The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-07-27

nocent set Of people, Il was impossible to
imagine Il was situated In Q wooded
Hvine, through which trout-stresm
An down 70 the -; and .npon the hill.
TOD, between Il and the ocean, were the
most picturesque church and churchyard
!, or anybody's eye, ever .beheld. From
the house We could only hear the distant
whisper of the waves, like the murmur-
Ing hum OF bees, but they were giant
waves, and the rocks were torn and split
with their fury into weird and horrid
had yet visited, and all day long sat be-
side lit with my sketch.book, or merely
watching the white wrath of the break
ers, and listening to the thunder in the
caverns at my feet. Twas not at all afraid
OF the sea--when l was upon the land
Indeed, | am not alarmed at anything
Notwithstanding what some people say
to the contrary unless there is q reason
able cause for fear. For instance, am
not afraid-at least, / scds not, until the
terrible catastrophe occurred which am
about to relate--of supernatural appari-
tons. When l announced my intention,
one evening, of going up the hill TO
sketch the churcbyard by moonlight,
there arose quite a rude litter in the
drawing-room. "Surely not alone, Mary
Anne Let one of the girls go with you,"
said my hostess. l11ll7
"What is there to be afraid of in a
churchyard No, l thank you" replied
/, proudly. "Thc miserable superstitions
OF the country do not Affect NE, l do as,
sure you"
But 1t is so lonely up there, my dear y
What of that Solitude and stiffness
are the accompaniment of such a so.
Tenn scene. had much rather go there
by myself"
L was resolved to exhibit my indepen-
dence, as well as to do away with any
false impressions my excellent hostess
might have received from Charlotte or
others with respect to my courage; but
at the same time she need not have re-
minded me that it was $50 lonely up
there" l did not expect to find Dis
ney churchyard the centre of fashion, or
the scene of an excursion picnic ut ten
o'clock at night, of course: her remark
was officious and unnecessary, and at the
same time it made my blood run cold.
However, when the moon rose, so did l.
and, sketch-book in hand, toiled up TO
the old church, which was also, from its
prominent position, landmark used by
sailors, which taught them to avoid the
rocks at Disney Point. Whatever might
be the matter, there was always wind
up there, and even in that still summer
night it was wandering about the grasses
ears of the stone gorgoyles of the church,
which seemed to grin in malice at its
news of storm and wreck to come.
Iseated myself on my camp-stool, just
in front Of the porch, and began what
intended TO be n hasty sketch, just few
strokes, to be filled in at my leisure, for
felt the situation to be ''uncanny," and
already wished myself at home. My
fingers shook little, certainly not with
cold, and, though the architecture was
said TO be a fine specimen of the per-
pendicular, it did not appear so in my
sketch-book
Suddenly l heard subdued sob; the
utterance, as it seemed TO me, of some
poor creature of my own sex in distress.
1t came from an obscure corner of the
churchyard, where the graves were not
so well cared for and tended as the 9th
ers were-a spot, | had been told, where
those were laid whom the pitiless sea had
drowned When ship was cast upon
the rocks yonder, it was rare even for
one of its crew to reach that rock-bound
shore alive; and after great storm,
whole ships companies were sometimes
buried at once in the churchyard of Dis.
ney Head.
l listened with beating heart, and the
sound was repeated; and this time l felt
sure it was as l had supposed. Doubt.
less, some woman had come TO weep in
secret over the grave Of her sailor son or
husband. There was no need to be fright
ened in such q case. 1t might be that |
al m OH n NV har frr L
ana moving towards the wreck-corner,
woman's figure kneeling at the head
OF grave. In the presence of so great
sorrow, / seemed to lose all selfish fear,
and ventured softly to address her. She
did not reply, not even so much as turn
her head, though felt certain she must
have heard me; and since she was wo-
man, and did not speak, felt there must
be something very wrong with her. As
drew nearer, beheld spectacle that
overwhelmed me with pity. The unhappy
creature before me was naked to the
waist and with her arms straight down
by her side, was gazing on the grave be-
meath her with "a look of indescribable
despair. She shed no tear, but her eyes
wore a look of hopeless woe and yearn-
ing beyond all ordinary sorrow.
"You are killing yourself, my poor
woman" reasoned /, Ito kneel there in
such plight. The dead you mourn can
ask no such sacrifice as this, that you
should join them"
But again she answered nothing; and
then, to my horror, / observed that she
had dug another grave, at the head of
that she was watching, and was already
buried in it up to her waist Was she
then bent upon committing suicide, or
was she herself an inhabitant of the tomb,
like those around her, and were the
graves indeed giving up their dead at
that witching hour OF night, as / had
read of, but had not believed
In an agony of terror, such as even
had never before experienced, / flung
down my sketch-book, and rushed from
the churchyard and down the hill.
"What as the matter, Mary Anne 2"
cried my amazed hostess, who was sit.
ting up for me with her husband in the
parlor, as l tore into the room shrieking
for help.
matter y cried /. "There is poor
young woman, with nothing upon her
half buried in the wreck Of the
churchyard. She has already lost her
sight and hearing, Tor she took no notice
of me at all.
/ tUr,noecihla u, crind NV hostess