The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-08-10
,hmstanse had nearly faded frotn his mem

but no mclfent OF interest brought serious
thought III his mind. After some time of
active service he obtained a permission to
travel, which carried him after some wan
derings, TO Milan, where he stayed al a
friends chateau near the city. One morn
ing lie started AS usual to ride into town,
intending to pass the day there, dine, and
attend in the evening a Jewish wedding to
which he had been invited.
''The sound of a horses hoofs close to
his side made him turn his head to see who
was the rider hut he found himself en-
tirely alone in lie centre of broad road,
with nobody within sight. He went ON,
but still the tramp continued, and i'm some
mysterious way his mind WAS impressed
with the conviction that this invisible com
panion was his friend k who rode by
his side, but always opposite to that on
which he turned
This persuasion, by a very natural ste
cessiOn of ideas, induced him to feel for his
watch. To his dismav, it was gone He
instantly rode back TO the chateau, aud in
stituted a most thorough search for it, but
it could be found nowhere. During the
excitement and confusion incident to the
search for the missing watch, Captain
R--off was led To speak of the curious and
painful circumstances under which it came
into his possession, and the earnest injunc-
ton to abstain from sin for twenty-ioUr
hours af er discovering its loss. The mis-
tress of the chateau, To whom he related
this strange stoy, exclaimed at tins point,
Then yor must not go To the Jewish we'd
ding this evening" y Absurd y IejoIned The
Captain; Il shall most assuredly GO The
lady, however, WAS very earnest III plead
ing that as, ccolding to Ihe rules of his
Church, it was not lawful for him to at
tend the religious ceremonies of any other
faith, he was committing sin III going to
this wedding-that it was slight sacrifice
to make-and, great or small she, AS his
hostess, begged him to give up his inten-
ton. Overpowered, though scarcely con-
vinced, he ceded tile point and refrained
from going. You may imagine his feelings
when he heard the next morning that the
floor had given away the marriage was
celebrated on the thlrd story of a large
house,, the guests had been Violently pre-
cipItated one upon the other. and out of 120
people present eighty were killed outright,
and al, she others were seriuusly injured
not single one escaped unhurt This is
an historical iacr, AND, as such, easily veri
fed. The adventure of the watch IN con-
nection with It was also generally known
in Mllau.'
"You believe it, then 2" said the Ameri-
can lady who had spoken before.
II ce, taiuly cannot disbe.ieve it, replied
the Russian. 'The story was told me by
Captain R--off himself, who was entirely
persuaded of its truth, and who was great
ly changed after his remarkable preserva-
ton, for it is natural to conclude That, had
he been present at the wedding, he would
at least have been seriously injured >if he
had not been killed outright"
elf you care 40 hear another story of
ghosts said the English lady, Il viii tell
You something that really took place in my
husbands family, and was related to me by
my mother-in-law. herself the heroine of
the tale. AS il occurred IN America, it
may be rather interesting /" you"
Like Oliver Twist, we weie anxious for
more, and the lady WAS begged to make no
delay in giving us her story. which was as
follows:
My husbands father was a British of
ficer aud took part against America in your
war of Independence. When the Eng lish
Army evacuated New 1oIk lie was among
the officers Withdrawn. Duiing his stay i'll
New York, however lie had fallen in love
with pretty American girl, married her
aud had two children. Family cicum~
stances, not bearing on this story, made
hun leave her behind while lie returned
alone to England, keeping his marriage
secret from his relations, Who would have
bitterly opposed such a connection. He
was of strict Catholic family, and while
the children were still very young, almost
babies, he wrote her "A command that she
was to take them To Mputreal, where the
boy was to be placed with some priests anC
the girl IN the CIsuline Convent, where the
Lady Superior who was his relation. would
train her according so her fathers belief.
This was very hard for the forsaken Pro
tes ant wife but in those days husbands
held to the stric, letter of the law, which
enab bled them to claim obedience their
due, aud she did not dare to withhold com
pliance. And If there were moral impedi-
ments to- her Journey, the physical ones
were just as great. There we're no rail
ways then, and even very few beaten roads
through the State of New York. Passen-
gers WHO went from New \ ork to Montreal
could not start at their own pleasure, but
were forced to wait till a certain number
should be made up, when they hired a
conveyance and engaged an Indian 20 guide
them through .he great forests that lay be
tween them and their destination. lu this
way my mouher-in-law started. very
severe winter had set in, and after some
days travel binding snow-storm came
on, thai, after few hours, the Indian
was forced to confess that he could no
longer distinguish the track or the marks
on the trees, and they must wait till the
morning to continue their route, The
thought Of passing the night exposed t9
this wild storm in a strange place was, nat
urally, terrible 10 this young mo- her, who
feared that her little children might perish
with cold. AIT sr some a. o n1i & uncertain
ty the hearts of the travellers were rejoiced
by hearing the bark of a dog they eagerly
bent .heir steps toward the sound and
found themselves at a comfortable farm
house belonging to substantial farmers, who
readily acceded to their request for food
and shelter. The farmers wife was much
taken with tue children and their sweet
young mother, Ia whom she said we do
not keep an inn but often ale called
upon to accommodate stray travellers III
this way, So ! have always some plain
empty rooms to give but you shall not
fare like the rest, | will put you in large
spare chamber that we keep for our own
relations when they visit u.s.
''rhe room was. indeed. as comfortable
as possible, and justified The housewives S
praises. She put her children to bed. and,
weary and thankful, lay down herself for
the rep"se she SO much needed. Her bed
lar ri tx-