The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-30
A MODERN GHOST STORY

try cousins, last July, at their house. ]
had spent few days there in the sum-
mer of the previous year, but without
then hearing or seeing anything out of
the common. On my second visit, ar
irving early in the afternoon, l went out
boating with some of the family, spent a
very jolly evening, and finally went to
bed-a little tired, perhaps, with the
days work, but not the least nervous.
l slept soundly until between three and
four, just when the day was beginning to
break. l had been awake for short
time when suddenly the door of my bed
room opened and shut again rather
quickly. reg.
fancied it might be one of the serv-
ants, and called out, "Come in!" After a
short time the door opened again, but no
one came in-at least, no one that l
could see. Almost at the same time
that the door opened for the second time,
was little startled by the rustling of
some curtains belonging to hanging
wardrobe which stood by the side of the
bed; the rustling continued, and l was
seized with most uncomfortable feel
ing, not exactly of fright, but strange,
unearthly sensation that was not alone.
| had had that feeling for some minutes,
when l saw at the loot of the bed child,
about seven or nine years old. The
child seemed as if it were On the bed,
and came gliding toward me as lay. 1t
was the figure of a little girl in her night
dress-a little girl with dark hair and a
very white face. l tried to speak to
her, but could not. She came slowly on
up to the top of the bed, and then saw
her face clearly.
She seemed in great trouble; her hands
were clasped and her eyes were turned
up with look of entreaty-an almost
agonized look. Then, slowly unclasping
her hands, she touched me ON the shoul-
der. The hand felt icy cold, and while
| strove to speak she was gone. | felt
more frightened after the child was gone
than before, and began to be very anx-
ious for the time when the servant would
make her appearance. Whether l slept
again or not hardly know. But by the
time the servant did come l had almost
persuaded myself that the whole affair
was nothing but very vivid nightmare.
However, when / came down to break
fast, there were many remarks made
about my not looking well-it was OBJ
served that l was pale. In answer l
told my cousins that had had a most
vivid nightmare, and remarked if l
was believer in ghosts Ishould imagine
l had seen one. Nothing more was said
at the time upon this subject, except
that my host, who was a doctor, OBJ
served that I had better not sleep in the
room again; at any rate. not alone.
So 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 night or the early
morning. That being the case | per-
suaded myself that what had seen was
only Imagination, and, much against
evervbody's expressed wish, l insisted
the next night on sleeping in the room
again, and alone. Accordingly, having
retired again to the same room, l was
kneeling down at the bedside to say nv
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
was not alone. l felt 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 anythingT said
"No," but told her how I felt, and, with.
out much persuasion being necessary
eft the room with her, and never re-
turned to it. When my hostess learned
what had happened (as she did immedi
ately), she told me | must not sleep in
that room again, as the nightmare had
made such an impression on me.
should imagine (she said) all sorts oI
things and make myself quite ill. ]
went to another room, and during the
rest of my visit "a week. | was not
troubled by any reappearance of the
little girl. '1 t-t
On leaving, my cousin, the eldest
daughter OF the doctor, went on visit
with me to the house of an uncle o1
mine in the same county. We stavet
there for about fortnight, and during
that time the "little girl" was alluded tt
only as my nightmare"
In this | afterward found there wa,
a little reticence, for, just before leav
ing my uncle's, my cousin said to me
II must tell you something have beer
longing to tell you ever since / lef
home. But my father desired me no
to tell you, as, not being very strong
you might be too frightened. YOU
nightmare was not nightmare at all
but the apparition of a little girl
She then went on 10 tell me that thi
"little girP' had been seen three time
before, by three different members o
the family, but as this was some min,
or ten years since, they had almos
ceased to think anything about it unit
l related my experiences on the mornin'
after the first night of my second visit
My cousin further went ON to tell m,
that her younger sister while in bed hat
one morning about daybreak, to he1
| l.t4I1 s.l Il