Evening star., 1935-08-11

after death and visit the other as
ghost. She was sitting one day alone
| in her chamber when she heard an
unusual sound of footsteps on the
stairs The door opened and her hus-
bands specter, gashed with a deep
wound across the forehead and in
military habilimentS, entered. She
was startled.
The ghost told her that when he
should visit her on other occasions
she would hear passing bell toll
and these words distinctly uttered
close to her ear: Nina. am here.
| On inquiry it was found her husband
had fallen in battle on the very day
she was visited by the vision. The
visits between the ghost and the
woman continued for some time until
| the latter had lain aside all terror.
One evening she went to ball and
permitted her thoughts to be alienated
by Florentine gentleman-more
| witty, more graceful and more gentle,
is it appeared to her, than any other
person she had ever seen. AS he was
! conducting her to dance a death bell
| tolled. Nina, lost in the fascination of
| the Florentine's attentions, did not
hear the sound. A second peal, louder
and more deep, startled the entire
company and when she looked in the
opposite mirror she saw the reflection
OF the ghost standing over her. She
died of terror"
Lord Byron contributed the tale:
"a young man who had taken orders
had been presented with a living on
the death of the incumbent. He ar
rived at the parsonage on a Satur-
day night. 1t was Summer. Waking
about o'clock in the morning, when
1t already was broad day, he saw a
venerable e-looking man. but with an
aspect exceedingly melancholy, sit
ting at a desk in the window reading.
Two beautiful boys were standing near
him whom he regarded with looks ex-
pressive of deepest grief. Presently
he rose from his seat, the boys fol-
lowed him, and they were no more
to be seen. The young man was
much troubled. He arose hesitating
whether he should regard what he
had seen as q dream or a waking
fantasy. To divert his attention he
walked toward the church where the
sexton already was preparing for the
morning service. The first sight that
struck him was a portrait, the exact
resemblance of the man he had seen
sitting in his chamber. 1t was the
| custom in this district to place the
portrait of each minister in the church
after his death.
Nothing further occurred until cold
weather came and the new minister
desired a fire to be lighted in the
stove In his room. But when it was
being cleaned out the bones of two
boys were found in che old ashes"
A third story written down by Shelly
on this occasion follows: Lord Lyt-
tleton and a number of friends were
Joined during the chase by stranger.
He was excellently mounted and dis
played such courage, or rather so
much desperate raShnesS. that no
other person In the nunt could follow
him. The gentlemen, when the chase
was over, invited the stranger to dine
with them. His conversation was of
a wonderful kind He sstounded, he
interested, he commanded the atten-
ton of the most inert. AS night
came on the company, being weary,
began to retire one by one, but much
later than their usual time.
1.-The most intelligent among them
were detained to the last by the fasci-
nation of the stranger. As he per-
ceived that they began to depart. he
! lredoubled his. efforts to retain them.