Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-02-26
GHOST STORIES.
THE HAUNTED ATTIC.
Atlantic Monthly.

as. Atlantic Monthly
More than thirty-hve years ago, when
nv husband left the army till again
summoned to military duty by the fa-
tai Crimean war, it was agreed that we
should live for at least a year with my
father and mother, as some compensa-
ton to us all for the enforced and pain
full separation, occasioned by our wan
dering army life. My father, Colonel
D., had just taken on lease an old
fashioned, picturesque-looking house
on the banks Of the Midway, close to
Maidstone. Before the dissolution Of
monasteries by Henry VIII, this build
ing had been branch establishment
of the great nunnery in Maidstone, and
was called the New Wark of Pestehelle,
now corrupted into the more modern
appellatlon of Newark House. The
mansion and the estate belonging to it
had been for more than 200 years IN
the possession of an old 'Kentish family
of the name Of Browne, whose por-
traits, collected from generation to gem
Grafton, were still in The mouse, but, to
clear the place for. the new tenant, had
been ANONYMOUSLY. consigned to one of
the large attics. Just before my father
took the place very beautiful chapel,
part of the old property, into which we
had private door from our grounds,
had been opened for divine service as a
chapel of ease. 1t had been for years
in the possession of farmer to whom
the lands of the estate were leased, and
who used it as barn, when the admi-
ration of q wandering tourist was at
tracted to its groined roof. and, the deli
cate tracery here and there perceptible
through Decorating piles Of hay and
straw. This tourist having drawn pub
lie attention to its beauty, a subscrip-
ton was opened, and very soon the an
Gent building was cleansed, restored
and rededicated to its original purpose.
Tradition averred that from our wine
cellar to the friary at Aylesford, a dis
lance Of eight miles, there was subter-
ranean passage which had served In the
olden time as means of cOmmunica-
ton between the monks and the nuns.
Be this as it may, there certainly was a
very large opening In the cellar which
the workmen employed. in repairs
seemed most reluctant to enter, and
which my dear father, very insensible
to romantic adventures, but tend erly
concerned for the safety of his val
liable Wines. had most securely
bricked up before any of his prop
erty was removed into the
house. When We did take possession,
it was found that, large as was the
house, there was barely sufficient sleep
ing-room, my nursery establishment
being added to the family staff Of SER
wants. Under these circumstances, my
mother was compelled to assign one of
the attics as a bedroom for her own
cook and housemaid, to- which they
made no objection, for the room was
large, and, though rather gloomy, from
the small, old-fashioned easement win
dows, it had a delightful view of the
river and the town beyond. believe
that the first night passed off quietly
enough, but in the morning when Mrs
Harris, the cook, went as usual to my
mothers dressing room. for orders, she
requested permission to, turn the old
portraits which had been ranged round
the room with their faces to the wall. it
being dreadful, as she phrased it, q for
them horrid Brownies to be a-watching
everything she did, and a-following her
with their eyes to every corner Of the
room Permission for this change
was easily granted, but it would appear
that the buried originals of the por-
traits, Indignant at being so uncere
moniously displaced, resolved to avenge
themselves, and very soon mysterious
whispers of what took place nightly in
the attic reached me through my nurse,
whose face looked as pale as if she had
shared In the terrors Of her fellow-ser-
wants. The cook and hOusemaid both
declared that as soon as they were in
bed and the light put out. q trampling
as OF many feet began all over the
room; IN the calmest night the old
easements ratified violently; an indis-
tinct murmur Of angry voices was
heard, apparently muttering threats;
however closely they drew the bed-cur-
tains, they were withdrawn by unseen
hands; angry faces looked in upon
them if they yentured their heads from
under the clothes; and the bedclothes
themselves were often forcibly pulled
away, in spite of their frantic efforts to
hold them fast And all this went on
during the whole night, only ceasing
with the dawn Of day, when they most
ly fell into a troubled, uneasy sleep
which was far from refreshing them.
Of course this state of affairs could not
60 on. The cook, a Manufactured,
strong-minded woman, determined to
give warning, and Lucy, the house
maid, a young woman of very delicate
health, became alarmingly i'll. 7 had
to represent to my dear mother the
absolute necessity of Welding to their
fears, and although at that time we
both utterly repudiated the possibility
of ghostly visitations, yet it was thought
better to give up to the terrified women a
spare bedroom, kept for visitors. on the
floor with ourselves. Peace and tran
guilty were again restored to the fami-
", and as far as [ know no member of
it ever went near the haunted attic. |
have often deeply regretted that did
not myself take some pains to investi-
gate these mysterious occurrences.
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