The morning news., 1888-08-24
AHABaRsHAMCouNTY GHOST.
For Which Pretty Maiden and g.
Heavy supper We're Responsible.

For w hicn a FfeLVJ MdluSn anu d
Heavy supper We're Responsible.
Your recent publication concerning q
haunted chamber in Savannah hotel,
brought to mind many mysterious events
in nv artist life. Ono Of them, which may
serve as a text to an interesting comment
srv on dreams, visions, poems, artistic
conceptions and works of imagination gem
erally, will give you as possible expla-
nation of more tban one ghost stoHy.
In tie early part of the year 1886 a heavy
snowstoYm clad the mountains of Haber-
sham county in mantle of shining white
Desiring to see how the beautiful valley OF
Naucouchie looked in its unusual dress, my
father. father-in-law-to-be aud ! mounted
onr horses and rode there. Arriving about
grim Yonah, the great Bear of the
Star valley of the Cheloque,
bsthed as to It's head and
shoulders, in ruby light, which, fading
GRADUALLY away, left the forests at the
11ountain's base in a haze of deep trans
parent blue; deeper in hue than the pure
cloudless sky above an arch of topaz hue,
melting into the pearly tint of the dying
day. Such see es give a new life to the
artist mind, and this prepared me for what
was to follow.
The lower part of the valley was then
owned by Capt. Wylly, whose romantic
history would supply material for one of
those interesting traditions Of southern life
which, properly written, would render un-
necessary the use, by our papers, Of narra-
tives of northern and western adventure.
To his hospitable roof we were invited, and
in due course of time took our seats at his
well supplied table, at which we made
havoc with the famous fried chicken,
I'D ha; laI nf 1,a
tains. supported by Kissing venison steaks,
spae ribs and sausages floating in their
own rich Juice. But while as young man,
with a strong constitution and appetite of
10 triflng dimensions, sharpened by exer-
else in the keen mountain air, / did more
than Justice to the supper. as artist, my
attention was irresstibly drawn to the
maiden, who, according to noun
tain customs, attended while the men ate.
She was of more than medium hight, with
a form which, untrammeled with the ac-
cursed health and beauty destroying corset,
and a head of classic form and Grecian
facial outline, brought TO mind more than
one of our Roman models, whose nude
forms had inspired the chisel and the pencil
of many a sculptor and painter 1t seemed
to me that with the refinement of social
cultivation. which nothing but education
begun IN the cradle can give, she would
have been the most perfect model (saUe Orle)
of woman, physically considered, that
had ever seen, Gin hall or sylvan bower. .
But what most attracted me and equally
divided my attention with the tempting
fare before me, was the sad but resigned
expression of her face and the dreamy. far
off look Of her slate-colored eyes. These,
on which | almost irresistibly turned nv
own every few minutes, were always
fixed on me, till they met, and
then were bent on some object i'll
some far off corner of the room or out OF
the window. At last, supper finished, we
rose from the table and gathered around
the fire to converse, to what in the noun
tains is considered late hour. At last we
were shown to our beds, without dir
candle, such as my elders had, but the
moon shone bright from the reflect
ing snow and through a curtainless
window at the head of the bed
undressed, and on examination
found my bed one of feathers, but with nc
other covering than heavy homemade
coverle5. l was familiar with eiderdowr
covers. but was not aware that in the upper
country of Georgia goose feathers supplied
their place. So | got in, half buried my
self, but could not but shiver with cold Til
at last l. fell asleep with faint visions o.
Esquimaux women and white bears floating
before my closing eyes
How long l slept l know not, but "a
change came DER the spirit of my dream,
and the Esouimaux woman stood before me
transformed into my beauty of the supper
table, and the grin Of the bear and the crue
CLEAN of its eyes changed to such smile a!
only loving woman can give to favoreC
lover and the expression of the eyes, melteC
into the dim glow, which ouly he who has
seen, and not every one has seen, can ap
preciate as woman's most irresistible charm
At last the effect was such that l awoke
and, though | always wake from slumbel
in full possession of my faculties, | was thi
time surprised for a moment into silence
for there before me- fully revealed in al
the beauty of blushlng maidenhood, stooC
my enchantress of the supper table! rosr
to reclining posture, but before l coulc
speak, with a gentle, musical laugh
she gracefully bent toward NE
threw one arm about my neck, raised
my chin with one hand, put the other o.
my shoulder and kissed me passionately OF
the forehead! But obi how cold, how ic
cold was both touch and kissl So cold in
deed, so freezing cold, that with start
l awoke!
Twas all but dream at the best
When brightest. sweetest, sooner oer."
leaving me, lying fat on my back, with
fake of saow ON my forehead, another o
oAOullCls anu FOA lOOO hOSAAoSO ACiN1
my throat
This disastrous event, the destruction G
one of the most beautiful dreams that eve
crossed an artists vision when studying fo
picture of Pygmalion opening his arm
to the life-receiving statue, whic
was disengaging itself from the col
marble, clothed with all the gifts of Venu
and the Graces, to offer herself in the blush
ing beauty of perfect woman-was due
Whhti To this simply:
The roof of the house was covered wit
snow, which occasional gentle gusts c
wind would cause to fall. In the windoN
at the head of my bed there was pan
wanting, through Which a fake OF sno'
had passed, and, breaking into severs
pieces, had fallen on me. 1t must hav
awakened me instantly, but the well know
velocity of thought would sufficiently az
count for the duration of my dream.
And now to account for the hotel ghost
as something more than nightmare. L
my researches into ii g "Cause and Cure o
Disease" | advance the opinion that th
human system is a combination of five elec
ulcal elements, the motive power of tn
whole being in the brain, which as
prime conductor, is charged by the frictio
produced by the passage of the atmo'pheri
an over the pituitary membrane, th
onactory nerves and the tTibifOrm bones O