Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-11-18

neither in wraiths nor fairies, and he
swore to put Q bullet into the white
woman that would test her spiritual ma
ture il he came across her. They had
not proceeded far when tLey heard the
sound OF distant singing. Dismount-
ing, they crept through the copse TO the
stream, and then picked their way as
noiselessly as possible along its margin.
All at once ono Of the party uttered an
exclamation and pointed through the
trees:
"We are bewitched," he said; "look
you'll" Tbs moon poured its silvery
light through the vista. and they saw
or thought they saw, the figure Of q
woman intermingling with the light as
though it had been born of it. Old
Hsmpden was not the man to suffer this
coil-he lifted his gun and fred. The
apparition vanished, nor could they dis
cover any traces OF II. Satisfied that IL
| was in port HI niuainn, sney set o~t ~
return. They had not proceeded far,
before the figure reappeared. This
time it was at greater distance, and
was leaning apparently against q tree.
They stood moment dazed with its
lustrous beauty one only of the party
was unable to perceive anything, and
he boldly denied its existence, and when
the others described it's position and
whereabouts he suddenly and deaantly
discharged his heavy weapon at it. As
he did so the moon disappeared, and
they were in darkness. They were,
however, REINFORCED almost Immediate
ly by number OF the peasantry at
tracted by the noise OF their guns. All
the gentlemen we're now in favor of
abandoning what they believed wild
goose chase. Not so the Hampden he
alone insisted upon clearing up what he
declared had been too long mystery
and a nuisance to the county. Forming
tho men into two parties, which were to
converge from opposite sides Of the
stream half mile lower down,
they set out once more. Another Incl
dent, however, modified the leaders
plan and added to the lisinclination of
the men to 20 on. When they returned
to their horses it was found that the ami
NAL which had been ridden by tho elder
Hampden had broken loose and disap
peared, in consequence of which the
gentleman was forced to continue the
hurt on foot, which he did at the head
Of the villagers.
About half mile down the stream
was ford; tue place was known as
"St. Alban's Well" Young Hampden,
who had preceded his party some dis
tance, reached the well alone, just as the
kho ~ lso o,,I
up the scene brilliantly. No sooner had
his horse crossed the little river and ap.
preached the blasted oak that overhangs
the well than he was struck dumb with
amazement and horror, for lying there
as if dead, with the blood oozing from
her white breast and her long hair
wound about her as if to shield her,
was the daughter Of Sir William and
the woman he was to make his wife.
For moment he believed himself to be
the victim of some cruel jncantation,
but the voices OF the approaching vii
layers warned him. In q few moments
they would be upon Linn With the
alacrity and courage OF true gallant,
his instinct was at once to save her from
exposure and danger. He lifted her
upon his horse, stripped himself of what
clothing wonld answer the purpose, and
thus draped and guarded he led his
precious but unconscious burden noise
lessly away from the pursuers.
Twice. the pursuing party came SO
near them that it was only by the most
adroit maneuvering that he escaped.
He heard them shouting his name
through the woods, but he passed on
and succeeded in getting his charge
safely home and in preserving the secret
from the world.
Shortly afterward they were married
and the stories Of the "white lady"
grew, and spreading, attracted the at
tention of the chroniclers.
This in substance is Forse's nara
tive. And it has pleased the world to
accept it as pretty story of somnam-
bulism.
Petite adopted the current legend,
and reproduced from an old miniature
the portrait Of the Lady Hampden. For
the purposes OF art and poetry the story
might properly enough be left where
these workers have brought it. But
there is another and curious physio-
logical side to it.
Lady Hampden died in 1928, and it
appears that one of her daughters In
herited her peculiarities.
There is in the Warwick Register
Of succeeding year O cnrious account
OF an accident which befell n lady living
upon the borders Of Wnrwickshire. Her
nude body was found in a neighboring
grove one morning, aud the post naorten,
decided that she died OF
fright. This was the daughter Of Lady
Hampden. In preparing the papers
which we're subsequently published un-
der the title of "The Night Side of Ma
ture," Mrs. Grove, for some reason, re-
iected one which, in attempting to
throw a new light upon "The White
Lady Of Watiord." brought to the sur
face number of extraordinary facts.
This paper, prepared by physician
who hoo Sinoa hacnnna arnino,t in psyco-
logic science, was afterward read before
The British Pneumatological Society
md is at present part of their archives.
It purports to show that the origin of ,
The stories of the "White Lady of Wat :
lord" and the cause of tho death of
Lady Hampden's daughter are to be
Eound, not in an apparition, nor yet in {
but in what he calls
,utimania, and he proceeds to give q
number of cases similar to that already
in which an irresistible desire
amounting often to disease) to free the J
oody from its conventional covering, {
1as given rise to the most ridiculous
md unwarranted stories. '
He also declares that while this mania c
,as oftenest manifested itself in women, t
{ is not necessarily associated with i'm e
nodeety or indiscretion. It is an organic i
impulse which is in some way connected t
With the health of the individual, and c
nay be transmitted through q whole q
generation. He says that several mem !,
,ers of the Hampden family were we'll ]
ware of Lady Hampden's nocturnal 8
and that thew did not aftepopt