Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-04-11
HAUNTED BY A RAT.
The Ghos tly Rodent Scared All the Other
Rats and Mice Away.

The GhOS tly Rodent scared All the Other
Rats and Mice Away.
II learned something new about
ghosts and haunted houses the last
time l WIS down east, said the
newly arrived travelling man to the
group of friends gathered round
him.
Years ago this house l speak of
VAS ocoupied by u family of three.
First there was the father, a moody
man Of about so years, who could
see no pleasure in life since his wife
had died. He had pretty daughter,
who felt the restraint put upon her
by the stern father The third mem.
ber of the family was an old serv.
ant, who had been SO long employed
in the house that she thought she
was boss of everything, including
the girl.
The young girl fell in love with
handsome young fellow i'll her ia.
thcr's employ. The old man was on.
gagged in the East India trade. He
often sent the lad to the house on er.
rands, with the result that he and
the girl got we'll acquainted. The old
servant, with eyes and ears always
open, soon suspected something was
in the wind, and finally she manag.
ed to find out that the two thought
great deal of each other. She went
with great elation to tho father and
told him what she had learned. That
was the end of the happy days of the
young couple. A couple of days aft.
or the young clerk was sent down to
the harbor to deliver papers to the
skipper of Il vessel which was lying
in wait for favorable wind and tide.
He was enticed below matches and
kept there for awhile. His bitter
protests were of 10 avail. The cap.
tain had received the orders from
his employer, and he carried them
out. By the time the young fellow
was allowed to go on deck the ship
was out of sight of land, bound for
the west coast of Africa. The young
girl ran away from home and was
never seen again in those parts. AS
, for the young man, hediel soon aft
or the vessel touched the African
shore.
"But to return to my story. The
old man gave up business and lived
the life of rocluse. He brooded
over his troubles till he grew to be u
skeleton. Ono day the old servant
found her master lying dead on the
floor of his daughters room. The
blood had ceased flowing from the
terrible wound in his neck, caused
by the razor still clutchod in his
stitfened fingers. The old servant
told the story afterward, that while
she gazed in horror she saw some.
thing of light, airy nature begin
to take form upon the dead man,
breast. AS she stared there she saw
it take the somblance of big gray
rat. Those she told the story TO look.
ed upon it as simply tho croaking of
an aged i'm beetle. But there were
some who changed their minds
shortly afterward, for the watchers
by the body claimed that they saw
the specter of u gray rat hopping
about upon the lid of the coffin. I'm
fortunately the rat did not go with
the coffin. If it had, that house
might be q pleasant home for some
one now. But tho ghost rat some.
how or other came to the conclusion
that it would be a good thing to
stay, and it did. So tho house is va
can't now. Many different families
have occupied it since the old man
killed himself, but the rat proved
too much for all of them. 1t was an
impossibility to get rid of the ghost
ly intruder. Neither dogs nor cats
cared to run up against it. The best
ratters that could be obtained were
afraid of it and always kept at a re-
spectacle distance Sticks, stones,
flatirons, hammers, axes. hatchets,
stove covers and various other handy
articles were sent in tho direction of
the creature. Oftentimes they would
seem to hit tho mark. but the rat
would keep moving leisurely along
as if nothing had happened. AT first
now tenants would rather enjoy the
sport, but it got too monotonous and
creepy after awhile, and the invaria-
BILE end of it all in each case was that
the family would move out.
"There was but ono redeeming
feature to his ratship-all other rats
and mice kept out of sight. There
were many of both in the house un-
til the old man died, but they were
never seen atterward. Buffalo Ex-
press.
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Boys Know Their Seasons.
We ought never to grow weary in