Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-04-17
",.i,ljllTEO" HOUSES.


Lie Looms ehctl
to Remain TenantIes3.
Probably the majority OF people
have been momentarily struck from
time to tlnc by the sight Of dwell
ing houses of sad, deserted appear
ance, curiously suggestive Of rats
and romance, which occur mt inter
walls in the streets CT London and
most other big human hives. There
they stand year after year. No one
occupies them mo one seems to make
inquiries about them OF to regard
them as habitablc; generally they
crumble through sheer damp and
disuse or are eventually RACED by
the legal al "housebreaker. OF
course many houses answering to
this description stand empty for
years pending decisions in the court
of chancery or because the sanitary
authorities have seen fit to condemn
them, but it is Il fact that hundreds
of such houses remain vacant sim
ply because of some queer locnlaver-
sion on superstition which has grad
ually surrounded them with fatal
atmosphere of i'll luck. Call a
house "luuntcd," and with many
people the ghost is taken for grant
ed
Occasionally tho reasons why Ger
tain dwelling houses should have
been marked out and Stunned iii
this way are humorous to Il degree
not to say ridiculous. The writer
knows of one substantial pile, stand
ing in Il northwest suhyrb Which
has been practically doomed to per-
petual emptiness solely through Il To-
Cal report that Il dastardly crime
had been done in ono of the rooms.
Not an atom If base for this rtlmor
was to be had, but in II short space
of time the belief obtained such
crcdcncc tllnt it WAS no uncommon
thing for one on more morbid sight,
secrs to b. fJund staring up at tho
blank wind ov',' and specializing ~
to the nature Of the deed.
Finally the street urchins took
every opportunity to riddle it with
stones while every possible tenant
was s.lemnly warned against occu.
pying tl.c premises. The dcspairins
owner reduced the rent from time
to time, bat Il bad construction was
placed upon this action, and the
building il now az uninhabitable
shell.
Another house, III the very next
street, had stood tenuntlcs% for a
long time for IL somewhat similar
reason. 1t appeared that the last
occupants had mysteriously disap.
pcared, owing money in all dircc,
tons This was no unprecedented
occurrence in itself, bat it 50 hap.
pencd that IL local buaybody discov.
cred in ono OF tho pcrroOmsa red
stain, which was duplicated in the
passage below, and Immediately
there were Whi4perings Us 10 ioul
play. An investigation disjhovca
this theory, but the rumol had gone
forth, and that house was doomed
The fact lut the stains in question
were found 10 be nothing moro thai
blotchcs Of Iel paint Inad3no diIel
ence They were red. Inat.ntly The
local mind s2ttiod tilut they mutt j.
liforlOol.
Even tt.oscpoopio who pride tii".l.
selves upoI being above tho in.iu,
ence Of Hloi idle gossip very n.;tU.
rally doiptroli;., occupying uhpuia
that is p3iltel ut AMI 'Jal,.l
about" while they can oh,aln o@e
win 30 sch notori"ty attached. -
a llndlJll bitterly remarked t. &c
writer ;-aaniiy: Let 4 house TEL
singled ct for loc Il suspicion a.d
whisper" ii is ulmo3t certain 4 1t
doomed 10 future cnpiiuCa5. NDt :.
cares Il put the matter 10 the tc1t.
-HouschDll Words.