The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-04-02
Among the Ghosts Ofvanished Years
From Brookhaven LeaderI

2 amonS the un0StS OF anlSneQ ear
4 From Brookhaven LEADER
e BRooKHAvEN, March IL, ISS-
I Down Royal street in the grey light Q
Y . misty New Orleans morning, a fe,
: days ago, | rode. On past the bus,
; marts of trade to where the hustle o
life was subdued, and the wonderin,
eyes looked on only the quaint building
of old French town. Faster and taste
to the haunted house of that region,
was borne listening all the while to the
old legends that hang around its cham
! bers until my soul was stepped in won,
derment and mystery. As / approach
ed it heard how it was built century
and quarter ago by the Baron PontG.
alba. one of the first Almonasters of
Louisiana, and used by him as a res
idence until his death. How when he
was an old man he had given to the
/ Priests the funds for the building of the
now celebrated sold Cathedral" under
condition that Mass should be said for
the repose of his soul as long as the
church should last How that even vet,
each Wednesday that rolls round, the
bells sound at twilight and the prayers
ascend from the dim old building for
the peace of the Baron Pontaiba. How
that the stately, beautiful Baroness had
presented to her beloved City the
grounds for the Jackson Square, on con-
dition that she should herself plan its
ornamentations. That afterwards, the
authorities refusing to allow her to cut
down the lofty trees that grew upon it
sh.a l. 4
midnight and taking her slaves, she pro-
ceeded to fell to the ground the grand |
old monuments of time.
Then it rose before my view, the old |
home of this determined woman, and |
entered broad hall and trod its blocked
marble floor with reverential tread.
Here on the first floor last Century were
the great billiard and dancing halls and
the gentlemen's reading aid smoking
rooms. We went up the winding stair
case to the second story hall; into it
opened the grand Salon, used only in the
evening, the morning reception room and
the grand dining room. The third floor
was entirely devoted to bed chambers,
quaint in their furniture and perfect in
their construction. The long ellis have
many interesting rooms whose appear {
lnee at once explains their former uses.
One of these was the wine-room, where
10 doubt, the old noblemen kept mellow l
ng for years the nectar that nightly was I
luaffed by royal lips. The great racks I
till stand there, their receptacles empty I
md useless, the skeletons of departed
spirits" Another room was lined with !
fellow oaken shelves where was kept
III the snowy household linen. We fan
led the faint odor of rose leaves which !
areful fingers were won't to strew be- I I
ween the folds of sheets and towels still !
lung about the room. =
Round the old Mansion | wandered I
II day long, not in the present but q
moving in an atmosphere of other and ;
3ng vanished days. Once from behind Il
silken curtain almost fancied | heard q
low silvery laugh and again l was sure d
caught glimpse of arustling brocaded
kirt, pair of tiny high heeled slippers Il
nd powdered golden head vanishing o
p an old stairway; and they do say the Il
air French women who made the house G
D radiant a hundred years ago, love to r.
teal back from the land of the departed 81
ow and visit this scene of so many con- !
uests and delights. :.
AT night | was shown to the room II
here once King Louis Phillip lay and =
reamed away the hours; where Marshal :;
ley had rested that grand brain of his II
/ peaceful slumbers, and where LaFay- ii
ties brave, noble heart hsd beat against 9.
Ie pIiIUwS. W mere many a1air, Jlfed pff1l d
ess had stood flushed from the dance at D
lidnight, and looked into the mirror 81
IT. eyes tender from the whispered a
bod night on the stairs breathed low by 81
,me favored cavalier. / hardly dared fl
ok at myself lest over my shoulder re- 81
ected / might still see those sweet p
eepy eyes peeping as of yore. | shiver- e'
gly turned away whispering to myself 6
the silence g g
"The thread that yon spider draws with a.
cross the CLEAN of the mirror there OF
ems like the ghost of golden hair" m
And when the lights were out. was it p
range that the shadowy corners seemed -
II Of little breathings and my cheeks - -
emed kissed ever and anon by cold h,
os? And is it wonderful that in my f1
eep l dream of being Queen over all Vi
e world? But aIackaday? / awoke be
hen it was light again and found it was pa
| the result of night passed in the or
d haunted Pontalba Mansion and eI
as, and was very likely to remain, ty
erely,
LULA RAGsDALE. or