offer
and forthwith prepared to make my
self comfortable III my new home
The apartments accorded me were 6
parlor and bedroom on the ground
, floor for myself and eldest daughter
: and smaller sleepiDg-rOOm, for the
|, younger children, in the story above
+ Every thing was done to make me
happy and contented by my kind
! hostess. The Doctors avocatior
3 took him much from home, and ex'
? eept at meals, seldom saw either
> him or his wife. The daughter
l would sometimes drop into my par
e for awhile. She appeared to be al
e amiablc girl, but there was an air O1
, restraint about her which could not
reconcile with the natural good
breeding which characterized the
family. However, was so glad to es'
cape the fearful scourge ofpestilence
! that with my books, my needle
5 work. and my three little ones, who
: claimed no small share of my atteE
y ton, l did not feel the want of com
2 panionship which a stranger yearn;
4 for in new home.
e The weather was excessively sui
4 try, and, at my request, Mrs MarstoI
/ had removed the carpet from m!
y slecping-room the day after my arri
s val, There was a clOseness in tht
t air of the apartment which, l fan
s cied, was augmented by the presence
{ of a bright scarlet carpet, which
looked warmer than it really was
n from the intensity of its hue. Every
i thing was now to my mind, and
d began to experience that sense of en-
ioyment which comes with the con
!: sciousness of quiet home even IN
{ strangers land.
One morning, as l sat in my bed
n room, engaged, as usu1I, win m.
: needle, feeling of oppression caus
o ed me to look up from my work
n and, to my astonishment. l saw Is
e suing through the chinks OF tn
floor vapor, which, as it rose, form
~ ed itself into a sort Of column IN til
f centre of the apartment. L 50
is watching ii until sense OF ialhl
N ness warned me to action, when
n rose and stepped out upon sort G
II yerandah which surrounded my sid
Il of the house-for as l told you, m
IA bedroom and parlor were on tn
rs ground floor. The outside air rt
le vived me, but feeling of curl0slt
~ still chained me to the spot wheT
q this phenomenon had presented II
~ self. The windows and doors wer
always open except at night, aud yt