The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-02-23
Selerf Story.
a GHOSTS CONFESSION.

Hush hush hush sleep every one
Of you! You'd be afraid II you opened
our eyes and saw me! don't want to
frighten any one. ! have come out OF
nv grave because couldn't lie there any
mere. can't lie there while / know
where she lies every night. She she
she, l never hated her while ! was alive.
l knew sbe was pretty, but ! never
thought she wanted nv husband and
while | had him she might have bad all
the other men that lived for her lovers.
But she, oh she plotted and planned from
the first-from the moment took her
into the house to teach my little children,
and. she set her great black eyes on him
I don't think be was ever untrue to
me-not 10 the worst sense-but l know
that by degrees be began to love to talk
to her; to listen to her singing; to have
her With him. know that she crept be-
tseen ia and that he did not love me as
be used Her eyes were evil eyes. They
had q glow in them that Satan's eyes
have. | think il is his spirit that helps
such women-yes. l know it.
He used TO praise her 10 me at first.
No wife likes to hear another woman
praised. Yet l call mvself jealous fool
for minding It. Aud ased to praise her
too, lest be should guess how silly | was.
was wrong there. She was bad and l
knew 1t. After q while l longed to be
rid OF her, but had no excuse-none
whatever She taught the children well
She was respectful ID me. She said moth
ing. did nothing, that l could take up
nothing, nothing. But my old nurse.
Hepey. rocking to and fro in her chair,
used to say, often and Office:
perhaps it is wrong of me TO speak
madam, but | dislike Mis-. Redlaw.
think she has bad blood in her, and ]
think she will hurt the children more
than she will do them good"
And l would say:
"Your master thinks their progress in
music very great, Hepey, and desires mt
to keep her"
Alb, Hepey, We knew, We two women
what we would not speak.
How strange it is to remember all This
and to know that am a woman no Ion.
ger, but q ghost with mission to per
form. cannot rest ! cannot be quiet
l cannot 60 to heaven until it is done
II is horrible, horrible, horrible-but
must do it. Hark! no one awake vet
hear no sound. This in the room l dice
in. No one sleeps here now. Sac dar'
not.
When did ] guess II all frst2 All,
remember, when saw them under th'
chestou,s and be held her Land. Their
knew she had stolen him from me.
went back to the house. ! crept uI
10 her desk and opened II. and looked q
the little notes that had come to be-
while my husband was away from th'
city for q while, and / saw they we're from
him, and read in them his promise t.
marry ber when was dead. l, th'
mother OF his children, read that. An(
then longed to die for while, until my
baby came creeping to me and hid it
head In nv bosom, and then / prayed
that might live. could not leave my
babes 10 her care-nnt even If be wht
was their father longed to be rid Of me
That night my grief and anger got tb'
best Of me, aud my husband and quar-
relied for the 6rst time in our lives, an(
then grew i'll.
remember, how laid down in thi
room, and how she came to my bedside
How she feigned sympathy and brough
me q cooling drink, and before the doc
tor ! dared not refuse to take it from
her bands lest be should guess how
had been slighied, and how she bad step
ped into my place did know tb'
draught was poisoned, then. / do now
Day after day she ministered TO me will
assumed kindness. Day after day
sank.
At last lay here, white and cold
here on this bed-snd be was free. Ant
that is year ago, ard now am com
back to do nv task. While she sleep
on his bosom l cannot rest in nv grave
1t Is not revenge that | feel. ! am tn
hand OF Fate. | must work as am bid
Slowly. softly, / must glide to that he'd
side. l must awaken her. She will lii
her head and look at me-but he viii
sleep sounder than ever. ! will call be
bv name and say Margaret! Marga
ret! and then she will know who am
She must obey me She must arise from
her nest and follow me from room I,
room just to nv baby's crib, aud then
will whisper to her: "You murdered it
mothers" And then she shall not eve
dare to shrek as it dies. Then to wher
my boys lie. and as kiss them to deaf