The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-04-30
WAS 1T 4 NIGHTMARES


"What l am going to relate" she says,
happened to myself while staying with
some North-country cousins, last July, at
their home in Yorkshire had spent a few
days there in the summer Of the previous
year, but without then hearing OF seeing
anything out Of the common. On my second
visit, arriving early in the afternoon, went
out boating with some of the family, spent
very jolly evening, and finally went to bed
a little tired with the days work, but not
the least nervous. l slept soundly until be
tween three and four, just when the day was
beginning to break. had been awake for
short time. when suddenly the door Of my
bedroom opened and shut again rather
quickly. 1 fancied it might be one Of the
servants, and called out, Come in After
short time the door opened again. but no
one ca me in-at least, no one that / could
see Almost at the same time tha. the door
opened for the second time, I was a little
startled by the Tustling of some curtains be
longing to a hanging wardrobe, which stood
by the side Of the bed; the rustling con-
tinued, and ] was seized with most uncom-
Portable feeling, not exactly of fright but a
strange, unearthly sensation that 1 was not
alone. had that feeling for some minutes.
when saw at the foot of the bed a child,
about seven OF nine years old. The child
seemed as if it were on the bed, and came
gliding toward me as I lay. 1t was the
figure Of a little girl in her night dress-a
. little girl with dark hair and a very white
face. tried to speak to her, but could not
She came slowly on up to the top Of the bed
and 1 then saw her face clearly. She seemed
in great trouble; her hands were clasped.
and her eyes were turned up with a look Of
J entreaty-an almost agonzed look Then
slowly unclasping her hands, she touched
me on the shoulder The hand felticy cold,
and while I strove to speak she was gone.
I felt more frightened after the child was
gone than before and began to be very
anxious for the time when the servant would
make her appearance. Whether | sIept
again or not I hardly know But by the
time the servant did come, I had almost
persuaded myself that the whole affair was
nothing but very vivid nightmare How
ever, when I came down to breakfast, there
were many remarks made ab0ut my not
looking well; it was observed that I was
pale. In answer I told my cousins that I
had most vivid nightmare, and remarked.
if was a believer in ghosts, should imagine
1 had seen one. Nothing more was said at
the time upon this subject. except that my
host, who was a doctor observed that had
better Eot sleep in the room again. at any
rate not alone.
80 the following night one OF my cousins
slept in the same room with me. Neither of
us saw or heard anything out Of the way
during that might or the early morning
That being the case, I persuaded myself
that what / had seen had been only fmarina-
tion, and, much against everybody's ex-
pressed wish, I insisted the next night on
sleeping in the room again, and alone. Ac-
cordinGly having retired again to the same
room l was kneeiing down at the bedside to
say my prayers, when exactly the same
dread as before came over me. The curtains
OF the wardrobe swayed about, and l had
+ the same sensation As previously that I was
not alone. lfelt too frightened TO stir. when.
luckily for me, one Of my cousins came in for
something which she had left On looking
. at me she exclaimed Have You seen any
thing I said NO but told her low
felt; and, without much persuasion being
. necessary, I Left the room with her. and
? never returned to it, When mv host learned
what had happened Gas she did immediately
she told me that 1 must not sleep i'm that
room again, aS the nightmare had made such
an impression on me ] should imagine. she
said, all sorts Of things, and make myself
quite III. I went to another room and dur
/ ing the rest of my vista week-I was not
troubled by any TeappeaTancc Of the little
girl.
''On leaving, my cousin. the oldest daugh-
ter Of the doctor, went on a visit with me to
. the house Of an uncle OF mine in the same
+ county. We staid there for about a fort
night, and during that time the little girr
was alluded to only as my nightmare
In this ] afterward found there was n
little reticence, for, just before leaving my
uncle's, my cousin said to me: / must tell
/ you something ] have been longing to tell
. you ever since / left home. But my father
desired me not to tell You, as, not being
very strohg, you might be too frightened
/ Your nightmare was not nightmare at all.
but the appaTiti0n Of little girl She then
went on to tell me that this little rirI had
( been seen three times before. by three diff
ferent members Of the family, but as this was
some nine or ten years since, they had al
most ceased to think anything about it until
related my experiences on the morning af-
Ltt t4iN iliSt ili-ht Gl my Sttoul NiSll
My cousin further went on to tell mt.
that her younger sister whilst i'm bed had
one morning, abont daybrcak. TO her great
surprise, seen a little girl with dark hair.
standing with her back to her, looking out
Of the window. She took this figure for her
little sister and spoke 20 it. The child not
replying or moving from her position. she
called out to It, its no use standing ike
that; I know you; you can't play tricks
with me- On looking round. however. she
saw her little sister, the one she thought she
was addressing, and VINO was sleeping with
her, had not moved from the bed. Almost
at the same time the child passed from the
window into the room OF her (my cousin -
sister A., and the latter, as she afterward
declared, distinctly saw the figure Of a child
with dark hair standing by the side of a
table in her room. She spoke to &C. and it
instantly disappeared. The little girl was
subsequently again seen, Tor the last time
before 1 saw it, by my cousins father DR..
Il. L was in the early daylight of q
summers morning, and he was going NJ
stairs to his room, having just returned from
q professional visit. On this occasion he
saw the same child Che noticed its dark
hair) running up the stairs Immediately be
fore him, until it reached his room and en-
tered it. When he got into the room it was
gone.
"Thus the apparition had been seen three
times By the family, and once by me. l an