Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-05-16

i hat nc DOTflCu Duck 10 Ills lcSeUOuuu C8SCs
One sad littls snow flake, left all alone
The last pale child Of tho winter gone,-
Flying u thousand vague alarms,
Fell, wcalicd out, into May-dower's arms.
Over tho trembling stranger form
She folded her mantle close and warm,
But an icy chill through her bosom went, 4
AID ler slender strength was almost spcnt.
Down from the cloud-land fields Of blue
Swift to her aid sunbeam few;
Ono eager look in his shining fAce,
Aud funting Alay.howcr took heart Of grace!
Sweet Flower I" ho Said, "by the kings command,
Thus shall thy pure deed stand contesscd!"
And It nestled. , dow.drOp; on her breast!
The Gho.tat: Sunset Cottage-A True
story.
By MRS. J. c.. DENTON.
"What can it be9", j, !
At least BALI a score of times within
the last hour, had this short yet impor-
t.nt query passed between Ella and her
stepmother, without one being able to
give the other satisfactory reply.
At first they had paid it no attention,
but after while its unremitting perse-
verance won, first their listening pow.
ers, then their remarks, and at last
their determined efforts 10 discover it's
lurking place.
But in vain had they searched Sup
stairs and down stairs, and in my lady's
chamber;" in vain had Ella wandered
around the house, looking with strain
ing eyes ut every shutter, easement,
and even climbing vine in, vain had
they together descended to the cellar
and searched carefully with lighted
lamp into all it's hidden corners In
vain, in vain, in vain-still the unac-
co,ntable and annoying rap, rap, rap,
and rapi-tee-tap tap, rang their weird
sounds through the tiny birds nest Of
Il house.
Sunset Cottage was a strange place
or ghost to hide in, to he sure. No
ong dim corridors, no closed unused
rooms, no secret stairways, no dark
musty closets-in fact no place such as
restless spirits are reputed to love. 1t
was only little, low, brown frame cot
tage; tiny bay window in front, a
baby porch ON the southern side; a
pretty little sitting-room, a dainty
small dining-room, and q neat pantry
and cosy kitchen. Up stairs were Elias
pretty sleeping room, the youthful
stepmother's larger apartment, and the
nicely kept "spare ROOM" These
We're all, and who could tell from
whence came those mysterious sounds7
TO be sure they were uore plainly heard
when standing in Elias room, but then
Ella had searched every corner therein,
behind the door, throughout the ward
robe, under the bed, and even in the
bur. I'LL drawers There was not a loose
easement, nor an unsteady door about
the we'll ordered dwelling. Ella had
been to every window, aud failed after
the most vigorous shaking to produce
even the faintest rattle therefr0m; be
sides that there were scarcely wind
enough stirring ON that mild June day
to disturb the lcosest and most unsta-
bic board.
So Mrs. Gray and Ella seated them:
selves again in the sitting room, and
settled their minds into tie belief that
''spirts were certainly visiting their
hoE.o. Ella tried to laugh and declare
that the only spirits she sa,U were the
spirits of nitre but in the midst of hel
speech sounded that ominous, not to be
silenced, rap, rap, and her face was
grave again instantly.
The morning wore away, yet still the
rapping continued with only short in.
tervals OF rest. Neither Mrs. Gray mol
Ella could sew, and both sat with idle
hands, thinking and listening. It was .
singular day for ghostly visitation, *
calm and mild, and beautiful; scarcely
breeze stirred through the mapl'
boughs, or rustled the rose leaves tha
bloomed in their beauty around tn
simple porch the unchang,ng hum o
the bees as they fingered about tn
sweet blossoms IN the garden, the oc
casional song of bird, perched for
moment on the white pickets of th
fence, the monotonous purr Of the cat
as she nestled in quiet contentment be
side the open door, were the onl
sounds to he heard, save that unceas
ing rap, rap, rap.
A strange awe had stolen over bot
listeners; they felt convinced that som
supernatural visitant was hiding il
their tiny home, and to Ella th
thought sVOuld come, that mayhap tn
disembodied spirit of some dear depart
ed one was waiting to tell her stories q
it's unseen home.
But at length the dinner hour ar
preached; Mr.. Gray was punctual q
the clock, and he must not be ker
waiting moment. The two ladies' the
set about their required duties, wit
subdued voices and serious counte
nances. By mutual agreement it wa
decided that Mr.. Gray should not b
informed of their mornings experi
cnce.
It would of course be better that h
should hear the. sounds while hi
mimi was wholly unbiased. TIL
steady clock had given its customar
warming click preparatory to strikin
the hour of one, when looking throuq
the window Mrs. Gray espied her hui
bands figure stepping briskly alon
the garden walk.
"Here he comes, Ella; but, I declar
We must stop this whispering, or
will think there is something wrong .
once"
As Mr.. Gray entered the sittins
room, the rapping suddenly ceased.
Ella and Mrs. Gray exchanged look
significantly, while each said with he
eyes, " What very sagacions rapper
But Mr.. Gray was heated by his lon
walk and glad to reach his cool sittina
room, where he could view the tempi
ing, smoking dinner awaiting him j
adjoining apartment therefore b
had no time to spend in taking Obse,
vations Of those two pair of eyes betor
him, though they were the dearest eve
in the whole world to him.
Scarcely had he cut the first s]ic
from the tender shoulder of lamb. wbe
nc stopped and listened to-rap. rar
rap, sounding clear and distincti
through the house. He turned an,
Looked through the open dining-roo1
door, and seeing no one there the
gazed at the wide. spread front doc
as though expecting to find a visito
there.
But no visitor didh see, but instead
his eyes rested on Elias sewing chaj,
still and vacant "a she had left it.
"Wlat was tilat?" he enquiretl
looking 1T the UNDERTAKING. faces Of HI
wife and daughter. Rap. rap, rap
rap-i-te-rap,-the sound ratified on bt
fore they could reply.
':Why Anne, Ella, what is tina
noise: there must be somebody knock
ing ut the kitchen door,"
''Thcre is no one there" said Els
reaching forward her head that sh
nigh command view of the ope
back door.
The dinner is COOLING" suggeste
Mrs Gray. afldin1 ..lad xo,, no4 ho,