The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-02-03

Margaret says, you must count the
cost. Your servants will be sure to
hear the ghost-story. They will see
visions and dream dreams. You may
have to do good deal Of the work
yourself. By-the-by, there is an old
house-keeper, Mrs. Weeyil, who
, lives in the. lower rooms.
could we not get rid Of her?" I
said. "She might tell the servants. "
II am afraid that would be easier
said than done,' he answered. "She
has some claim upon the family. But
they say she is quiet old soul, who
interferes with nobody. You might
warn her. you know"
well" | said, ''let US write to the
agent, and see what can be done"
The result Of all this was that, a
week or two later, on placid after
noon early i'll the month Of August, |
drove up with my children, servants,
and luggage before the deep porch of
one Of those moderately-sized country
houses which abound in the county of
Surrey. It was to be my home for
the next twelve months-servant and
ghosts permitting.
For once, description and the ex-
pectation that followed hard upon it
were, I felt, abundantly justified. Ny
earthly paradise was paradise indeed;
and joyfully, on the evening of our
arrival, / sat and wrote to my husband
of our good fortune. The house was
beautifully situated, and was itself
picturesque, with its deep porch in
front, and the neat balcony that sur
mounted it. Il was an irregular build
ing, and It's red brick walls were half
smothered with ivy and clematis. Be-
yond the garden in front was a broad
lawn, bounded by the grand old beech
es aad elms which form belt round
Lord BIS estate. During the first
few weeks, nothing happened to
change my good opinion of the house.
There was one circumstance | did
not like; but [ persuaded myself it
was trivial, and to be affected by it
proved ultra-sensitiveness; besides, |
had been warned beforehand. Two of
the lower rooms were occupied by an
old woman. She was pensioner.
was told, Of our landlords. Many
years ago, she had been housekeeper
to some relatives of his, who lived in
the house, and she had lived in it ever
since. | wished to see her and have
some conversation with her. | dis
liked, in the first place, that any one
of whom | knew nothing should be in
my house; and in the second place, I
was anxious to warn her to keen the
ghost-story whatever that might be)
secret. Ny three English servants
were north-country girls. had taken
good care that they should be utter
strangers to the neighborhood; but
knew, if the possibility of seeing 8
ghost were suggested to them, they
would promptly make the possibility
certainty, and then my trouble
would begin.
sent a polite message to Mrs. Wee
vii, asking for an interview; and she
came to my room. She was not pre-
possessing woman. Her age might be
somewhere between sixty and seventy;
and as she dropped an awkward curtsy
on entering my presence, [ felt she
was giving me homage which he
did not pay willingly. [ said I un-
derstood she had permission from the
owner OF the house to occupy certain
rooms in it.
''Yes, ma'am," she said; "but not
from the owner as is the owner of the
'ouse now, ma'am."
She manifested, | thought, a certain
ill-concealed sulkiness as went on to
ask her If she could not be induced to
find accommodation for herself in
some Of the cottages on the adjoining
estate, SO as to give US the house to
ourselves. She stubbornly refused.
mo, ma am" she went on to say.
Il am an old woman as has lived here
for nigh twenty years, and never
gives trouble to no one. | only wish
IS to be let alone; and I means to stay.
ma'am-yes, means to stay
[ saw that it would serve no purpose
at present to try to dissuade her: and
IS I did not wish to quarrel with her,
/ changed the conversation. I said [
understood there were some foolish
stories current about the house being
haunted, and | hoped, whatever she
thought Of it, that she would say
nothing to my servants on the sub
iect.
!If your servants II let me alone,
ma'a,n, I'll let them alone has no
wish to NEEDLE with any lady's ser
wants"
| then permitted her to go. She
was certainly no trouble about the