Year: 1874

"AND after that old Mis- Watkins
ghost haunted that place It'll yer Pa pull
ed the old house down" Thus Aunt
Polly concluded her story, with the air
of one who relished and appr eciated a
good orthodox ghost story, just as a col
leCtOr rejoices over some rare old coin or
an antiquarian gloats over some choice
and genuine relic.


Aunt Polly 50 called in the family, was
the village tailoress. Just now she was
doing up" our fall work, and we child
rem had gathered around her that evening
begging for story, which she did not
require much urging to tell, for she was
not only fond Of talking, but she had
that power of fixing the attention of her
auditors which was to be gained from
firm belief in her own stories.


She was engaged in refining the sleeve
ofJohn's overcoat, cut down from one of
his fathers, land with pressing board
upon L5r knee, she reached out for the
flatii 4 she had heating upon the stove
ascertaining its degree of heat with her
wettinger and then vigorously pressing
open the seam.


Little Joe, who had been cracking
hickory nuts behind the stove on a
smooth stone which he held between his





seated near the lamp running her long
darning needle in and out the toe of a
well-worn blue wOolen stocking


John with his jack knife and gimlet,
was altering the straps on his skates
He started nervously when the hickory
wood snapped suddenly in the stove.


Father who held up the county ga
zette before his face as if he were reading,
was evidently not pleased with the i'm
preston left upon us children by Aunt
Polly's story. / had been watching his
face for knew how much he dislked to
have superstitious fears implanted in
our minds; | was therefore entirely
taken by surprise when instead of the
disapproval which [ expected to hear
him express, he said: "Why that's not
the worst Of if Aunt Polly--old bIrs.
watkins ghost actually paid us visit
after the new house was built"


CHOW, du tell, Deacon Samson!
Who'd a thought it! Did you ever!" and
Aunt Polly held her iron so long on one
spot that there was slight smell of
scOrched cloth pervading the room
which speedily recalled her to her
work.


II would tell you all about it, if
thought you would recognize the relation
ship between Aunt Pollys ghost and
mine," continued my father; to which
condition, having about it to us the vague
ness Of an ancient oracle, we aSsented;
and father, taking off his spectacles and
placing them on the table beside him, be-
gan the story.


"When your mother and / were first
married we bought this place, where at
that time stood the old house ofwhich
Aunt Polly has just now been telling you.
The neighbers said to me: You're not
going to live in that old haunted house,
are you?' | told them [ was not; that
should pull it down-not, however, for
fear of ghosts but the old rockery was
really not habitable. The rats and mice
had full possession, and | think they
haunted the place more than poor old
Mrs. Watkins. "You see, children, | am
not afraid Of ghosts"


Aunt Polly did not like the insinuation
contained in this last remark, and she
spoke rather sharply as she replaced her
iron on the stove and blew out spark
from burnt corner of the holder. 'T
thought you said Mis- Watkins ghost
haunted the new house."


"You shall hear. AS have just said,
we pulled the old house down and clear
ed up the premises, and in the spring
built this nice, snug farmhouse. When
we moved here we were the happiest
Young couple you would find anywhere,
and don't know but that now we are the
happiest old couple, eh, mother?" and
father turned towards her with tender
ness in his tone which was in itself an
answer to his question.


eve had so many farm hands that we
couldn't get along without help, so by
dint of much persuading we got one of
the farmers daughters, Mary Ann Jones,
from the next town to come and live with
us for the first year; and Ben Smithers
agreed to work the farm with me on
shares. Everything went on so smoothly
that for time don't think we should
have had one single perplexity if it had
not been for Mis- Watkins ghost.'"


Here my father paused in his story to
take down his pipe from the mantelshelf
and could see that he and mother ex.
changed glances, but as mother leaned
down closely over her work | could not
find out if she was laughing or if it was
a sigh which she smothered in the huge
blue wooden stocking which she for the
moment held up to her face.


"Do go on, pa" cried little Joe.


"Well, don't be impatient, my lad
said father, slowly giving few kindly
espuffs to the pipe, over which he held q
\ hickory coal with the tongs.


"Among the few modern improvements
in our new house had a bell at the from
door in place of the oldfashioned brass
knockel. One morning we were startled
rather early by violent ring at this from
door bell l rose in great haste ant
dressed myself, fearing it might be som,
bad news from the old folks, your grand
father and grandmother, who lived il
North Springfed; for our neighbors al
wavs came rouni to the back door--ir
fact the front door was hardly opened
en- e a month, and the front path wa
pretty we'll grown shut with grass.
pened the door. Nobody was there
Thinking that the visitor had got tired 0
waiting while | dressed and had gon,
round TO the back door, I opened that