Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-08-17
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ANVsAdhsrS 06S1SS1So AI-Serienoe In the
ROO1a q Dead ErGnd.
T@ mob Q believer IN a; supernatu-
raj, MD o YounG nasn - writer for
The 0aux5aFN SounpoI "Jut every time I
see copy: T'ilkio Collins novel, The
Woman In White, get the creeps, for it
recalls one of the most awful experiences
in my life. boarded in the southern por-
ton of the city, ut the home of widow
In whose family was an interesting youth
about 10 years old He and were exceed
ingly fond Of one another, perhaps from
the IRo5 unaG ne was aflcCed with epilepsy
and was the only person about the house
who understood how to relieve him and
was able to handle him without his hurt
ing himself while in commissions. He did
not live long after 1 knew him and died in
my arms in one Of his attacks. The in
cident am speaking of occurred on one Of
the very coolest nights in January. The
boy had died at noon, and the family sat
up with the corpse until midnight, when I
relieved them in the watch, requesting all
to retire, as loved the boy so well 1 felt
1t my duty TO stay near him in death. An
hour passed, and 1 picked up copy Of
The Woman In White to while away the
L
and turned up the lamp little higher, as
the rest Of the room was very dark, and q
window was raised back of the corpse on
the cooling board After all had gone to
bed the realization of the somber situation
obtruded itself upon me, and as perused
the novel it's contents were not calculated
to reassure mo. 1 thought about every
thing possible, and for the first time in
70 b., 10, IA
II was in such condition of mind that
the dropping Of pin would have been
noted at once, and the creaking of piece
of furniture or the swaying Of a shutter
would have sent terror through my heart.
In this overweight state Of mind 1 heard
q slight noise and turned toward the
corpse, when, awful to relate, saw my
friend raise his hands, throw back the pail
and sit stark upright. The eyes, which
had never been closed, looked searchingly
about the room until they rested on me,
the open mouth contracted, and the counte-
nance took distorted expression. Without
pausing 1 dashed from the room into the
dark corrido-I
when reached my bedroom, fell in
swoon, which must have lasted several
hours, for on awakening saw the sun just
tingeing the eastern horizon. Finding my
self on the floor with the novel clinched in
my hand recalled the dreadful scene and
pulling myself up from the floor 1 rang q
call bell for q servant. The servant came,
and we descended to the parlor after had
told him what had happened. Yes, had
actually experienced that dreadful scene
for the corpse was found lying across the
bier. We went over to it. The muscles
were all relaxed. and it appeared sleeping
peacefully 1t was laid back as it had
been arranged by loving friends. AS
could not explain the phenomenon had
witnessed, Invent for physician. He said
the boy had been dead all tho time, but
that the muscles contracted during his fit
had been relaxed in my presence. We
agreed not to tell the circumstance to the
family, but it is true in every particular,
and when think of the awful scene even
in daytime am filled with terror.
II have never got into The Woman
In White farther than three chapters, and
do not think now that shall ever fin
ish the story that is SO intimately associ-
ated with this awful ghost story in real
life. louisville Courier ournal.