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GHOSTS AND FAMILY LEGENDS.

A Volume for Christmas.

by

MRS. CROWE,

Authoress of "Night Side of Nature," &c.







London:
Thomas Cautley Newby, Publisher,
Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square.
1859.




CONTENTS.


                                                           _page_

    FIRST PART.

      PREFACE                                                   v

    ROUND THE FIRE.

      FIRST EVENING                                             1
        THE LOVER'S FAREWELL.
        _The Appointment Kept_.

      SECOND EVENING                                           19
        THE WHITE CAT.
        PASSING SPIRITS.
        THE GARDE CHASSE.

      THIRD EVENING                                            43
        THE CARRIER.

      FOURTH EVENING                                           63
        REHEARSALS, &C.
        PROPHETIC DREAMS.

      FIFTH EVENING                                            81
        THE VIGIL.
        THE STRANGE DOG.
        THE SCOTCH MINISTER.

      SIXTH EVENING                                            93
        THE RADIANT BOY.
        THE PREDICTION.
        HAUNTED HOUSES.
        THE JUSTIFICATION.

      SEVENTH EVENING                                         111
        THE GERMAN INN.
        THE BENIGHTED TRAVELLER.

      EIGHTH EVENING                                          135
        MY OWN VISIT TO A HAUNTED HOUSE.
        MR. G.'S ADVENTURE.
        CONCLUSION TO FIRST PART.

    APPENDIX                                                  149

        AUTOGRAPH LETTERS COMMUNICATING
        PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ADDRESSED TO THE AUTHOR.


    SECOND PART.

      LEGENDS OF THE EARTHBOUND.

        THE ITALIAN'S STORY                                   173

        THE DUTCH OFFICER'S STORY                             209

        THE OLD FRENCHMAN'S STORY                             229

        THE SWISS LADY'S STORY                                259

        THE SHEEP FARMER'S STORY                              297

        MY FRIEND'S STORY                                     327




PREFACE.


It happened that I spent the last winter in a large country mansion, in
the north of England, where we had a succession of visitors, and all
manner of amusements--dancing, music, cards, billiards, and other games.

Towards the end of December, 1857, however, the gaiety of the house was
temporarily interrupted by a serious misfortune that occurred to one of
the party, which, in the evening, occasioned us to assemble with grave
faces round the drawing-room fire, where we fell to discussing the
slight tenure by which we hold whatever blessings we enjoy, and the sad
uncertainty of human life, as it affects us in its most mournful
aspect--the lives of those we love.

From this theme, the conversation branched out into various speculations
regarding the great mysteries of the here and hereafter; the reunion of
friends, and the possible interests of them that have past away in the
well-being of those they have left behind; till it fell, naturally, into
the relation of certain experiences which almost everybody has had, more
or less; and which were adduced to fortify the arguments of those who
regard the future as less disjoined from the present than it is
considered to be by Theologians generally.

In short, we began to tell ghost stories; and although some of the party
professed an utter disbelief in apparitions, they proved to be as
fertile as the believers in their contributions--relating something that
had happened to themselves or their friends, as having undoubtedly
occurred, or to all appearance, occurred--only, with the reservation,
that it must certainly have been a dream.

The substance of these conversations fills the following pages, and I
have told the stories as nearly as possible in the words of the original
narrators. Of course, I am not permitted to give their names; nobody
chooses to confess, in print, that he or anybody belonging to him, has
seen a ghost, or believes that he has seen one. There is a sort of
odium attached to the imputation, that scarcely anyone seems equal to
encounter; and no wonder, when _wise_ people listen to the avowal with
such strange incredulity, and pronounce you at the best a superstitious
fool, or a patient afflicted with spectral illusions.

Under these circumstances, whether I have ever seen a ghost, myself, I
must decline confiding to the public; but I take almost as courageous a
step in avowing my entire and continued belief in the fact that others
do occasionally see these things; and I assert, that most of those who
related the events contained in the ensuing pages of this work,
confessed to me their absolute conviction that they or their friends had
actually seen and heard what they said they did.

Some of the company related curious traditions and legends connected
with their family annals; and these form the second part of this little
book, which I hope may prove a not uninteresting companion for a
Christmas fireside.

CATHERINE CROWE.

15th _October_, 1858.




GHOST STORIES

AND

FAMILY LEGENDS.




ROUND THE FIRE.

FIRST EVENING.


"But there are no ghosts now," objected Mr. R.

"Quite the contrary," said I; "I have no doubt there is nobody in this
circle who has not either had some experience of the sort in his own
person, or been made a confidant of such experiences by friends whose
word on any other subject he would feel it impossible to doubt."

After some discussion on the existence of ghosts and cognate subjects,
it was agreed that each should relate a story, restricting himself to
circumstances that had either happened to himself or had been told him
by somebody fully entitled to confidence, who had undergone the
experience.

We followed the order in which we were sitting, and Miss P. began as
follows:--

"I was some years ago engaged to be married to an officer in the ----
regiment. Circumstances connected with our families prevented the union
taking place as early as we had expected; and in the mean while Captain
S., whose regiment was in the West Indies, was ordered to join. I need
not say that this separation distressed us a good deal, but we consoled
each other as well as we could by maintaining a constant correspondence;
though there were no steam packets in those days, and letters were much
longer on their way and less certain in their arrival than they are now.
Still I heard pretty regularly, and had no reason for the least
uneasiness.

"One day that I had been out shopping, and had returned rather tired, I
told my mother that I should go and lie down for an hour, for we were
going out in the evening, and I was afraid I might have a head-ache, to
which I am rather subject; so I went up to my room, took down a book and
threw myself on the bed to read or sleep as it might happen. I had read
a page or two, and feeling drowsy had laid down the volume in order to
compose myself to sleep, when I was aroused by a knock at my chamber
door.

"'Come in,' I said, without turning my head, for I thought it was the
maid come to fetch the dress I was going to wear in the evening.

"I heard the door open and a person enter, but the foot was not her's;
and then I looked round and saw that it was Captain S. What came over me
then I can't tell you. I knew little of mesmerism at that period, but I
have since thought that when a spirit appears, it must have some power
of mesmerising the spectator; for I have heard other people who had been
in similar situations describe very much what I experienced myself. I
was perfectly calm, not in the least frightened or surprised, but
transfixed. Of course, had I remained in my normal state, I should
either have been amazed at seeing Captain S. so unexpectedly, especially
in my chamber; or if I believed it an apparition, I should have been
dreadfully distressed and alarmed; but I was neither; and I can't say
whether I thought it himself or his ghost. I was passive, and my mind
accepted the phenomenon without question of how such at thing could be.

"Captain S. approached the bedside, and spoke to me exactly as he was
in the habit of doing, and I answered him in the same manner. After the
first greeting, he crossed the room to fetch a chair that stood by the
dressing table. He wore his uniform, and when his back was turned, I
remember distinctly seeing the seams of his coat behind. He brought the
chair, and having seated himself by the bed side, he conversed with me
for about half-an-hour; he then rose and looking at his watch, said his
time had expired and he must go; he bade me good bye and went out by the
same door he had entered at.

"The moment it closed on him, I knew what had happened; if my hypothesis
be correct, his power over me ceased when he disappeared and I returned
to my normal state. I screamed, and seized the bell rope which I rang
with such violence that I broke it. My mother, who was in the room
underneath, rushed up stairs, followed by the servants. They found me on
the floor in a fainting state, and for some time I was unable to
communicate the cause of my agitation. At length, being somewhat calmed,
I desired the servants might leave the room, and then I told my mother
what had happened. Of course, she thought it was a dream; in vain I
assured her it was not, and pointed to the chair which, wonderful to
say, had been actually brought to the bedside by the spirit--there it
stood exactly as it had been placed by him; luckily nobody had moved it.
I said, you know where that chair usually stands; when you were up here
a little while ago it was in its usual place--so it was when I lay
down--I never moved it; it was placed there by Captain S.

"My mother was greatly perplexed; she found me so confident and clear;
yet, the thing appeared to her impossible.

"From that time, I only thought of Captain S. as one departed from this
life; suspense and its agonies were spared me. I was certain.
Accordingly, about a month afterwards, when one morning Major B. of the
---- regiment sent in his card, I said to my mother, 'Now you'll see; he
comes to tell me of Henry's death.'

"It was so. Captain S. had died of fever on the day he paid me that
mysterious visit."

We asked Miss P. if any similar circumstance had ever occurred to her
before or since.

"Never," she answered; "I never saw anything of the sort but on that
occasion."

"I have no experience of my own to relate," said Dr. W., "but in the
course of my late tour in Scotland, I went amongst other places to Skye,
and I found the whole island talking of an event that had just happened
there, which may perhaps interest you. There was a tradesman in Portree
of the name of Robertson; I believe he was a sort of general dealer, as
shopkeepers frequently are in those remote localities. Whatever his
business was, however, it frequently took him to the other islands or
the mainland to make purchases. He had arranged to go on one of these
expeditious, I think to Raasa, when a friend called to inform him that a
meeting of the inhabitants was to be held on some public question in
which he, Robertson, was much interested."

"'You had better defer going till after Friday,' said Mr. Brown; 'we
can't do without you, and its very possible you may not get back in
time.'

"'Oh, yes, I can do all my business, and be back very well on Thursday,'
said Mr. Robertson; objecting that if he waited over Friday it would be
no use going till Monday. Brown tried to persuade him to alter his
plans, but in vain; 'however,' said he, 'you may rely on seeing me on
Thursday, if you'll look in, in the evening; as I would not miss the
meeting on any account.'

"This conversation took place at an early hour on Tuesday morning.
Immediately afterwards Mr. Robertson bade his wife and children
good-bye, and proceeded to the boat which left at eleven o'clock, having
on board, besides himself, two other passengers, and two boatmen.

"On Thursday evening, Mr. Brown, who had been busying himself in
fortifying and encouraging their adherents against the next day, and had
taken upon himself to answer for his friend Robertson's presence, as
soon as he had finished business, set off to keep his appointment with
the latter, anxious to ascertain that he was arrived.

"His anxiety was soon relieved, for on his way he met him.

"'Well, here you are,' said he, holding out his hand.

"'Yes,' answered Robertson, not appearing to notice the hand, 'I have
kept my promise.'

"Upon that Mr. Brown introduced the subject of the meeting, and
mentioned the hopes he had of carrying the question, with which
Robertson seemed satisfied; but as soon as possible turning the
conversation into another direction, he began talking to his friend
about his wife and children, and certain arrangements he had wished to
be made respecting his property.

"His mind seemed so much more engrossed with these matters than the
meeting, that little was said upon the latter subject, and Mr. Brown,
having parted with him in the street, rather wondered why he chose such
a moment to discuss his private affairs.

"The next morning, at the appointed hour, the principal inhabitants of
the place assembled in a public room at the Tun. Brown, who wanted to
say a word to Robertson, lingered at the door; but as he did not come,
he thought he must have arrived before himself, and went up stairs.

"'Is Robertson here?' said he, on entering the room.

"'No,' said one, 'I'm afraid he's not come back from Raasa.'

"'Oh, yes,' said Brown, 'he'll be here; I saw him yesterday evening.'

"They then discoursed about the matter in hand for some time, till
finding the chairman was about to proceed to business, Robertson's
absence was again reverted to.

"'I know he's come back,' said one, 'for I saw him standing at his own
door as I passed last night.'

"'He can't have forgotten it,' said another.

"'Certainly not, for we spoke of it last night,' said Brown.

"'Perhaps he's ill,' suggested somebody.

"'Just send your man to Mr. Robertson's, and say we are waiting for
him,' said Brown to the landlord.

"The landlord left the room to do so; and, in the meantime, they
proceeded to business.

"Presently, the landlord re-entered the room, saying, that Mrs.
Robertson answered that her husband had not returned from Raasa, and
that she did not much expect he would be back till night.

"'Nonsense,' cried Brown, 'Why, I saw the man yesterday according to
appointment, and had a long conversation with him.'

"'I am sure he's come back,' said one who had spoke before. 'I was
coming down the street on the other side of the way, and I saw him
standing at the door with his apron on. I should have crossed over to
speak to him, but I was in a hurry.'

"'It's extraordinary,' said the landlord: 'Mrs. Robertson declares he's
not come.'

"Some jokes were then passed about the apparent defection of Robertson
from his spouse, and the meeting concluded their business without him,
his party being exceedingly annoyed at his absence, which they thought
not fair to the cause.

"'He should have given us his support.'

"'I suppose he has altered his opinions.'

"'Then he had better have said so.'

"'It struck me, certainly, that he was rather lukewarm on the subject
when I talked to him last night; but on Tuesday I saw him just before he
started, and he said he would not miss the meeting on any account. I'll
go and look after him and know what he means.'

"Accordingly, Brown proceeded to his friend's house, and found Mrs.
Robertson and her children at dinner.

"'Weel," Mr. Brown,' she said,'so your meeting's over.'

"'Aye,' said he, 'but where's Robertson? Why didn't he keep his word
with us?'

"'Why, you see, I dare say he meant to be back--indeed, I know he did:
but business won't be neglected, and I suppose he could not manage it.'

"'Do you mean to say he's not come back!' said Brown.

"'Sure, I do,' answered Mrs. R. 'Of course, he'd have been at the
meeting if he had.'

"'But people saw him last night, standing at his own door,' answered the
cautious Brown.

"'Na, na, Mr. Brown, don't you believe that,' said Mrs. R., laughing