Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-03-26
Chr famlly Circle.


cred around Amt De FOreSt. Que l;ul
been everywhere and knew everything, to
our child-mind and the pleasant part of
all was her readiness to talk to us.
One night the wind howled about us.
the air was filled with large flakes Of
falling snow, which gathered on the roof
every now and then slid in solemn thndS
to the ground like the feet of an invisible
presence, whose fingers tugged ut the |
window shutters. or tCyed with some stray |
branch of the old elm that in quiet times
never thought of striking the house. We
didn't care much in our warm. bright
sitting-room, made cheerful by the freight |
upon the broad hearth. There were queer
noises going on in the old chimney, but
we had been brought up with them and
only laughed at the frantic notes the wind
made in its great throat.
"What shall we talk about to-nighl?'
inquired Aunt De Forest in her usual
pleasant manner.
Give US d ghost story" said one.
"Oh! ghost story, it's just the night,
said another,
well, then u ghost story it shall be, "
replied auntie.
II suppose you saw one when you We're
abroad. didn't you" asked.
Yes, did, boo-oo-ooh, said aunt,
shivering 1t made us all get y little
closer together,
well" began auntie, "when | was in
Rome we went early one morning to those
grand old ruins of the Coliseum; there We
wandered and wondered nearly all day
The building was oval in shape and so
immensely large that it was no wonder it
never had roof; it would have been
impossible to cover it. Standing in the
great arena everything was SO vast that
thousands used to gather there to watch
the conflicts of men or beasts and hear
the laundering shouts that went up for the
victors. What reign Of ruin it was tall
columns broken and decayed. with masses
of clinging vines swaying from the tops /;
arch upon arch of massive musonry with
patches of grass here and there underneath
All the inside finish Of finest marble has
been carried away; the thousands of seats
that rose tier upon tier have disappeared
rs well as the multitude that occupied
them. Many of the modern palaces OF
Rome are built of material stolen from
those old ruins. There were partial
remains of galleries chapels, corridors
and vaulted passage ways all more or less
covered with vigorous vegetation. y
botanist once made IL collection of fOui
hundred and twenty different plants grow
ng in these ruins; some of the MOSES and
lichens are very beautiful. y weird sort
feeling took possession OF me, as | walked
now along the margin of the arena, ther
stumbling up some rough stairway OF
clambering down into dark, damp vault
until | felt | was creature of the pas
and my identity was SO mingled with thu
: strange surroundings that it seemed hat
! once lived here that | was visiting oil,
: scenes. We passed from here into
church, not the great st. Peters or TIN
Pantheon-they We're in store for anothe
- lime- but comparatively small one
named for one of the saints I've forgotten
- now. Although smaller than St. Peter :
y it seemed immense, and was very old
There were dreary tombs, underneath
, where the bones of the dead had bee
~ moldering for ages, and in my state O
i mind and seen by the light of the flickerln!
:, torches, they seemed gaping to swallo1
=, us, We were glad to ascend the stairs t
!, one OF the beautiful chapels, whose fin
= pictures in exquisite mosaic had attracte
us to the place. They were copies of som
of the most celebrated paintings in tn
~ world. One has to examine them YER
= closely 10 detect the demarkalions betwee
:. the little stones. We assembled to tn
" galleries-linpd with statues and painting!
u / have II mania for sketching, us 70
" know. | become facinated with pictul
- of Jephthah's daughter. | took out m
: sketch book and was absorbed ut once
In vain did my friends warn me of tt
laleness of the hour. | would not hee
= a them, so the burly ianitor tossed n key
- my lap and babe me go out ut the troi
- door and leave the key at bis house.
~ exulted in being alone. | drew the swc
:. face and carefully shaded to catch ii
!. expression. She seemed TO smile upC
3D." me until felt was the successful Jep
! thah and she was leaving the canvass
!, meet me. could hear the welcome fro
- her lips and the song OF joy. My penc
10 moved rapidly, and the lovely form W.
= fast dawning on my paper. when IL do
"a opened near me-a door | knew il
y. directly to those dismal vaults-a fa
- peered out, then another, and then such
~. 10 laugh, long and loud; would it new
% cease echoing? When it had almost sto
I :, ped, some other corner seemed to catch
" and whirl it back to me. The door clos,
t. with II bang, and distinctly heard fyir
~, ~ footsteps ! sat paralyzed. My book NJ
~ pencil fell to my feet. realized for Il
- first time that was alone. The Gileadli,
- maiden had retreated and seemed mockir
me now, the timbrel in her hand rang
NV ears. Before the first shock had pa
heard low thud. thud upon the stail
TO | knew it WAS approaching feet. My blot
10 chilled, my teeth chartered. The do
to opened and again that awful laugh.
I'd seemed to me there were faces staring
It's me from every foot of that old church, al
ld they caught the horrid echo, adding TO
d, volume AS it leaped from one to anotht
nj | summoned all my strength and sprai
he to the door There was no mistaki
to what saw: two flying spectres, their lo
~ white grave clothes trailing behind thel
to their arms spread like wings and th,
ny hair streaming in the chill air.
III longer believed in ghosts. 1t was too re-
IT. | caught my shawl, which was white, a
10y fled down the opposite stairs to the ma
IA chapel. My comb fell out and my la
to which YOU know is very long. fell abe
mt my shoulders, | nervously applied t
re key 10 what thought was the front doc
'rt it would not 90 into the lock- In I
ny terror | dashed to the nearest window a
Id' tapped loudly, hoping TO attract Sol
~ passer-by. Two men approached q
pccrcd cautiously'in. The Inst rays of