Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-11-01

When was about IA, my mother, whose
health had been declining for some years,
determined to leave the city and try coun-
try life for a change, She purchased an
old estate some three miles out of the city
of R, which had been over century
in one family, and who parted with their
old homestead because loss of property
made 1t impossible for them to keep up
the former style and grandeur. One of
the conditions Of the sale was that the
family graveyard should not be disturbed
in any way 1t was a beautiful spot, about
two acres in extent and about half an acre
from the dwelling, just to the right, and
where the windows of both stories on the
right side of the house and the piazza in
front would overlook it.
All the care and attention that loving
hands could effect had been given to render
it floral gem, and it was truly success.
The grass was like green velvet. The
trees, trimmed and kept in shape, were all
of the evergreen species. The walks, wind
ing in and out, made the place seem of
larger extent than it really was, and there
were knobs and bosky dells, with every
variety of fragrant flowers that could
bloom in that climate in the open air,
Nowhere else have l ever seen such lux
uriant cllunps of rare bushes bending un
der their fragrant burden of musk, moss
cinnamon, tea and sweet roses, while the
sweetbrier or eglantine and the old fash
ioned hundred leaf rose, so seldom seen
now, made the air heavy with perfume
| never was cowardly child, and this
resting place of the dead was a favorite re-
sort with me, and on moonlight nights l
would wander for hours through its walks,
without one thought of fear or dread of
those resting in their last sleep around
me, freed from the care and turmoil of
life.
When we moved to our new home, my
favorite brother, who was 6 years my cid
er, was away at college, and it was not till
some months after that he returned home
for vacation at time when our country
home presented it's most charming aspect
had dressed itself in it's gayest trobes co
welcome him, l said-and superbly beau
tiful were it's robes Of green and rainbow
tints He had been absent so long from
home that it was not until after supper
and evening worship that could carry
him off to my favorite spot. He was
somewhat prepared for it's beauties from
my rhapsodies about it in my letters, but
said, as we stood on a little knoll just at
the entrance and looked over it, that l
had not done it justice, eloquent as I had
been in its praise.
We were wandering through its walk
and l asking thousand questions that
kept him busy in answering when sud-
Il n11,b bo CTR mo n a ra
you never afraid of this place."
"No, Jamie, darling. Why should be?'
| asked.
''You come often here alone after night,
Lizzie. Are you not startled sometimes?"
"No. Why do you ask?" replied.
Cob, nothing! Only do you see anything
there peculiar in appearances" he asked,
pointing to spot where tall marble tab
let cleaned in the moonlight
"Nothing, Jamie, but the slab of mar
ble
''Let's go up there for moment" he
then said, and we turned toward the spot
Upon reaching it l saw nothing, but
could see that he did see something that
surprised and somewhat startled him.
While standing there he moved his little
walking stick to and fro and after q few
minutes said: "That will do. Now let's re-
turn to the house, and I'll tell you why l
ask those questions. -
Upon reaching the piazza we sat down
upon the top step and looked over to the
graveyard He sat still for few minutes
and then said:
sWell, Lizzie, have often heard and
have read OF what saw tonight, but l
never thought to see it myself, for never
credited it. At that grave where we stop
ped l saw blue flame rise from the
ground and gradually take the human
FORM or rather inside of the cloud of blue
fame saw a human shape, and when we
went up to it l could distinctly see the
contour of the whole figure, though l
could not discern features. 1t is startling,
but it is not supernatural. If I did not
know that you were a brave little girl and
not frightened by shadows, I'd not tell
you this, for 1 cannot tell you the cause
more than this: Wherever there are decay
ing human bodies there is a gas generated
that rises and assumes the human form,
though indistinctly and not to be seen by
every one Now, there in the cemetery
see three of those pillars of blue flame,
of the place were visible from here"
did not doubt Jamie's seriousness in
what he said, and, though it puzzled me,
it did not scare me, for he told me it could
be accounted for by men of science, and
my faith in him was too unswerving for
me to doubt for moment anything saw
him convinced of, and it did not hinder
me from taking many long walk in the
lovely spot or from again spending many
an hour there in pleasant reverie and cas-
tie building in Spain.
During our residence there two other
persons told me they saw the same thing,
one young cousin, a delicate, gentle girl,
too gentle and conscientious to equivocate
and too accustomed to seeing such things
to be frightened at them. The other was
man in his prime, judge, and states
man of note, who saw it on two or three
different occasions while staying at our
house on visits. The first time he was
standing at his bedroom window, just
after his visit and did not know that there
was burial place SO close to the house.
After that he saw it from the piazza and
in the cemetery after dusk
Here give You my unvarnished tale. l
wish could give you the scientific why
and wherefore. This cannot do, though,
and you must rest content in your igno-
rance or find them cut for yourself Gin
cinnati Post