The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-02-27


that had harmonized with my misery
a sort of bass accompaniment to the
treble of my own imagings; F.; and L
was conscious that, although their dis
NAL chords were now ceasing to vibrate
within me, yet that the accompaniment
still continued. When I came to my
self more completely, found that such
manned and mournful performance
really was going on, for I distinctly
heard a chorus of deep rapid grOans.
They seemed to come from all around,
and I sprang from my chair, trying to
fight them away with my hands; l only
beat the air. Ny matchbox was empty;
Ill ndly made my way to the door II
I couldn't reach the open air, I felt
should go mad.
When I opened the door heard the
groans till more distinctly. They came
from above ; the stairs seemed alive with
them. I was unnerved by my uneasy
slumbers and completely carried away
bv a superstitious panic terror. The
door of INV room was slammed to be-
hind me. and / had left the latch-key
inside. also the key of the outer door.
T couldn't regain my own room !; and II
T went down stairs [ should only find
myself in dark, narrow lobby, out OF
which there was no egress, for L had
locked the front door when l came IN.
All of sudden the groans ceased,
and everything became deadly st1ll;
Then the clocks of the churches round
chimed out the hoUr-One. 1t was the
deadliest, loneliest time of night, and
[ was locked up in this dismal haunted
house.
From earliest childhood have had at
times frightful vision. 1 am shut up
in lonely house; 1 hear the tramp OF
footsteps outside, the noise OF the street.
All gradually becomes silent ; all signs
die awey; dim gray twilight encom-
passes me. And then, rooted to one
spot. unable to move or cry, am sur.
rounded by the crepitation and whrr OF
some vast futtering as of myriad wings
| in the midst of which appears, know
| not what; used to think the Evil One,
| but never him; I always awoke with
the vehemence and strength of my ter
ror. Just such nightmare had upon
me now, but couldn't wake from 1t.
T SUPPOSE at last that the shame L IN
yardly felt at letting my nerves get the
! better of my reason drove me forward.
know that eventually l faced the stairs:
carried them with a rush, scrambled
over or under-I don't know which
the bnlks of timber, and found myself
on a narrow landing, from which opened
half a dozen doors. 1t wasn't very
! dark here. as there was skylight IN the
roof though it was nearly choked with
dust and cobwebs. The groans still
continued, and seemed to surround me.
7 tried the doors one by one. They were
locked, all but the last one, and that l
The room l entered was not quite
dark. for there was a dormer window II
| Il which threw a CLEAN of light across
the room, and in this CLEAN could
distinguish tho figure of woman IL
white.
She was wringing her hands anC
groaning, but as I entered she SAM
back on what appeared to be couch
and I lost sight of her face in the shad
ow. The groans ceased, and there wa
n dead silence for while. Now, al
this time, [ had been turning over IN my
mind the most approved way OF exorcls
ing demons. g =,
known how, but in those days W
hadn't learnt such ways. I'd have re
neated the Lords prayer, or the collec
for the day, but couldn't remembe
either. Ali the demon-destroyinI
methods I'd ever heard of presented
themselves to my mind, and then eludeC
it's grasps. The only thing it occurre'
to me to say was" Hullo !"
"Oah, oah! 1 be very bad-ver
bad" whispered feeble voice; and
that moment all nv visions of witche
: and warlocks, of ghosts and hobgoblin'
vanished, and I woke to the fact tbs
= there really was a human being there
7 i'll and suffering.
) ssWhat's the matter? How do 20
, come here ?" cried.
Y There was no answer but groal
, Nv eyes were now used to the sem
[ darkness. and saw small deal tabl,
8 and matches upon it. I struck llgt
!, and looked about me. The room bol
0 traces of occupation-a rush-bottome
4 chair. a broken looking glass, a truckl
t he'd. and on the truckle-bed was lylr
g an old woman in night-cap.
e "Re YOU the doctor ?" she said feebl.
g "No; but I'll go and fetch one,
K "Don't go away just this minut
e Oh. 7 be lust bad I've been here, OF
r I don't know how long-days, weeks,
It should think-and nobody come to m
It I've hollered a good bit, too.
d Hallooed [ should think you ha
n You pretty near hallooed me out OF n
e wits. .,
- the old lady with a feeble chuck
e making a faint attempt to adjust Il
J. friII of her night-cap. "Lor', my dea
do get me some drink my throat
# bnrnt up, and all the waters gone"
a went down stairs, broke open
d door, got some water and spirits, an
\. having given the old lady dose, L RI
IS out to bring some assistance;
N First. I went to he charwomar
le house, and after some delay succeeo'
7 "What p she cried, when I told h
" there was someb 1dy Ill IN the r0oI
q above the offices. "It is old Mrs. Pes
d son, drat her Why don't she wait t
Ip morning?"
q Then I went for doctor, secured
if and returned to the house.
Ia Mrs. Winton soon explained the mi
. d. ter to me, It was she who had 6lV
rv permission to a poor old woman TO sic
j in old empty room up stairs, under &C
i, dition that she should not let hers
no be seen in the daytime, or to any OF
ce tenants f the building. This und
n taking Mrs. Pearson-for that was |
k name2had faithfully executed. :
,e. had been creeping down stairs on 5
aW2 W urdav night to try and get some asst
al ance. when she heard me coming to
lit Office. and had retreated at once a
ct crawled into bed, and after that she
ny no strength to move
ID She was a woman who had seen b
he ter days, aud her great terror was
lat workhouse. If she could only mans
ch to find a shelter for her head, SO as
a die respectfully, she didn't care W
tie martyrdom she underwent. Poor N
nv Winton was in a great way; she did
.og know what to do with the old la
ent she feared her employer would disn
a her from the care of his houses if
Q 1 found out that she had let 'anyb'
ner sIeep on the PREMISES. Altogethe
my felt as if 1 had got my hands full of
Of women. who all of them seemed
sy, throw themselves upon me for adj
,m- and conduct.
felt Presently the doctor came and