The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-08-10

diously presented to her. and it was not
! till years had passed that she knew what a
! fearful fate had been averted by her htis-
+ bands love. She had a recollection of the
measured pace of the bearers and the play
! fhg of the wind as it raised the linen cover
ings over her face, but beyond all that was
vague and confused. She never liked to
refer to the subject, and | have seen Der
turn pale when 1t was alluded to in her
hearing
"The mention of grave Clothes, said
the Russian reminds me of story de-
voutediy believed in village near Moscow
A rich Farmer took for his Second wife
woman who treated very badly the chill.
dren Of The FIRST marriage. They were
bruised and beaten, their clothes were i'm
rags aud they cfept at hight s;ipperless to
bed, glad TO escape from the tyranny of
The stepmother The mother was not so
dead that her children's tears could fail to
wake her ; they wepl her out of her grave
and every nigh when the stepmother had
gone 10 he'd the mother would rise To com
fort her little ones The Russian villages
are generally composed o. one long street,
with The cemetery at one end. The far
mers house was at the opposite end, and
every night, at the same hour, she was
seen passing in her grave clothes The
peasants knew when she coming by
;he bowling of their dogs, and closed their
| shutters to avoid seeing the shtouded
mother The children had no fear of her,
and she would caress them, tend them.
feed them, wash theu, and care for them
as III her life. During these ghostly visits
the step-mother Invariably remained
plunged In heavy sleep, from which
nothing could rouse her; the husband un
the Contrary, continued awake, watching
her maternal ministe erng with mingled
! ~ ,l l,x,n
and he never could summon the necessary
I courage to address ber, but he watched for
her nightly appearance with feeling half
dread, half sa' isfaction.
''And now, ladies' it is 10 o'cluck Just
the proper time to see spirits it is also
full time for us all to go to beo but before
we separate for the night, by way Of warn
ing against too credulous fancics, [ will
| tell you the story of the "Du ch Brothers,
as it was related to me 10y ii!end of the
! principal actor.
"TheSe Dutch brothers were two Young
officers of a very distinguished family il
! Friesland. passionately attached TO each
other, handsome, accomplished, aud high
principled, They were idolzed in their
regiment. perhaps particularly SO on account
of almost their only fault, a certain rash
valor, rather different from the quiet pru-
dence usually ascribed to their nation.
Like my friend Count Pahlen, these young
officers were exceedingly anxious to see 4
ghost, and took great deal of pains 70
plunge intp all sorts of pokey places i'm he
hopes of finding them tenauted by beings
from the other world. At last they seemed
to find the o!thodox old castle with its
haunted room everybody bore witness To
the horrible sights and sounds nightly to
| be seen and heard therein. and these young
gentlemen determined to pass the night
! there. They provided themselves with a
| good supper, a fire, lights and loaded pis-
! tolls. The hours were on no ghost was
! seen, no ghostly sounds were heard. The
| younger brother laid his head ON the table
| and deliberately resigned himself to com
! for:able sleep. The elder brother, though
! exceedingly weary, determir ed to remain
| awake and await the isstie of events. AT
, ter while a noise reused him from a re-
verie into which he had fallen. He raised
! his eyes aud beheid the wall opening in
/ front of his sea. Through the opening
! glided a tall figure III white, who sigued to
| him To follow. He rose and followed the
! figure through long, damp, dark passages
| till they reached a large, brilliantly lighted
! room, where a ball was going ON. Above
| the strains of music aud the din Of voices
| pierced a strange, sharp clicking sound,
| like the mise of castanets. Bewiier ed
| and daxzled 10y the sudden transition from
| darkness and silence to this gay festive
! could collect his senses but ne was shock
ed into sobriety by perceiving that these
gayly dressed ladies aud their richly uni
! formed cavaliers were skeletons, and the
| curious soun,l that had impressed him SO
strangely was the clicking of their flesh
! less Jaws The figure at his size ordered
! him to take a partner from this hdeous
! throng, which he refused 10 do. Irritated
at tins refusal, the figure raised his arm to
! strike, but the officer instantly leveled at
! him the pistol he had continued TO grasp,
! and discharged il full in his face.
| with the shock and report he started
! to his feet. The white EPure. the ball
room, the fearful, gias:ly dancers, all had
| vanished, and he ia the room where
! he had supped. but his brother lay dying
! at his side. Ec had shot him in his dream.
and awakened ouly to receive his last
/ breath. From that night he was an alter
| ed man all the gaycty bad gone out of
| his life. all the sunshine had faded from
| his days, and after few years of unavail-
! ing anguish of Iemorse he fonnd himself
/ unable to bear the burden of his regrets,
| and put end to his life.
sAnd now, good night ~