Weekly Trinity journal., 1874-04-18
THE BARON'S STORY.

particular day, the spirits of the dead re-
visit the earth, and are sometimes seen
in the flesh, chiefly by those who have
been born on All-Hallow Fen. Perhaps
in this connection | may interest some of
your readers by telling them a story.
Some years ago was travelling in
Europe, and at Venice | fell in with an
English family, with somo ofwhoso Nom
bors | was intimately acquainted. In
their society met Hungarian gentle
man, who was at that time serving in an
Austrian cavalry regiment. 1t was be-
fore Venice was restored to Italy, but |
need scarcely say that the regiment was
not quartered there. Tho Hungarian
officer was travelling on leave, and | will
call him the Baron. Our common ac-
quaintances wero summoned back home
suddenly, and the Baron and myself,
having found that we had many notions
in common, fingered in tho City Of the
Sea, very much enjoying our existence.
He was an extremely pleasant and we'll
educated man, had seen good deal Of
the world was very fond of sport, and
having never been in Venice before we
did" everything together. lIo never
talked much about himself until the last
evening that we dinod together. ! was
going next day to Milan, and he was
summoned to Pesth | had been asking
him for information about the Austrian
army and Vienncsc society, and then
learned that in his youth he had to put up
with great deal Of tho harder side Of
life, and though a member of one of the
Oldest Hungarian families, he had been
Mt one time in state something very
like poverty. He had chosen the only
profession That ho thought, as n gem
tleman ho could take up, and that was
of course, the army. lie entered the
Austrian ranks as n common soldier, and
looked to nothing but his education and
courage to lead him to higher grades. In
tercst, he told me, he had positively none.
After having served for about three years
n iurlough of six weeks was granted to
him. His title he entirely droppt1., as he
saw no chance Of properly supporting the
rank which was his by right. How he
regoincd it had better bo told in his own
| words.
When my rurlough was granted to
me, hardly know how to employ it. All
my tastes and inclnotions bade me go to
Vienna, but my purse warned me that |
must restrain my wishes. Then | was
taken with strong desire to visit my
one remaining possession, an almost ru-
incd chateau in Hungary. All the broad
acres that had belonged in the family
had, acre by acre, been sold, and there
was nothing remaining but the chateau
and the small forest in the midst Of which
it stood. Tho still habitnblo rooms were
cared for by an ancient gardc de chdSSe
and his wife, and Mt intervals | had had
communications from them, and received
small sums for the timber which was oc-
casionally fellcd, and rent for the sport
ing rights which were occasic noly taken
by nomadic Englishmon. Homeward, +,
then, | wandered. 1t was winter, the
month Of February, and the snow was
lying thick upon the ground. | had sent
no message forward, and | arrived Mt the
inn Of the neighboring village unexpect-
ed, and, indeed, unknown. ! did not
care TO tell my host my real name, for il
seemed 50 humiliating ; three genera
tions ago. and the chiefs of our lamily
had been the fcudal lords OF all the ada
cent territory. The inn was about two
miles from the chateau.
1t was on the afternoon Of the 18th OF
February that | left the inn and plunged
through the snow towards my deserted
home. ] had told the innkeeper Of my
intention, and he onde0vored to dissuade
me from il. There was nothing to see,
he urged, and | might be lost in the
snow besides this was St. Valentines
Day, and the ghosts were abroad as soon
as the sun went down. Nothing daunt-
ed, started on my expedition.
Ten years had passed since | had trod
these paths, but | had confidence in my
memory, and as the afternoon was clear
and bright, had no difficulty in finding
my way at first along the great glade tho
the great glade seemed to have grown
narrower. Young trees and brushwood
had sprung up, and at last l was fairly
puzzled. | had counted on reaching the
chateau long before this, and the shade.
that were gathering around Inc warned
me that / must lose no time, or / might
have to spend the night in the sombre
woods and as the sun went down,
wind arose, and roared with hollow bel
lowing among the trees. The grade, as
have said, na,rowed, and two paths lay
omen to my choice. Unhestatingly
took that upon my right hand. Away
90 to the right had been my motto thro
life. | pressed on quickly as the nigh
came on. The sky was clear above me
and the white snow around me prevented
that darkness which would othcrwis
+ have been my despair. The wind thro
the trees made an almost deafening noise
and as | had been travelling nearly all th'
, previous night, / felt that my limbs wcr'
growing tired. Besides, those ghosts tha
; the innkoeper had spoken Of. We Hun
garians are somewhat superstitous, anc
fever there was n place likely to b'
r haunted, it was the forest. All the ghost
l " legends that | had ever heard rose, un
summoned, to my memory, and my i'm
agination grew preternaturally keen.-
: Imagine my delight at finding myself Il
D last at the edge of the wood, and at seeini
L. n.,i,,, lrrn,, tn,rn,.c Of Ihn al fnnn lnn1n