River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-05-26
FATAL OMEyS.

Does Misfortune Give Notice NJ it, Coming
Not a few old families pride them
selves upon inheriting certain omens
whereby they are warned of deaths an.
proach. Some are VARIED ~ q meteor
light, some by melancholy strains OF
mdsic 0oating from the mansion to die
away IN the woods A mysterious
knocking, never heard at any other time.
tells the lords of hampton that one of
their race is bound for the silent land.
A stamping by unseen feet on the pal
nee floor predicts death in the family
of the ducal house of Mudena. A stur-
geon forcing its way tip the Trent
toward Clifton Hall, is a sign that one
of the Cliftons of Nottinghamshire will
heye to Put on mourning. Some days
before tile aesth Of the heir of the
Breretons, the trunk Of tree is TO be
seen floating ON the lake near the fam
lily mansion. Two giant owls perch
upon the battlements of Wardour Castle
when al Arupdeis last hour has come.
If q Devon lire Oxenham is about to
dte. white roasted bird hutters over
the doomed ones head
A LOCAL BALLAD
relates how on the burial eve of Marga-
ret, heiress of the brave and generous
Sir James oXenham, n silver-breasted
bird flew owes the wedding guests just
as Sir Jaiiles tuse 10 acknowledge their
congratulations. The hest day the
bride fell dead at the altar, stabbed
by . Discarded hover. Howell saw a
tombstone III stone cutters shop in
Fleet Street, il 1862, inscribed with the
names of sundry persons, who thereby
attested the fact that John Oxenham,
Mary, his sister, James, his son, and
his mother, had each and all
died with white breasted bird futter-
ing over their beds. A family of Loeb
Ranza, bftah. knows when one of their
kin is about to die, BY I'm invisible pip
er playing n lament on the hillside.
WliAn death purposes visiting a Mclean,
Of Tochbury, th5 ttHwelcome caller is
heralded by the spirit of a slait ancAs-
tor ringing the bell on his fairy bride,
rs he gallops twice round the old home
stead. 40 rule, death-announcing
phmtoms are of The femenine gender
No Lady Holland expects 60 shuttle off |
Ibis mortal coil until she sees shadowy
counterfeit presentment of herself. |
The Middletons, of Yorkshire, as be- |
zones an ancient Catholic house, have |
l Benedictitie nun to apprise them of
reduction in the number of the Middle
-ons. A weeping, moaning, earthly
,prite warns the Stanleys of the
Heath of distinguished member of the
family.
A HAIRy-ARNED GIRL
called May Moul1ach, brings alike the
same sad news to the Grants, of Grant,
the Dodach-am-dnn, otherwise the
ghost of the hill, performs the office for
the Grants Rothiemurcus, and most old
highland families boast their own ia
mily banshee, whose wailing, screaming
and weeping, tells them the head of
The house must make room for his heir.
Lady, Fanshaw visiting the head of an
Irish sept in his moated baronial
grange. was made aware that banshees
are not peculiar in Scotland. Awakened
at midnight By an awful unearthly
she beheld by the light of the
moon, female form at the window Of
her rodth; which was too far from the
ground for any womsu of mortal
mould to reach. The creature owned
a pretty pale face and red dishevelled
hair, and was clad in the garment of
old-very old-Ireland. After exhibit
ing herself for some time, the interest
ing creature shrieked twice and van
ished. When Lady Fanshaw told her
host what she had seen he was not at
all surprised. "a near relation" said
he, "died last night in this castle. We
kept our expectation of the event from
you, lest it should throw cloud over
the cheerful reception due you. Now,
before such an event hapTens in the
family and castle, the female spectre
you saw
ALWAYS BECOMES VISIBLE.
She is believed to be the spirit of a wom-
an of inferior rank, whom one of my
ancestors married, and whom he after
ward caused to be drowned in the moat,
to expiate the dishonor done TO our
race" If all banshees originated i'll the
same way, the less the proprietors Of
such things brag of the matter, the bet
ter.-AU the Year Round.