The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-30
NIDED By A GHOST.
hlge Experience Of a TTaVelaT
Through The Old Dominion.

Discovered Through the Agency Of a
Spirit.
From the Philadelphia Times.
On July 9. 1872, I was riding through
the state OF Virginia and along the pike
that leads TO the ancient little city OF
Alexandra, which is situated just across
the Potomac from the national capital 1t
was delightful evening; the sky was
clear the moon was bright and the stars
twinkled like diamonds. Cool and re-
freshing breezes waited along the in
cense from the flowers in the woods. As
came along by the battlefield of Chan
lilly, otherwise known to the confederates
as OK Hill, I turned my horse. for I was
riding on horseback, and rode out into
the field through gap in the fence. As
/ sat on my horse, which I stopped at
about the spot where the brave and fear
less Phil Kearney was killed. / thought
Of the days of that great and memorable
struggle between the north ana the south
the whirlwind Of strife that dashed alike
the palmetto and the pine. I could not
help but think OF the pitiful sight of one
brother arrayed against another, and
sons and lovers falling with the sweet
kisses Of mother and sweetheart fresh
upon their lips.
AS / sat thus muslng I heard a slight
rustling in the thicket at my left Turn
ing my head in that direction / beheld a
slight but graceful figure, clad IN pure
white, standing at the edge of the wood.
The figure motioned me forward, but
thinking 1t some member of a frolickng
party trying to brighten me or play a
practical joke ! pulled out my pistol and
fired shot into the ground for the pur-
pose of giving the party good scare. AS
soon as the pistol exploded, however, the
figure disappeared as If by magic. This
sudden and noiseless disappearance was
not exactly what / expected, but think
ing no more Of 1t I rode my horse out
through the gap into the road and con-
tinped on my journey toward Alexan-
dria.
1 had gone perhaps 800 rods of more when
To- and behold. this same white figure
was moving along by my side-gliding
along like fairy of olden times. Sudden
~ my horse caught sight of the figure,
which he had not observed before, and
with snort and wild plunge he threw
me to the ground and dashed down the
road at his very best speed. / sprang to
my feet as quickly as possible; the figure
was not there l CROPPED about and found
my pistol which, dropped from my pocket
when / fell and brushed the dust of my
clothes as best / could. / started to walk
back to a farm house which / had passed
about a mile up the road and the figure
appeared again before me in the middle
of the road, motioning me forward as be-
fore.
She, for I was close enough to observe
It was a woman, seemed to glide along
as before without a particle of noise. /
could see her face plainly now, and 1t
was what the novelists love to call
strangely beautiful" There was no mis-
taking that. Her lips and face were as
white as marble. The eyes appeared to
be deep blue, and the lips were beauti-
FULLY modelled. My appearance was not
exactly favorable to making a decided
Impression, although when I am we'll
dressed am not bad-looking. My watch
which ] had not observed before, was
dangling at the end Of the chain outside
my waistcoat, and when ! raised my hat
my hair was sticking in every direction
However, 1 attempted to beg her pardon
for my strange conduct and at the same
time ascertain the cause of hers, but / re-
ceiyed no reply to my heterogeneous
which were as polite as l could make
them.
l am not a timid man, and, above all.
not afraid of a woman, so / proceeded 10
follow and hazarding all sorts Of guesses
as to who the stranger was and what she
was up 10 and how my peculiar ad-
venture would end. 1t was certainly a
strange proceeding to me. 1 thought of
all the "Nameless Heroines' of the rebel
lion and how they had led the Union pris-
oners to places of safety, through the
dead Of night, but this seemed no occa-
sion for the assistance of such.
However, she went up the road at
rapid pace-so rapid 1 could barely keep
up. She passed into the field where ]
had stopped, went across and into the
wood, still reckoning me to follow which
/ did as fast as l could without break
hYn fVaf IN 4trvr4f ed
entered the wood my progress was some
what iTnpeded by the trees and brush,
but she seemed to have no trouble. Once
j lost sight of her but she waited until
1 caught nearly up with her.
All at once she stopped by an old stump
came to within four or five feet and
she disappeared, and for the life of me
could not tell where she went to. ] then
made up my mind l had been following
vision. / did not like to call it a
ghost. for / never believed in them. 1t
was too dark in the woods to distinguish
much, although the moon was shining
brightly through the trees. so l tied my
white pocket handkerchief to a twig, in
order that I might easily find the place
in the morning and retraced my steps.
Arriving at the road. paused moment.
knew something was wrong, but what
it was had no idea ] am not naturally
superstitious, but l would have given a
good deal at that moment to have had my
strange experience explained and the
mystery unraveled. ] had a feeling that
upon visiting the place in the morning
something would be revealed, and 1 was
not mistaken
went up the road to the house I had
passed on my way. A pleasant man an
swered my knock at the door, and asked
to be, allowed to spend the night. He
greeted me cordially and invited me into
the house, which was an old-fashioued
brick that had been built long before the
war and had remained uninjured during
the fighting in that locality. AS it was
then rather late his family had retired.
I explained to him as briefly as possible
my experience of the evening. The man
was an eX-confederate soldier, as after
ward learned, and a genuine good-heart-
ed and hospitable Virginian of the old
school We very soon became acquainted,
and, as l had eaten my supper, we sat
on the broad, Vine-covered porch in front
of the house and Smoked a cigar apiece
before retiring. While we sat smoking, L
having related my adventure and ex-
pressed a desire to visit the snof in the