Adopting an Abandoned Farm

s and prudent reader, "are th

Sights on 'em! Why, there's one as walks in our parish, reglar as the clock strikes twelve-and always the same round, over church-stile, round the corner, through the gap,

say that Black Ben, the poacher, have riz, and what's more, walked slap through all the squire's steel traps, without springing on 'em.

D, The Gri

, so empty, so chilly with a sort of supernatural chill, so silent, that imagination conjured up sounds such as I had never heard before. I had been told of an extremely old woman, a great-great-grandmother, bed-ridden, peevish, and weak-minded, who had oc

lf. For it seemed that she was still there, still propped up in an imaginary bed, mumbling incohere

astonish the family by appearing at the door. When the grand-daughter was

ortière concealed the gloom. So a cheerful cretonne soon was hung. Then the fancy came that the curtain stirred and swayed as if some one or something was groping feebly with ghostly

ver ran down my back!) I remembered hearing that a woman had been killed by falling down the steep cellar stairs, and the spot on the left side where she was found unconscious a

brave and go at once and look boldly down the cellar stairs and draw aside that waving portière. Oh, dear! If I only had some one to go with me and hold a light and-there it is-t

ere." But Tom, my six-footer

len sat reading the Ledger, deep in the horrors of The Forsaken Inn. "Ellen, I'm ashamed, but I'm rea

ght be a ghost, for there are such things (Heaven help us!), and I'v

seen g

nd if you do you will surely die." Tom now came in and soon satisfied me that there was no

d been tossing about restless like, and her arm was flung over me. All at once I saw a lady standing by the side of the bed in her night dress and looking earnestly at the child beyond me. She then came nearer, took Maud's arm off me, and gently straightened her in bed, then stroked her face, both cheeks-fondly, you know-and then stood and looked at the child. I said not a word, but I wasn't one bit afr

ss, 'that is surely th

would take up something and shake it at her. And once when we were going up-stairs together Alice screamed, and said that her mother was at the top of the stairs and blew her cold br

e the lady in wh

and they have both ghosts and fairies and banshees too, and many's the story I've heard over there, and from my own dear mother's lips, and she would no

of your own-your very best."

f dear old Ireland. O Miss, when you go over, don't forget my native place. It has a real castle and a part of it is haunted, and the master doesn't like to live there-only comes once a yea

e are wandering away from your ghosts, and

s still. Then I went into my room again, and left the door open, as I thought Miss Lacy would feel more comfortable about it, and I was hardly in my bed when she called again and screamed out with fear, for It was hopping round the bed. She said I must go down-stairs and bring a candle. So I had to go down-stairs to the pantry all alone and get the candle. Then I searched as before, but found nothing-not a thing. Well, my dear, I went into my room and kept my candle lighted this time. The third time she called me she was standing on her pillow, shivering with fright, and begged me to bring the light. It was sad, because she was stone blind. She told me how It went hopping around

rit!)-she would never tell a word that was not true-she saw a ghost hopping in that way, tied-like, jumping around a bed-blue as a blue bag; just after the third day she was buried, and my mother (the Lord bless her soul!) told me the sons went to her grave and loosened the cords and she never

awthorne would have been able to weave into th

om's own brother; and now the poor young man who was going home at midnight saw a light in one of the houses by the road, so he turned toward it, thinking to light his pipe. Just before knocking, he looked in at the window. As soon as he peeped in the light went out on him, and still he could see crowds of people, as thick as grass, just as you see 'em at a fair-so thick they hadn't room to stand-and they kept swaying back and forth, courtesying like. The kitchen was full, and looking through a door he saw a lot more of fine ladies and gentlemen; they were laughing and having great fun, running round the table setting out cups and saucers, just as if they were having a ball. Just then a big side-board fell over with a great crash, and all the fine people scampered away, and all was dark. So he turned away on his heel and was so frightened, his mother said, he could hardly get home from fear, and he had three whole miles to go. Next day he was thrashing corn in the barn and something upset him and pitched him head foremost across the flail. He rose, and three times he was pitched like that across the flail, so he gave up and went home. His mother asked him: 'Johnny, what is the matter with you? You do look very bad!' So he up and told her what had happened to him in the barn, and what he saw the night before. And he took suddenly sick and had to keep his bed for nine weeks, and when he got up and was walking around, he wasn't himself any more, and the sister says to the m

t more?"

! And that's all as true as ever could be true, for it's myself knew the old m