Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-09-24
Touched by a Spectre.

SIDlILlS, VI l1lIlh lislt NltlA liC IbSNlii VI
the body existence is at an end, and
that the good and evil alike rot togeth-
er, and are no more ? Here is a truth
ful story for such q skeptic, which he is
welcome to sift to the bottom. The
person to whom the experience befel is
a distant relative Of the writer, wo-
man of undoubted veracity, of more
than ordinary intelligence, and of high
character. We give the story as nearly
in her own words as possible
Ii was" said she in telling it, in
the latter part Of last year that my eX-
perience occurred. | had, Of course,
heard the usual number of ghost sto-
ries. but was an unbeliever previously
to the events which am about to re-
late On November 3, 1891, | married
Mr.. <. who. as YOU know, is my sec
ond husband. For about 5 X weeks we
lived in our New York house, ON 35th
street. But the house my husband had
always considered his home is situated
at Huntington. Long Island. 1t is
fine, large, old-iashioned house, built
on the brow of a hill overlooking the
sound. and surrounded with oak and
fir trees of enormous size. 1t may be
called family seat, as it was inherited
by my husband from his grand
parents. Ny husbands first wife
met with very tragic fate
within sight Of this house. She was u
sIillful boatwoman, and very fond Of
rowing about on the sound, sometimes
allowing her boat to drift out with the
tide and come back on the return tide.
One day she driited out on the tide and
was carried farther than usual away
from land Before the tide turned a
violent thunder storm arose and the
wind blew a gale. The poor woman
must have been drowned during this,
for she never returned, and the small
boat in which she had been was picked
up DAYS after over u hundred miles away
bv coasting schooner. This terrible
accident occurred eight Years ago, and
such thing rs her ghost returning was
never dreamed of during these years.
1t was the day before Christmas last.
when, with a party Of friends. we went
down to Huntington. The Old house
had been elegantly rciitted. and was the
personiiicaton OF home comfort, with
its cheerful old style wood fires on the
wide hearths. Our party was indeed q
iolly one. There were two other brides
in it besides myself The room which
my husband aud occupied was on the
second fioor-a large corner room at the
front of the house. overlooking the
sound, the bright waters of which glim-
mcred and silyered through thebranches
of the trees about the house as one
looked from our north windows. We
had retired on the first night Of our oc-
cupancy rather late, and being much
worried by the fatigues incumbent on
me, hostess soon fell asleep. sud
denly awoke with L start.
felt something cold on my face, |
could scarcely breathe as deathlil;e
feeling ran through me, and seemed TO
freeze my blood. 1t was most horrible.
Opening my eyes saw Il woman-ii'
such an object as looked upon could
be said to have sex She was exceed
ingly tall, aud about her head hung
long. wet streams o. yellow hair Her
phosphoYeScence, and her eyes seemed
to blaze with Il greenish fire. About
her form hung q long loose wrapper,
which water seemed TO drop from, each
drop having Il green sparkle rs it fell;
but. mos horrible OF all. ! could see
clear through her body The moon
was shining in through the window,
aud She was between me and the moon,
and, strangely enough, | could see all
her bones inside her body, which seem
cd to be less transparent than the flesh.
So she seemed a skeleton with pillow
of flesh aud clothing about her. Slow
Il with horrible bony hands she struck
my warm flesh, and salt water seemed
30 drip from them as she did so. She
literally felt me all over, and while she
was doing so lay spellbound without
the power of speech or motion. Mean
while John (my husband9 remained
sound asleep. At last, as she had
seemingly had satisfied her curiosity III
regard to me, she raised up the covers
and got in the bed between us. Her
cold, clammy form lay still for while
lide a corpse. Then she spoke ::
'John' at the same time taking
his hand in hers My husband awolle
aud only looked nj her n second when,
with wild Shrek he leaped from the
bed and found a match. Meanwhile
| still lay there in the bed. So did the
woman or ghost. When the light was
lit loud crash was heard. The ghost
was goue in an insiaut. On looking
around the whole sash was broken
bodily out of the north window, the
window toward the sound, and Il weird,
wailing wind came whislliug into the
room. The noise rad aroused the
house, and before long our guests and
servants were in the room with us. On
hcarlog the stcange slosy they were
greatly su;Gr.sed. My husband recog
nizcd the ghost as that Of bis drowned
wife. To SATISFY orr Guesi> we sat up
all toge;he: ia the room next n.oht.
and at about the some tinetne horrible
specie. retuTued tbs tume saving cnlv
a few minutes. bnt long enough 10 sea e
one Of tie young iadies into a dead
faint We al led the h1use Soou after.
and siute that tine The strange pian-
tom has been seen in the same room
number of times. She has also been
seen walking about the grounds always
dressed in the manner a | have de
scribed and looking the same Had
not seen this with my own eyes and
had others present to witne. ; it, |
should never have believed so em1rk-