Broadsides; Chapbooks; Street literature -- Great Britain
else than only laying his hand upon her to discover of what sex she
was, which he had just time to do, when she threw off the bed clothes,
and getting up, walked three or four times round the room, as she had
done before, and then, standing awhile before the door, opened it, went
out, and shut it after her. The young gentleman percieving by this in
what manner the room was haunted, rose up and locked the door on the
inside, and then laid down again, and slept till morning, at which
time the master of the house came to know how he did, and whether he
had seen anything or not. He told him there was an apparition appeared
to him, but he begged as a favour that he would not urge him to say
anything further until the family were altogether. The gentleman
complied with his request, telling him, so long as he was well he was
satisfied.
The desire the whole family had to know the issue of this affair, made
them dress with more expedition than usual, so that there was a general
assembly of the gentlemen and ladies before eleven o’clock, not one
of them being willing to appear in her dishabille. When they were all
together in the great hall, the young gentleman told them that he had
one favour to desire of the ladies before he would say anything, and
that was, whether any of them had lost a ring. The young gentlewoman,
from whose finger it was taken, having missed it all the morning, and
not knowing how she lost it, was glad to hear of it again, and readily
owned she wanted a ring, but whether lost or mislaid, she knew not.
The young gentleman asked her if that was it, giving it into her hand;
which she acknowledging to be hers, and thanking him, he turned to his
kinsman, the master of the house:--
“Now, sir,” said he, “I can assure you,” taking the young lady by the
hand “this is the lovely spirit by which your chamber is haunted,” and
thereupon repeated what has been related.
Words cannot express the confusion of the young lady at this relation,
who declared herself perfectly ignorant of all that he said; but
believed it might be so because of the ring, which she perfectly well
remembered she had on when she went to bed, and knew not how she had
lost it. This relation gave the company a great deal diversion; and
after all the father declared, that since his daughter had already
gone to bed to his kinsman, it should be his fault if he did not go
to bed to his daughter, he being willing to bestow her upon him, and
give her a good portion. This generous offer was so advantageous to
the young gentleman, that he could by no means refuse it; and his
bedfellow, hearing what her father had said, was easily prevailed upon
to accept him for her husband.
A DIALOGUE BETWEEN DEATH AND A SINNER.
[Illustration]
COMPOSED BY A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER.
DEATH.
May we come, by heaven’s decree,
For I am here to summons thee;
And whether thou’rt prepared or no,
So unresisting thou must go.
SINNER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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