The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-05-11
THE SPECTRE HAND.
BY JAMES GRANT


Do the dead ever revisit this earth?
On this subject even the ponderous and
unsentimental DR.. johnson was of opinion
that to maintain they did not, was to OPP
pose the concurrent and unvarying testi-
mony of all ages and nations, as there was
no people so barbarous, and none SO civil
lized but among whom apparitions of the
dead were related and believed in. THAT
which is doubted by single cavaliers, he
adds, can very little weaken the general
evidence, and some who deny it with their
tongues confess it by their fears
In the August of last year found myself
with three friends, when on northern
tour, at the Hotel de Scandinavia, in the
long and handsome Carl Johan Gade Of
Christiania. A single day, or little more,
had sufficed us to do all the, lions of the
little Norwegian capitalize royal palace,
stately white building, guarded by SLOUGH
ing Nerski ritlemen i'll long coats, with
wide awakes and green plumes; the great
brick edifce wherein the Storthing is held.
and where the red lion appears on every
thing, from the kings throne to the hall
porters coal SHUTTLE; the castle OF Aggerh-
uis and its petty armory, with single suit
of mail, and the long muskets of the Scots
who fell at Rhomsdhal; after which there
is nothing more to be seen; and when the
little Tiyoli gardens close at ten, all Chris
tiania goes to sleep till dawn next morn
ing.
English carriages being perfectly useless
in Norway, we had ordered four Of the
native carrioles for our departure, as we
were resolved to start for the wild noun
famous district named the Dovrefold, when
delay in the arrival of certain letters COM
PEELED me to remain two days behind my
companions, who promised to await me
at Rodnaes, near the head of the magniti-
cent Rams ford; and this partial separa-
ton, with the subsequent circumstance of
having to travel alone through districts
that were totally strange to me, with but a
very slight knowledge of the language,
were the means Of bringing to my knowl-
edge the story am about to relate.
The table d'hote is over by two O'Clock
in the fashionable hotels of Christiania, SO
about four in the afternoon quilted the
city, the streets and architecture of which
resemble portions Of Tottenham Court
Road, with stray bits of old Chester. In
nv carriole, comfortable kind of gig,
were my portmanteau and gun case; these,
with my whole person, and indeed the body
of the vehicle, being covered by one OF
those huge tarpaulin cloaks furnished by
the carriole company in the Store Stand
gade.
Though the rain was beginning to fail
with force and density peculiarly Morse
when left behind me the red tiled city,
with all its green coppered spires. 1could
not but be struck by the bold beauty Of
the scenery, as the strong little horse at a
rasping pace tore the light carriole along
the rough mountain road, which was Dor
dered by natural forests Of dark and sol
unlocking pines, interspersed with grace
full silver birches, the greenness Of the fol
iage contrasting powerfully with the blue
of the narrow tiords that opened ON every
hand, and with the colors in which the toy
like country houses were painted, then
timber walls being always snowy white,
and their Single roofs flaming red! Ever
some of the village spires wore the same
sanguinary hue, presenting thus singular
feature in the landscape.
The rain increased to an unpleasant de.
gree: the afternoon seemed to darken into
evening, and the evening into night, soon
er than usual, while dense masses Of vapol
came rolling down the steep sides of the
wooded hills, over which the sombre fires
spread everywhere and up every vista that
opened. like sea of cones; and as tbs
houses became fewer and further apart, ant
not a single wanderer was abroad, and
had but the pocket-map Of my " John Muir
raw" to guide me, l soon became convinced
that instead of pursuing the road to Rod
naes I was somewhere on the banks o
the Tyr-fiord, at least three Norwegi ar
miles ii. G. twenty-one English i'll the op,
posite direction, my little horse worn out
the rain still falling in a continual torrent
night already at hand and mountain seen
ery of the most tremendous character
everywhere around me. was in an al
most circular valley (encompassed by {
chain of hills, which opened before me-
after leaving a deep chasm that the roac
enters, near place which l afterward.
learned bears the name of krogleven.
Owing to the steepness Of the road, anG
some decay in the harness of my hired car
riole, the traces parted, and then found
myself, with the now useless horse anc
vehicle, far from any house, homestead, Of
village where could have the damage re
paired or procure shelter, the rain still
pouring like sheet Of water, the thick
shaggy, ard impenetrable woods Of Nor
wegan pine towering all about ne, theil
shadows rendered all the darker by the
unusual gloom Of the night.
To remain quietly in the carriole was
unsuitable to temperament so impatient
as mine: drew it aside from the road
spread the tarpaulin over my small stock
of baggage and the gun case battered Tic
pony to it, and set forth on foot, stiff, solc
and weary, in search of succor; and though
armed only with Norwegian tolknife,