Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-05-16
A Peculiar Episode,

A Peculiar Episode.
While travelling by coach through tn,
southern part of England last summer
> owing to heavy rainstorm and the break
ing Of a bridge, we were obliged to put III
for the night in small village near Col
chester. and as the rooms in the inn were
limited and the coaching party large r
number, | was assigned room with Il
gentleman who, l afterwards learned, was
a prominent member of tho English bar
Before retiring for the night we smoked
and talked together in the lower public
room, and during our conversation he
related TO me an experience which he said
had happened to him many years before
and which made such an impression on
me at the time that | think it will bear
repeating. The story in brief, as nearly
as can remember the relaters words,
was as follows:
| had been engaged to act rs counsel in
a law case over some disputed land situa-
ted in the neighborhood of Brighton, and
was travelling on the regular mail coach,
expecting to reach the estate before night
We had been riding all day, and about
five in the afternoon drew up to small
village, where the driver informed me we
would remain an hour before completing
the journey. As had nothing in partc
ular to occupy my time until the coach
should start, | proposed to a lady of my
acquaintance, who was travelling by the
same coach to Brighton, that we should
spend the hour in seeing the sights of the
village. She readily assented to the prop
osition, and we strolled down the village
road until we came to an old ivy-covered
church, which from its appearance had
seen great many years, and was among
the few remaining edifces built during
the medieval times. 1t was surrounded
by graveyard closely filed with tomb
stones, which looked even more aged than
the church itself. The general appearance
OF the place called to my mind Grey's
immortal elegy, and could almost imag
inc the poet himself seated on one of the
slabs. pen in hand. silently meditatng or
| watching the busy swains completing
their daily labors in the fields at distance
After debating some time whether it
| would be worth while to enter the church
| and examine the interior, we finally con-
ciuded 10 do so, as the front door was but
partially closed, and within the building
| looked even more interesting and anti
quated than it did on the exterior.
We opened the churchyard gate and
passed through the veslibule, and were
soon within the relic of other days. The
outer door swung to after us, but of this
fact at the time | took but little notice,
supposing of course that it would OF en-
again as easily as it had closed. We
wandered about examining the beautiful
old carving and woodwork, and comment
ing on the fine English altar. cloths and
the general antique shape of the chancel,
till we were suddenly started by the sound
of the coach horn. Finding that we had
stayed longer than We first expected we
hastened TO return to the inn TO recover
our seats on the coach, and to tell the
other travellers what rare treasures they
had missed seeing. Imagine our surprise
upon finding that the door of the We tbule
had locked in closing, and that we were
temporary prisoners in the gloomy edfice.
Again and again tried by force to burst
it open, but finding all attempts futile in
this quarter, we looked about the building
to see if there was no other door or access
through which we might regain our liber-
ty. The windows were of the gothic style,
and so high from the floor that to reach
them would be almost as impossible as to
get through the narrow openings. We
wandered about for several minutes vainly
looking for some hitherto unseen exit, but
found none. | called again and again in
hopes of attracting the attention of some
passer by. Once again the full, clear
echo of the coach horn greeted our ears,
and this time we knew it was the
signal for departure. The guard had
evidently hunted for us, and finally come
to the conclusion that the coach must start
on time, whether all the passengers were
ready Or not.
The sun had set and the interior of the |
church, gloomy even by daylight, was
enveloped in almost total darkness. We |
Shouted for assistance as loudly as our
voices would allow, but no response came
except the echo OF our own words. We
sat down in one of the pews undecided
what 10 do next. Suddenly we heard
slight noise which appeared to come from
the other end Of the church. We listened
attendively and heard it repeated several
times, l called out and anxiously asked
"Who is lhere?" Immediately we could
discern figure approaching towards US
with silent but rapid step. | must con-
fess | never experienced such superstitioHs
fear and dread as | did at that moment.
My companion, naturally of nervous
was completely overcome
with fright, and trembled like i child
Together we sat in speechless fear staring
blandly in the darkness, just able to make
out form approaching us. When but a
few feet off this mysterious being threw
down what appeared from its jingle to be
a quantity of silver coin, and then as rap
idly as it had come the figure retreated.
For some moments afterwards neither
Of us could utter a word. Finally we
obtained presence of mind enough to raise
a shout for assistance which would have
done credit 10 the cyclops. But a short
time elapsed before we heard the
church door open, and to our intense ioy
and relief the sexton appeared and liber.
nted us from our temporary prison. To
make q long story short, will simply say
we explained to our deliverer the expert.
ence through which we had passed, and |
agreed with him to return in the morning
and find out if possible the real nature of
what appeared to have been supernatu-
raj vision. Before breakfast | found him
awaiting me at the inn, prepared with a
full explanation of all that my companion
md myself had seen during our prolonged
visit in the church. 1t seems that there
Exists an old custom in some parts of
England of putting family gems and
antique coins in the coffin with the deceased
head of the family. An ingenious thief
,onceiving tho idea of stealing some of
.hese treasures, had picked the church
loor lock, and by taking up some of the
arge slabs In the stone floor had robbed a