The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-05-12

vexed question of supernatural appear
ances came under discussion. As might
have been expected in these days of
scientific experiment and inductive
philosophy, the tone of the converse.
ton was Of . decidedly skeptical tinge.
The lady of the house, anxious appar.
emily that ghostly claims should be
fairly represented, appealed to her
sister-in-law, who had lived for several
years in haunted house, and begged
her to say what the results of her expe-
rience had been.
"Our house," replied the sister,
''was in bleak and lonely situation;
and MANY wears before we en-
tered its walls, some disagreea-
bic associations had been woven
into its history. In spite of these,
the place did us no harm; though am
bound to say that during our sojourn
in it we heard sounds which supersti-
tiously inclined folks might have re-
garded with dread. Perhaps we were
not family likely to suffer from imagi-
native terrors, because we were more
accustomed to examine an unwonted
object than to run away from it, nor did
we conclude that every phenomenon not
clearly understood by us must be due to
supernatural causes. Often at night we
heard noises in uninhabited rooms, as if
articles of furniture were being moved
or dragged across the floor; but these
we became used to, and assigned them
to such simple causes as mice, or pos
sibly rats. But once I recollect that
the clanking of a chain at midnight
wakened me from half dreaming state
to full consciousness
81 thought must have been mis-
taken, and went quietly to sleep again;
but the next night at the same hour the
noise was distinctly repeated. My Sis
ter, who slept in the same room, heard
it also. and was as puzzled as myself.
1t required from that time so often that
we became accustomed to it, also, and
were also ceasing to speculate on its
cause, when one day, standing in my
own room in broad daylight, 1 heard
the clanking noise loudly repeated. A
thought struck me. I ran downstairs
out Of the hall door, and through gar
den-path to the stable yard, whose wall
formed an angle with our side of the
house. AS l looked into the stable, the
horse shook his chain! This was the
very noise we had heard so often-the
same thing which had happened night
after night, when the horse Weakening
out of his sleep, gotup. shook himself,
and stamped in his stall, before
composing himself for another nap. If
l had not thus tracked the sound and
verified it for myself, could never
have believed that it could have been so
clearly heard through thick walls at
such distance"
"Ah!' said clergyman, who had
listened to this account with much
amusement. Il am persuaded that if
people would take the trouble of exam
ming such mysterious occurrences, the
number of authenticated host-stories'
on record would be sensibly dimin-
ished. A curious circumstance hap
pened to my father when he was very
young man. He lived at some distance
from the dwelling of the girl who aft
erwards became his wife and my moth
er. He had to work and wait for her
for several years, and as for her sake
he applied very closely to his business,
they seldom met. But occasionally,
after his days work was over. he took
very long walk into the county, to
get glimpse of her fair face, and per-
chance the treat of a quiet talk. On
one of these rare occasions he be-
thought himself of short cut through
q village churchyard. 1t was not very
easy Of access, for the gate was locked,
and brook of some depth swept round
part OF the outer wall; but he was
young and active, and eager to gain
time; so, after somewhat stiff climb,
he found himself within the limits of
the consecrated ground.
lit was clear moonlight night, and
the tombstones stood around him in
close and venerable array. Suddenly
he saw something which made him
start and pause. From beneath the
shadow of the church wall a tall white
figure glided stealthily out in
to the light. NY father quietly
retreated behind tombstone and
watched. The figure advanced;
he scanned it carefully; and
beneath the white robes fluttering in
the night air, he beheld a very SUBJ
slant al pair of boots!
"Said he to himself: DO ghosts
wear boots? I wonder who makes
them;' and he decided on having q
closer inspection of this mysterious
churchyard apparition. The figure
moved on; my father quietly followed,
keeping well in the shadow of the
tombstones. After some little time
spent in this kind of lodging, the ghost
advanced to q part of the wall over
looking the road and the stream, and
took up its position on the top of it. In
second my father came behind, and
with strong and sudden push, tipped
the unlucky ghost into the stream which
rippled below. He heard a plunge and
shout, waited few moments to see
that the fellow had struggled safely TO
the other side, minus his white sheet,
then turned and sped on his way, re-
joicing at having hit on so novel and
expeditions method of laying a
ghost!'
Years passed away. My father
married the lady of his choice, and they
shared the usual course of life's vicissi-
tudes together. Long after her death,
he took me to visit the scene OF his ear
ly wooing and the home of her girl
hood. On our way from the railway
station we drove through village from
which funeral procession was issuing
in solemn pomp to the churchyard. As
we returned, we stopped for an hour at
the inn and ordered luncheon. Like
most of his class, our host was chatty
and communicative, and at once enter
ed into conversation. Pleasant wealth
er. gentlemen. We have had large
funeral here to-day; the largest known
in these parts for many year. We all
wished to show respect to our oldest
inhabitant, William Dawkins. A very
civil fellow was Bill. Many a story OF
the good old times he used to tell. And
he had some queer adventures of his
own, too, to talk about. You'll scarce
credit me, gentlemen, but its fact
that that man had seen a ghost"