LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 413, 8 October 1875, Page 3

LITERATURE.

MARVELLOUS GHOST STORY,

11l ‘Glimpses of the Supernatural,’ a wotk edited by the ivcv F. G. Lee, Vicar of all Saints, Lambeth, appears the following strange story, furnished to the editor by a correspondent A brother of mine, a man who is the last person in the world to believe oyer much, or to be in the least degree superstitious, wishing to be near a particular town, and yet within easy reach of the permanent country residence of his nearest friend, was induced (A. D. 1862) to take over the remainder of the lease of an old-fashioned furnished mansion in Cheshire, where he, with his wife, children, and servants, in due course, went to reside. He was advised to take the place as

well, because of the reasonableness of the re it-for it was spacious and comfortably furnished —as by the recommendation of the Loudon house agents, a well-known firm in the West-end, with whom the letting of it rested. Soon after the arrival of the family and servants, the latter protested again and again that tney were disturbed almost every night by a continual ‘tramp, tramp’of heavy footsteps up the stairs, and along the narrow passage out of which were the doors which led to their bedrooms. They would have it that the house was haunted. The sounds were sometimes so loud and alarming that, as one of the servants remarked, ‘it seemed like a regiment of soldiers marching over creaking boards.’ Complaints were made to my brother, who merely said that the noise must be the result of wind under the joists, or of rats, and he laughed at the whole affair. Some of the servants gave warning and left. Still the sounds went on; not always, and every night, but with certain cessations, from time to time. In the autumn of the year 1863, a lady, her daughter of fourteen, and a maid, came to stay in the house ; and as the former was somewhat of an invalid a suite of rooms in the west wing, each communicating with the other, was apportioned to them. The second night after their arrival the lady suddenly awaking, saw in her bedroom a luminous cloud, which gradually appeared to be formed into the shape of an old man, with a most painfully depressing countenance, full of the deepest sorrow, and wearing a large full-bottomed wig. She tried to raise herself in bed, to see if it were not the effect of her half-waking fancy, or the result of a disturbed dream, but could not. The room, in which there was no natural light, seemed to be partially but quite sufficiently illuminated; and she felt confident that a spectre was before her. She gazed at it for some minutes, three at least, hearing the ticking of her watch and counting the seconds. There the apparation stood, and seemed to be making an effort to speak, while a strange, dull, inarticulate sound came up as if from the floor. Upon this, seeing the bell-rope hanging within the folds of the curtain at her right hand, she braced herself up to seize it, and gave it a most violent pull. Immediately she did this the face of the figure bore an expression of anger, and by degrees it faded away. The bell, which hung some distance away, was heard by no one, and she was compelled to lie ahme, for she feared to rise (though the apparition did not reappear) until the church clock near struck four, when, the morning having broken, she rose and dressed herself. In the morning, before she had said a word, her daughter, on meeting her, said, ‘ Oh, mamma, an old man in a great wig trampled through my room twice in the night. Who could it have been ?’ The lady being so impressed by these occurrences which her host and hostess would persist in saying were only the result of her own fancy, determined on leaving in the course of a few days (as she afterwards stated). On the following night she slept with a might-light, and the door in her maid’s room open. But the noise of tramping which had been hitherto heard only in the servants’ wing of the house, which was opposite, was now heard on the east side of it. ‘ Tramp, tramp, tramp !’ the sounds were heard constantly, without cessation; so much so that the master of the house, my brother, rose suddenly, that very night, thinking that thieves had broken in, and rushed out to the east passage. But all in a moment they stopped; nothing was to be heard ; nothing to be seen ; all was still. This occurred again and again. The lady left as arranged. The noises ceased for a while, and then began once more. It was with difficulty that any of the servants could be induced to remain, believing the house was haunted. About ten months after, my brother having forgotten all about the supposed spectre and the noises, had been out for the day, and re - turned home in a dog cart some time after midnight, in company with his groom. Only the housekeeper had remained out of bed, as his return was quite uncertain. The horse and trap were put up, both the servants had gone to their rooms, and my brother was taking some refreshment in the housekeeper’s apartment by the light of the fire, when all of a sudden a loud and decisive rap was heard at the door. Thinking, of course, that it was one of the servants, he replied, ‘ Come in.’ Before the words were out of his mouth the door opened, and the apparition of the old man in a large wig stood before him. My brother was paralysed with terror for a while. He could not speak ;he tried hard, as he says, but his mouth was dry, and his tongue motionless. ‘Good God!’ he exclaimed at length, ‘ am I awake or asleep, in my senses or gone mad?’ ) '■ i | The motionless figure, whose face was intensely sad, looked at him beseechingly. ‘ln God’s name, what do you want, or what can I do for you ?’ he asked. ‘Too late! nothing,’ was the mournful and somewhat inarticulate response. And with that the spectre suddenly vanished away. , At this moment a strong, loud, piercing, bitter wail, as of the voice of a woman, broke the silence. It seemed to come from the courtyard outside, and was repeated again and again around the upper part of the house. The scream was said to be like nothing human. The servants heard it, and the groom and housekeeper, with the others, as a consequt nee, came rushing down stairs. My brother, who is as brave and bold as he is remarkable for common sense, does not now dispute the reality of haunted houses. A few months afterwards he and his family left. And after he had given up possession he was informed on good and credible authority, that tradition confidently asserted the mansion to have been the residence of a disreputable hanger-on of William of Orange who is represented to have violently made away with one of his mistresses in that very house, in a room overlooking the park, now a disused lumber room at the east end. of the mansion. ' * ‘ ’ W