Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-07-25
BRADFORD, VERMONT SATURDAY, JULY 25 1874

I IIf....N I..II III'|IN.| IT HI.lTt 80
Rachel sat at the table, silent an
with her eyes cast down, but she at
little or nothing. ns ..,.......
"Sister Huntley, I'll take q leetl
fetch more sugar in my coffee, an
You won't mind if 1 help, myself t
another slice of corn cake. You d
know how to make q corn cake, Sis
ter Huntly /; aud, Huldah, You ma,
slide one Of them eggs on my plate.
"Oh, do 60 on with your story
Mrs, Camp" said Janet.-"What d
you think, Ed! there was y ghos
seen night before last on the lOnI
railroad bridge over the gully"
"GhOst ! granny !" exclaimed Ed
win, with more energy than Gle
gance. N '2oAHo ''t'''4 /.
81 don't ask you to take my wore
for it," returned Mrs. Camp, at th'
same time shaking out a little CLOUD
of camphor from her person. Sh'
spoke with q slight wheeze, whicl
gave one the impression that th'
pipes of her voice needed oiling
"But Moses Goff is q stiddy man
l never heard of his taking a drol
to drink, and he says his head was
as straight as a die. l guess ht
amt easily scared, either. The
moon was shining straight down or
the bridge, and Moses says he's
ready to take oath to what he saw
a woman dressed in white skittine
along over the timbers."
"And didn't you say he chased
the spook, or apparition, whatever
it was," asked Huldah, "and it sank
right into the ground before his face
and eyes ~
"He had to cross the creek, you
know, and by that time the thing
had disappeared, though he beat
among the bushes and trees, and
hallooed at the top Of his voice.
Last night some Of the village boys
took shotgun and went down to
the bridge and watched till near
morning, but nothing appeared.
Moses is certain what he saw wasn't
of this world. 1t might have been
sent as warning"
"What a mess of absurd stuff
exploded Edwin, nearly choking
himself with mouthful Of hot cof-
fee. "People must be pretty far
gone, to believe in ghosts at this
age of the world. Some of those
loafers round the store have started
his thing to raise a breeze among
the women. The railroad bridge is
a fearful place, nearly seventy feet
high, with rocks and the trunks of
trees all wedged in together in the
gully below. Then the whole struc-
ture is only temporary. Not grid
er or brace has been put yet where
it will stay. I doubt if the string
pieces would bear oven Child's
weight, and false step of an inch
would be sure DEATH"
~ don't say flesh and blood ever
went over there" remarked Mrs.
Camp, again sprinkling the air with
her peculiar odor.
"Well," said Edwin, dogmatically,
''if flesh and blood didn't 60 over,
nothing has ever gone."
"You needn't try to he wise above
what's written, Edwin" struck in
Mrs. Hunt!y, looking like an exag-
serated ana very amiable pouter
pigeon. ave have Scripture war
ant for believing in strange things.
Your father, the deacon, used to be
good deal staggered by the Witch
If Endor and the raising of Samuel,
Ind we read of familiar spirits. For
ny part, l don't want them to get
IN familiar terms with me. I'd rath-
,r they'd keep their distance..-Why,
where's Rachel ?" she added, sud
lenly looking round. The girl had
Tipped out of the room.
"What soft.steppiug thing she
$ |" remarked Sister Camp, helping
lerself to another installment of
orn cake. "She comes in like a
freak of moonshine. 1t gives me
ski,tish feeling to have folks move
hat way"
81 never had any stranger in my
louse that made so little trouble"
the deacon's widow.
She sits at her work all day just
ike bird on its nest, and it does
'eat all what knack she has at
oloring photographs. Janet, 60
,et that one she did of your sister
1uldy. 1t looks as if it was going
0 speak. There's no need of my