St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-12-31
ST. JOI1NSBURY VT, FRIDAY, DEC 1875.

seem to indicate, or whether it was Il
little child whose feet were patting on
me naked floor. They were almost
afraid to go past the 'haunted house,
IN the night, and no one even in the
daytIm dared to enter it.
As bad occupied the house last, and
as had lost my little infant boy there,
1t was natural that | should hear of it ;
ana, though | believe no one actually
accused me of murder, vet they shook
their heads and arched their brows, and
thought the whole thing wonderfully
strange ! At first paid no attention
- 1t but as the hints became louder
and the whispers deeper, and the muir
lurs clearer. | saw it would injure the
naracter of the house aud prevent the
"wner from renting it, even if it did
OF injure me. l must confess, however,
that though | could never hear ANY
discs as passed by in the evening,
yet the testimony of so many staggered
ie. | determined, therefore, to inves-
t'gate it myself, and that very quietly
30 procured the keys, and, strange to
~, went towards the house, and was
! : ell to have the hardihOOd to enter it
! + ne. The ueighbors gathered round
! the ilUnu uOof III tne sIicrt 70 Ma,Ch
the result. | said nothing, but went in.
A lew moments satisfied me about the
little feet that battered on the floor !,
There had been many such, for the rats
had made the house their headquarters,
gnawIng the floors, tearing of the pa
per from the walls, scattering the plaS-
ter, and leaving their little foot prints
very abundantly. But those groans
| could find nothing that east any light
on them. The house was silent us Il
tomb. The sunlight streamed in the
windows, and | had only to think over
the hours of JOY and SORROW | had
passed there. There had had "a hap
py home. had rejoiced over my first
born child. and had there seen him
breathe out his Young spirit to God
who gave it. From room to room
wandered, and all was silence. till |
opened the door of the chamber in
which my child died. Then instantly
there was sharp deep grnan. What
could it mean ? The people about the
dOoI heard il. and what an awful feel
ing of terror went through them.
was not frightened, hut | was AT Il loss
To account for it. 1t evidently had
been called out 10y my opening the
door. But the room Was perfectly bare.
not Il thing III it. soon the yroan was
repeated. ! hoW went to the chimney
and tore away the tirch"ard, and looked
up. And there. just in the throat of
the fireplace was not Il ghost. but Il
shin9lc that had bloNu into the chin
ncl and fallen down and lodged in the
throat 81 that ii could swing back ard
and forward. and. when the wind blew.
il would grnan sharp. or >hrill. or deep.
according To the strength of the wind.
Thus ii WAS that. ON my opening the
door. and letting tn" wind into the roem
the shingl" SWING and nearly filled the
throat. and the air rushed aud uIoancd
past 1t. | took pains To call up the pco-
pie. and | verify hclirNc they wished
rather to 90 home than to 90 in. pat
back the tirrbnaId and opened the door.
made them hear the groanS. took away
the tirchoard again. showed the shiuglc
and how it ratified aud groaned. then
took it away, and put things back. and
,i,rmed the door. and there were no
more gTOanS. little ratSbauc scat
tered on the floor stopped ''the patter-
img of little feet" and the house ceased
t" hc haunted and Vet it was haunted
as really ~ amy one ever WIS. as |
verify believe.