Huntsville gazette., 1884-04-19
GAsst.


best known jurists In Arkanass. after
an adjournment of the Historical So
ciety. the other night, related the fol-
lowing story TO party of friends who
fingered in the chamber of odd. old
manuscripts
While young man, / was not looked
upon as one Of those hard-working.
plodding boys who never fail to make
reputation in youth and lose it in
manhood. The fact is l wA rather
wild, and. by certain people whose
lives were spent in the. s.raight-jacket
of narrow-minded opinion, not regarded
as particularly truthful. One or two
of our most prominent .armsrs went so
far as to say that L sometimes drank too
much, but what quantity in those days
was regarded as too much. was not at
that time, and neither am / now, able
to determine.
One day went to town. little vii
lage in he northern part of the State,
and yielding TO the allure ents o. met
ropolitan lie, l remained until late in
the evening. Night came on shortly
after started home, and with the dark
ness, heavy rain About half way
between town and my fathers house,
stood an old log church, smal enough
in the day, TO say nothing of night ike
this, but 1t afforded the only means Of
shelter from the downpour Of rain,
stopped, dismounted and stood in the
doorway, holding my bride re.ns. least
my eye around rather nervouslE and at
tempted to penetrate the deep gloom
of the interior. for although / was not
afraid, yet | felt that strange, un-
speakable dread which occasid ms often
cause to settle upon the most eour-
ageous of men. After awhile, just
vivid fash Of liz htning lit up the place,
| looked around again. Standing near
the pulpit. with long hair disheyeled,
| with ghastly ia :e and staring eye, stood
a woman, dressed in robes Of flowing
white. l was startled. but moment
| afterward. when total darkness came
| again, persuaded myself that it must
have been only fancy, still kept my
eyes turned back, in dreadful fascina
ten. Another fash. The figure, with
arms outstretched, with face Of deathly
pallor, and with hair strea ming in
tangled masses, approached slowly
down the aisle. / knew that .if | ran
away and ever told my exper ence,
pc pie would laugh at me, and though
| by his time was somewhat frightened,
vet was determined TO wait awhile
longe- and be fully convinced. 1t WAS
some time before there was another
flash, but ] stood, gazing intently. The
church was again lit W tn a dazzling
glare, and the woman was in few feet
f.om where / stood, just in the act Of
| throwing her arms around me. My
| horse snorted and pulled me from the
| doorway, There was no longer any
! mistake. and, though this MAJ have
| been fancy, my hair pushed my hat
off. Anyway, the hat fell. and too
terrified to regain it, | sprang
away. letting the animal out, as
the saying is, How / da he'd over logs
and among trees without being killed is
wonder Tut rea hing the road the
horse seemed to fly About three miles
from the church lived old Mr.. Gantling,
with whom | was acquainted. and reach
NJ his house, Idismounted, htched my
horse and almost burst into the room.
The old gentleman had not gone to bed,
and seeing me bareheaded and doubtless
noticing my fright, he started up and
ex, laimed:
.Why, Andrew, what in the world is
| the matter?"
"Ive seen ghost
What with surprise, for he knew
that | was not given to superstition.
''Have seen ghost?''
.sYes, sir; at the old church." Ithen
related my experience, during which
| rectal the family gathered around me.
That was certainly very strange"
| said the old man when | had finished.
.'but are you certa. that it was not a
| fancy?''
81 would bet my life on its being
fact. 1t was ghost just as sure as you
| live"
"Well. let's put up your horse Stay
all night, and in the morning, we'll 90
and investigate
couldn't sleep. Every time I sue
ceeded in persuading myself into doze,
that face, with it's startling eyes, un-
earthly expression and deathiy COM
plexion, came up before me. No one
ever welcomed the sunlight more than
did that morning, and yet l dreaded
to 90 back to the church.
After breakfast, paltaken of heartily
| by every one but me, the old gentleman
and mounted our horses and proceed
ed toward the church. | must have
presented comical appearance, for /
wore a child's hat above an agitated ex-
preston. My hat had not fallen off
where thought it had, or perhaps the
wind might have blown it, but we found
it in the road, almost covered with the
damp earth, which the heavy rain had
| beaten around it. Just before reaching
| the church, we met man who lived in
the neighborhood. He seemed greatly
distressed. Turning to my companion
| he said:
Have you seen anything Of my poor,
demented daughter? She left home
severa. days ago, although we!watched
her closely, and has not been heard of
since. l could never give my. consent
| for her to be taken to an asylum
A flash of intelligence, instead of
| fash of lightning, now appealed, and
Mr.. Gantling. turning to me remarked
ANDREW, she is the ghost YOU saw in