The Night-Side of Nature; Or, Ghosts and Ghost-SeersCrowe, Catherine
Religion
The Night-Side of Nature; Or, Ghosts and Ghost-Seers
Crowe, Catherine
Ghosts; Parapsychology
A family in one of the English counties, was a few years ago terribly
troubled by an unseen inmate who chiefly seemed to inhabit a large
cellar, into which there was no entrance except the door which was kept
locked. Here there would be a loud knocking—sometimes a voice
crying—heavy feet walking, &c., &c. At first, the old trustworthy
butler would summon his accolytes, and descend, armed with sword and
blunderbuss; but no one was to be seen. They could often hear the feet
following them up stairs from this cellar; and once, when the family had
determined to watch, they found themselves accompanied up stairs not
only by the sound of the feet, but by a _visible_ shadowy companion!
They rushed up, flew to their chamber, and shut the door, when instantly
they felt and saw the handle turned in their hand by a hand outside.
Windows and doors were opened in spite of locks and keys; but
notwithstanding the most persevering investigations, the only clew to
the mystery was the appearance of that spectral figure.
The knockings and sounds of people at work, asserted to be heard in
mines, is a fact maintained by many very sensible men, overseers, and
superintendents, &c., as well as by the workmen themselves; and there is
a strong persuasion, I know, among the miners of Cornwall, and those of
Mendip, that these visionary workmen are sometimes heard among them; on
which occasions the horses evince their apprehensions by trembling and
sweating; but as I have no means of verifying these reports, I do not
dwell upon them further.
When the mother of George Canning, then Mrs. Hunn, was an actress in the
provinces, she went, among other places, to Plymouth, having previously
requested her friend, Mr. Bernard, of the theatre, to procure her a
lodging. On her arrival Mr. B. told her that if she was not afraid of a
ghost, she might have a comfortable residence at a very low rate, “For
there is,” said he, “a house belonging to our carpenter, that is
reported to be haunted, and nobody will live in it. If you like to have
it, you may, and for nothing, I believe, for he is so anxious to get a
tenant; only you must not let it be known that you do not pay rent for
it.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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