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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