The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-02-28

and destined successor, who was uIm sVried,
and very little younger than himself. The
hall, which had once been so full Of life and
payety, had become the abode OF sorrow
and gloom, in consequence of the early
death of the squire's young daughter, his
only child, and the heiress Of all his pos
sessions. This death followed, IN less than
q year by that OF his wife, to whom he was
deeply attached, had quite bzoken down
the old squire's health and happiness
The lady and her daughter were deposited
in the family vault amid the tears and re-
grets OF the villagers, by whom they were
much and deservedly beloved. For years
the squire had no intercourse whatever
with his brother, between whom and the
lady of the hall there had been lifelong
feud the hatred on her part having been
quite Of passive nature, as she was never
heard to mention his name but on his, of
the most abusive and Virulent kind, which
made bis exclusion from the hall an abso
/ Lutte necessity. The cause Of this hatred
could only be guessed at even by the most
I curious, as none was ever assigned by eth
/ er party. When tho old squire, after his
I double bereavement became almost heart
broken, the good pastor OF the village,
whose friendship with the family bad eI-
/ listed for fifty years, effected meeting and
/ a thorough reconciliation between the long
/ estranged brothers, and the younger one
/ took up his abode once more in the home
of his ancestors. One only condition was
! made-that the name Of his deceased sis
! ter-in-law should never pass his lips. A
! year passed away. The old squire, soothed
and comforted by the companionship OF his
early playfellow, begin to recover both his
/ health and spirits but at this time ma
| ligDant fever broke ont in the village
/ Among it's victims was the squire's broth.
/ er, who during his whole life had known
neither sickness nor disease. He vas pros
trated at once and never rallied. The
good minister before mentioned, who well
knew the family history, unmoved by that
/ fear OF infection which made him a soIita-
ry watcher took his stand by the bed of
/ the dying man and vainly endeavored to
draw his thoughts to the eternity which
| was fast opening before him. His pious
words fell upon dull, unlistening ear, but
as he touched upon the duty of forgive
ness, and cautiously alluded to his we'll
known hatred Of :he deceased Mrs. H,
the effect was appalling all apathy van
/ ished, and though few minutes before ap-
parently past the power of speech, yet now
! the sick man broke out into fierce impre-
cations, and by last supreme effort rails
! ing himself upright in the beds exclaimed,
! 81 know that l am dying; but mark my
/ last words; if when l am dead, you dare
| TO bury me in the same vault with that ac-
cursed woman, the living as well as the
dead shall hear Of me ~ He fell back with
frightful oath on his lips, and expired
/ The horror struck minister kept close in
his own breast this dreadful death of one
( he had known so long, and thought it more
kind, as we'll as moro prudent, to keep the
poor squire in ignorance OF his brothers
last hours. As was the invariable custom
in the H family. the body, after lying
in state for time, was consigned with
much poinp and ceremony to the family
vault, and was placed next to the coffiDs of
the squire's wife and daughter. That very
night the villagers living near the church
yard were disturbed by doleful shrieks and
cries proceeding from the vaults noise of
strife and struggling and blows, as if of
enemies engaged in a close fight. The
next morning at daylight the strange tale
was carried to the rectory, and the good
clergyman thought it best, under the cir
cumstances, to disclose TO the squire his
brothers. last fearful words and threats,
and to suggest The opening Of the vault
To this the squire, greatly shocked, con-
sented, and the vault was unlocked and
entered by party sent to examine into The
cause OF the strange noises heard the night
before. A scene perfectly unexplicaDle
met their eyes. The cofins of the squire's
lady and daughter were lying in far cor
! ner OF the vault, the young girls coffiE
across her mothers, as If to protect it
Close to them, standing erect and menac-
ing, was the coffin Of the squire's brother.
so recently and decorousy placed upon
black trestles. Amusement seized the by
ISLANDERS, but under the superintendent
of proper people the coffins were restored
I to their original places, and the vault was
again closed up. At night the noises be-
gan again the sound of blows, shrieks of
pain, and frightful contention of strug-
Cling enemies appalled, the party of villa
gers set to watch the place. in order TO pre-
vent the possibility of deception. The tale
was whispered far beyond the precincts of
the village, and saUdns from the neighbor-
ing city, who laughed at the idea of any
thing supernatural, suggested that an ex-
plosion of gas from the foul air of the vault
might have occasioned the displacement of
the cofins. The squire was induced to
have large vensilators placed in the vault,
but this did not in the least abate the nui-
sance, which to the terror of the village
rather increased than diminished. At
length the squire himself resolved that a
strong brick wall shoulG be built up in the
vault, so as TO separate effectually the cof-
fins OF those who even in the solitude of the
tomb seemed to keep up their sntagonism.
This bad the desired effect from that mo
ment all was quiet N the vault, and the
noises were never heard again, but for long
aftorward the strange story was current in
Lincolnshire.
AMoB OF GHOSTS.
More than forty years ago some circum-
stances occurred in Port Royal, Jamaica,
which az the time made great noise in
the civil as we'll as the military circles of
that oIace and ubicb spded trso;caIIv for