The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-24


sleeplcas Afterwards got bold
suouSii to Peep through tho cat hole
IN the garrett door IL tho sun was shin
Ing. and onco 1 crcpt up b. myself
and looked at tho funny littlo cradle.
Let's burn 1t up. NANNY" ] Won
tured to susGest after a night OF vio-
lent rocking.
miss repentance. Sho got to cum on
rock fore sho gifts good ana settled
mp yopdcr. Shc lef' her chlle-you
see"
As we lay tucked UP In our beds.
NANNY would rock also and Groom:
20 God--my hearts, hxcd--is fixed!
fixed! fixed! fixed! O--God--my heart
is liked" and tho wind would howl
over tho chimney tops. and tho screoch
owl would cry from the weeping will
low limbs. and tho little wooden cradle
would go bip--biI-bip.'"
When I was about eight years old
my mother and I. on lonely spring
evening. walked to the front cato. AS
We stood gazing upon the last tints
Of the sunset. Aunt Sally Johnson. q
fine OR ncgress, came along the road
driving home hor cows. She stopped
to greet us, har cows browsing tho
sweet grass along the road bod. Tho
sun was cold down, and ahrilly upon
cock.
"Um-um," said Aunt Sally. rooster
crow after shutdown sho' sign OF
death" She mado for her unwilling
kline, and We watched her str!ding
alons In her akinlp cotton frock until
she got out of sight.
The next day company c1mo for
dinner Aunt Sally was tha neighbor-
hood cake makor" and my mother
mi In GoIa tr 70
got her to mako her n 'rbutter- SPONGE"
II trotted along In tho dreamy sun
shine, pulling the flowers that bloomcd
In My way When I got to Aunt Sal
iy's her husband. Uncle Chillcs, was
seated In the square lttle yard made
hard and bare by tho constant picking
OF the restless hens. IIe was leaning
OIL his hickory stick and looked very
grave. where's Aunt Sally" asked
ohaerily, glad for tho prospect of a
'butter-sponGc"
Uncle Chilles raised his stict solemn
ly and pointed to his house door. Off
ran and stopped suddenly just with
In the threshold. Upon the Wide four
poster was rigid form covered with
snowy shoot I heard again the
cocks shrill cry after sunaet, and
Aunt sally's words--hut how. how
was my terrified quory. how, did tho
rooster known
a few years later was watching
ehautlful young nurt ns sho tried
on soft. filmy gown. Suddenly ahe
fairly tore II off. crying; "Ah! mol nh!
mol" and put her auburn head into hor
mothers lap weeping ga IL her heart
would break.
1t was not long before sae lay very,
very still In tho came soft white gown
-she must have caught the far notes
or Go&a call as she tried It on.
The ghosts at Timber Necls,- my
birthplace. were tho great heant which
crouched in the drawing room and
toll old woman In Sraveclothea with IL
white 'korchief tied under har chin,
Mother could be explained, ana their
appearance had no apparent Higuif-
canoe When there wap gay company In
tho drawing-room the old woman
would appear outside the window. Ona
of tho company would SEQ her and ex
claim: "1'hero she ial" then O hush
would fall upon tbs crowd.
OF summer afternoons when the fam
lily sat upon tho porch she would stand
within tho drawing-room and wistful-
ly look out. mover aaw her, and nm
sorry--but those truated did. Minor
ovonts always occur to mo after certain
sensations.
My nose ltches violently ana an I'M
lid quiveFs and soon I weep My left
lid auivars and something makes me
laugh. When tho death knell peals
within my car. l am afraid; pray
Places must possess age before they
can claim tho privilege OF ghost
Thoy must have the dust OF years In
the gaTreta, and old things about oa,
fore the dtsemo adied viii honor them
Whoever could imagine ghost in D
silt chair or folding bcd7 They
haunt mellow places, and NIT about
w'alnaeoted rooms, and dart UP broad
scairways over which century or
moro has rolled.
Virginia has ghosts, but not one In
staHao eNlata or n new house holding
one. There must DO timo enough for
history. Gro mystery Will prevail
Thomas ]. Hudson-that scient!fio
explorer OF mental therapoutics-af-
firms without hesitation that "impalp-
able shapes resembling persons de-
ceased do from tllne to tims appear
to tho living" This fact. more sim
ply put, was impressed upon my mind
In the years of my adolescence by tho
colored folk In whom thon had moro
faith than. probably. now have in
this eminent psychical authority.
AfteE my first six years OF existence
waa promoted from the nursery to
my era ndmother's chamber. from n
truckle-bed to O. carved tester, to which
] climbed nightly over four polished
mahoSany steps. There I lay watch
Ing tho leaping shadows on tho wall
and listening TO the smothered conyor-
sation OF Quota" and "Tildy"; the
former, my grnndnlothers maid: tho
latter. mine. They didn't mean mo to
hear. but my cara were sharp.
Ono cold night. tho eleet was rat
Ting against tho shutters and tho wo-
men were whispering by tho fire.
"Dilsey. Jacks gwlno way FUN u.s."
Quota dcpoHed
"How SOP TiIdy asked.
She's Ill sick, and sllo dono feel
her oickness comm on her some time.
sue cum TO INC ono mornin' an sho
say: Good mornin'. Quota. how you
J fecl?' I don feel 80 good. Sis Dilsey.'