Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-07-08

doooo1oA VO-IAo4AOW NY u1tyASAV. t1li
? going past the chapel, and you must
4 come with me. Not another word.
. know what you are about to say is right;
Q but I have an hours work to do, and
, should like to see you in bed first"
+ IT should think it was right?
a chuckled the captain, taking up his can.
!. dlestick, "but I've had enoug h of the
g chapel" .
1 A good nights rest restored him to his
q usual spirits, and as ghosts did not walk
I by day he consented to accompany the
n superintendent on his rounds They
I went on foot, and he did not fail to i'm
prove the occasion by lectrring his
friend on his unbelief, who listened in
8 much humility.
When they reached the little church
l Pryse went into the church-yard without
consulting Glyn, who, however, felt con.
Y strained to follow. He almost expected
. to see the specter in the gloomy, ghost.
ridden spot. He saw instead a woman
standing by a neighboring hut or out
, house, who shrieked and seemed about
, to run away when she perceived the
visitors. The superintendent laid his
hand gently on her shoulder, with the
) words:
sBe good, and I will not harm you
Matty. Why will you brighten people at
, night?"
She began to cry and moan, when he
drew a gay blue ribbon and a packet of
sweetmeats from his pocket, which
turned her lamentations into joy. She
danced round him, took his hands, and
showed him much affection. The ca plain
ventured near and saw strange, wild
figure, enveloped in many -colored shawl
which she wore like mantle. Her face
and hands were white, her matted locks
long and fair, her eyes rowing and luster-
less, her lips colorless.
s'This is your ghost, said the super
intendent, pointing to her, as she stood
admiring her ribbon and eating her
sweets. '..This is poor Mad Matty."
She looked up at the sound of her
name, but shrunk back behind the
superintendent when she perceived a
stranger close to him. She soon forgot
him, however, in her new pleasures, and
began to glide and dance about, holding
up her ribbon, and moving it in and out
among the whitewashed graves. It was
Eastertide, and the peasants, according
to their custom, had tldied up their
small inheritences, planted endless wall
flowers and polyanthuses, whitewashed
the stones and frightened up. the other
wise glomy spot, Mad Matty assisting.
It was no wonder that it looked ghostly
in the moonlight.
eyes, that is your ghost" repeated
the superintendent, while the captain
was following with his eyes the move
ments Of the bewildered creature before
him. f'Sit down on this tombstone, and
1 will tell you her story. It is pathetic
enough, though not supernatural
The captain obeyed, and the two men
seated themselves on one of those large,
flat, ugly slabs, raised foot or so from
the ground, on which friends were wont
to chronicle the epitaphs of their dead. .
"Matty, like all distraught women, is
supposed to have been crossed in love-"
began the superintendent. IT only
wish that I could lay my club across the
back of every man who deceives wom-
an. She had no friend patient enough
to try to keep her wandering mind at
home, 80 at last it strayed away alto
gether. Her relations lived in this neigh
borhood, and, when her parents died,
Matty was allowed to do much as she
liked. Deprived of the shelter of their
roof, she took possession Of this shed,
and has been undisturbed in it for TWEEN
ty years at least; for she is older than
she looks. Sometimes there seems
method, at other times mischief, in her
madness. Thanks to her, the ghost
stories connected with this place have
trebled. There are people, as you know,
who don't pause to find out whether a
ghot's a ghost; so Mad Matte must an
swer for a fool"
Here the captain WINGED.
"This churc hyard is her home, and
she likes it. She gets her dinner at the
squire's and her clothes everywhere, ter
rifying or amusing the donors as the
whim takes her and them. She always
manages to secure white garment,
whether gown or bed gown, which she
puts on at night I imagine this to he
habit, but others think it is done to
brighten wayfarers. She has scarcely
wit enough to carry on system of ter
ror, however, but changes her dress as.
she was accustomed to do when sane.
Sometimes she sleeps in the hut, at
others in the wood we passed throug h.
Poor soul She breads neither ghost.
nor goblin, though I have seen her
frig htened at her own shadow in the
moonlight. Perhaps this is why she
climbs trees and perches like. a huge
night owl, till the shadows fee and day
light dawns. She is so sociable that she
generally joins the passer-by, whether he
be friend or stranger. Whichever it may
be, he is sure to be terrified out of his
wits; for her friends think she may at
tack them, and strangers take her for
ghost. .r~ " 49,.
Here the superintendent bowed sig
.nifcantly to the captain:
"Of course the police force have no
right to be afraid, either of man Or ghost;
SO we are appiedto in emergency. More
than once have been asked to take her
into custody, but the squires lady pities
her as much as I do, and we get out Of
the warrant between u.s.. Custody means
an asylum, where she would soon die. -
$50 much the BETTER" growled the
captain. f.. IT,. .....
Ono, SIR, Let her live out her poor
life, as the ours do, in her native air.
One Sunday she went to church, and the
wise sexton put her out. Had he let
her alone, she would have sat quietly
through the service, as she did when
young; but as it was, she broke the win
dows. The police were sent for, but
happily, she was missing. Still, I am
her bugbear; for, whenever she is trouble
some, they say to her: Take you care,
Matty, there's Mr.. Superintendent
Pryse,' and although she does not al
ways recognize me, she, like the children
God bless 'em-have needless dread
Of me. But tell them it is our duty to
see that men and women keep the peace,
not idiots, babes and ghosts. Tosee this
quiet little nook one can scarcely believe
in it's evil reputation. The peasants can
not be got to pass it at night; but, when
compelled, betake themselves to curious
expedients. A charwoman, who was en-
gagged to do a days washing at the par
sonage, made an original one.ss Having
been obliged to go, by the chapel before
daylight on q winters morning she was
asked how she .managed.@ 4 took an