River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-07-15

to improve the occasion by lecturing
his friend on his unbelief, who listened
in much humility.
When they reached the little church
Prvse went into the churchyard without
consulting Glyn, who, however, felt
constrained to follow He almost ex-
pected to see the spectre in the gloomy,
ghostridden spot. He saw instead
woman standing by neighboring hut
or clubhouse, who shrieked and seemed
about to run away when she perceived
the visitors. The superintendent laid
his hand on her shoulder, with the
words:
"Be good and | will not harm you,
Matty. Why will you brighten people
at night?"
She began to cry and moan, when he
drew gay blue ribbon and a packet of
sweetmeats from his pocket, which turn
ed her lamentation into JOY. She dane
ed round him, took his hands, and
showed him much affection. The cap
tain ventured near. and saw a strange,
wild figure, enveloped in many-color-
ed shawl, which she wore like a mantle.
Her face and hands were white, her
matted locks long and fair, her eyes
rowing and lustreless, her lips colorless.
This is your ghost" said the super
admiring her ribbon and eating her
sweets. This is poor Mad Matty."
She looked up at the sound of her
name, but shrunk behind the superin-
tendent when she perceived a stranger
close to him. She soon forgot him,
however, in her new pleasures, and be-
gan to glide and dance about, holding
up her ribbon, and moving in and out
among the whitewashed graves 1t
was Eastertide, and the peasants, ac-
cOrding to their custom, had tidied up
their small inheritances, planted end
less wallhowers and polyanthuses,
whitewashed the stones, and frightened
the otherwise gloomy spot, Mad Matty
assisting. 1t was no wonder that it
looked ghostly in the moonlight.
Eyes, that Is your ghostl' repeated
the superintendent, while the Cap
tain was following with his eyes the
movements of the bewildered creature
before him. '.Sit down on this tomb
stone and | will tell you her story. 1t
is pathetic enough, though not super
natural.
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 distinguished women,
is supposed to have been crossed in
love-" began the superintendent. II
only wish that L could lay my club
across the back of every man who de-
ceives woman. She had no friend
patient enough to try TO keep her wan
dering mind ut home, SO at last it
strayed away altogether. Her relations
lived in this neighborhood, and, when her
parents died, Matty was allowed to do
much as she liked. Deprived of the
shelter of their roof, she took posses
sion of this shed, and has been undis-
turbed in it for twenty years ut least;
for she is older than she looks Some
times there seems method, at other
times mischief, in her madness. Thanks
to her, the ghost stories connected with
this spot have trebled There are
people, as you know, who don't pause
to find out whether ghosts Il ghost;
so mad Matty must answer for many Il
fool"
Here the Captain winked.
This churchyard is her home, and
she likes it, She gets her dinner at the
Squire's and her clothes everywhere,
terrifying or amusing the donors as the
whim takes her and them. She always
manages to secure a white garment,
whether gown or bed-gOwn, which she
puts on mt night imagine this to be
a habit, but others think it is done to
frighten wayfarers. She has scarcely
wit enough to cary on system of ter
ror, however, but changes her dress us
she was accustomed to do when sane.
Sometimes she sleeps in this hut, at
others in the wood we passed through.
Poor soul She breads neither ghost
nor goblin, though ! have seen her
frightened at her own shadow i'll the
moonlight. Perhaps this is why she
climbs trees and perches like II huge
night owl till the shadows flee and day
light dawns. She is so sociable that she
generally joins the passer-by, whether
he be Il friend or n stranger Which
ever it may be, he is sure to be terrified
out of his wits; for her friends think
she may attack them, and strangers
take her for ghost"
Here the superintendent bowed sig
nificantly to the captain.
"Of course the police force have no
right to be afraid, either of man or
ghost so we are appealed to in an en-
Urgency. More than once | have been
asked to take her into custody, but the
squire's lady pities her as much as | do,
and we get out of the warrant between
us. Custody means an asylum, where
she would soon die"
so much the better" growled the
captain.
''NO, 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, us she did when
young; but rs it was, she broke the win
dOws The police were sent for, but
happily she was missing. Still | am
her bugbear; for whenever she is
troublesome, they say to her, Take
you care, Matty, there's Mr.. Superin-
tendent Pryse;' and although she does
not always recognize me, she, like the
children, God bless EN-, have a 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.
To see this quiet little nook one can
scarcely believe in its evil reputation.
The peasants cannot be got to pass it at
night; but when compelled, betake
themselves TO curious eXpedientS. A
charwoman who was engaged to do
days washing at the parsonage made
an original one. Having been obliged
to go by the chapel before daylight on
winters morning she was asked how
she managed. Il took an umbrella
with me, opened it, and held il between
me and the churchyard, then stuck it
in the hedge till / came back, she an
swered proudly Perhaps, captain, if
you had your umbrella up you wouldn't
have tainted"
This cruel cut was not necessary, for
the captain had been watching Mad
Matty and listening to her story until
he was ashamed of himself.
ITO have tainted at sight of that de
mented creature!" he reflected, while
the superintendent continued and Matty
danced up to them, the ribbon twisted
in her hair, the sweetmeats devoured,
a piece of wall-flOwer in her hand
You see what kindness does. She
would never fear me, and | shall have