New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-27

In The tragedy of the spy. and his solitary. lmagl-
native character were so well known in the vii
| iaSe that any not very startling, even though
supernatural adventures. would have excited
little wonderment in those days Of nightly visions
| and ghost walkings.
Hut his holiness and daring had also been
proven in many a wild contest with the savage
denizcns of the forest. and no less savage maraud.
| ers of the neutral ground. and the good people
ielt so convinced that it must haze been more
| than common, even awful. occurrence, which
could have palsed the limbs of man of such
stamina. that no little excitement regned in their
midst. and il was finally resolved TO call council
| of war of all the old eossips and spnsters. and
thoroughly canvass the matter.
AS the shadows of night were envelopng in
| their dingy mantle the old hills and homcsteads
| this sclf-constitutcd committee poured into the
| little back kitchen of the Anderson family. No
gided gas burner emitted its brilliant flame, dead
ching imagination and dispeng mystery. Not
| even the Pickering light of tallow candle shonc
| from the easement: but it was a chilly evening.
and the cracking logs blazed in the old Dutch
| fireplace. whose broad mouth. indicative Of vast
| hospitality. would have swallowed up dozen
modern ones. stones and all while the sparks
| flying up the chimney in a thousand grotesdue
shapes. and the ruddy glow reflected from the
sooty back. hardly bringing out from the dark the
| forms of the company. made the buXom lasscs
| look more fresh. and their lips more inviting.
and the old gossps countenances. with their
sharp angular features. seem so ghostly and
werd-like. that an indescribable half trembling
| sensation of mystery was felt by all
| Hans Anderson told his story in few manly
sentences. and its wonderful character. combined
with their own situation caused visible pailor
| TO oversprcad the countcnances OF the guests
| Especially the fair Kathrne Van Twiller. whose
large full eyes gazed half lovingly half pltylngly
| upon the sufferer; for it was more than suspected
that of the many suitors TO the hand OF the plump
hcircss Hans was the most acceptable. the chosen
one.
The dead silence which followed this narrative
was broken by the bluff hearty voice OF Dedrlch
Tcneyck. whose full. cheerful tones would Lave
exercised all the spirits in the colony. lie sad
that for his part he did not believe In ghosts.
they were old wives stories gotten UP to fnghten
little children and weak minded grown-up ones.
At this bold assertion the younger portion of the
company exchanged scared glances, the elder
frowned Indignantly at his heresy. For con-
tinued Diedrich. as | was returning home late
one dark night"-here the elders frowned again.
Tor Dcdrch was a registering blade, one Of your
devilmay-care fellows whose motto Is. enjoy life
and let late hours be no obstacles and many was
the barnyard which had been emptied of ITS
fcathcred dcnizcns; many the gate which had
mysteriously started from its hinges on tour of
observation and had been found in neighbor-
ing mill pond many the good couple who, aroused
from their slumbers by the shoutinss OF some
midnight rcvellcr. cursed Diedrich as the cause.
and hoped their own offspring would avoid him.
they turned again 10 their quiet sleep" For,
continued Diedrich not a whit disturbed by this
unfavorabe reception I'VE take the liberty Of
polishing little his rough speech. g was re-
turning home late and had arrived opposite the
gate at the end of the lane which leads up 10 the
hill TO our house when vivid light. and brilliant
as lightning. shot directly my path. and
stood there quivering and cleaning like thing
Of life. With the graveyard the right, its
white slabs seen through the dusk looking
cold and horrible. and the left. the ravine
through which the brook. tumbng over the
stones appeared at that midnight hour 10 send
forth awful sounds, and this internal light in
front, you may imagine I was in very con-
Portable position. So hastily retreatcd around
the corner Of Widow Van Brout's house. but on
venturing forth again there still stood the light.
Get home | must. gathering all my courage
and strength. dashed through at full speed. and
behold it was nothing but the blaze of an old
tallow candle in the window of my mothers bed
room
Neat Widow Var Brout who was believed 70
have cast longing eyes the yonngsrcr not
outstanding his widness, and kept her cap set
until she could no longer endure his obsiinacy and
obtuscness, broke in with the exclamation that
not TO believe in ghosts was wicked absolutely
wicked she was astonshcd how any one could
be so depraved. She had often seen the light
herself and it derived from talow candle.
but shonc from the grave Of old soldier who
had fought in the French wars and been killed
by lightning.
Besides, when her last baby was sick, she be
held living on the easement Of the open window
a child wrapped in the habilimcnts Of the grave,
and so much resembling her own that She rushed
forward, shricking with agony, 10 prevent lis
falling out, but just her hand touched the gar
mcnt. it disappeared, and, returning, much re-
lcvcd at what she regarded vain fancy.
for she had been watching several nights with
her sick boy, the poor thing lay dead in It's
cradle
And that Ter dear lost Abraham. her late hus
band, had awakened her from a sound sleep one
night by crying out, See, wife, see, there he
is, lie has come for me, must go" and raising
up, she bchcd a sight which frozc the blood In
her veins, figure standing by the bedside, beck
oning TO him with its skeleton fingers, grinning
horribly with its bony jaws, single 'uit Of
mouldy hair on its forehead; She Immediately
tainted, and that was the last time she ever
heard the voice Of her darling Abraham. Here
the good ladys feelings completely overcame her.
and she sank back sobbing into her chair
shudder ran through every form, and casting
frightened glances about, they drew nearer to-
gethcr. Many more wild experiences were re-
lated which as faithful chroniclcr would
transcribe if space permitted They were OF
haunted houses, Of walking spirits Of midnight
ouadrillcs by the buried dead of the fame wreath
ing the candle in the form OF winding sheet ana
one especially peculiar, OF funeral procession
which started from the Dcpcystcr mansion the
evening Of the day before the old Generals dc-