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A Haunted House

A Haunted House image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
February
Year
1876
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The following incident is from tlie autobiography of Dr. John Todd, receutly published: Hardly were they settled in their new home when there began to be runiors that the house they had occupied was "haunted. " It was a large three-storied house with briok endn, wood front and back. It was well lighted with a multitude of windows. It stood in the midst of a thick neighboriiood, other houses clustering around it. In short, there WUB Uouuijj .. i, out, thnt would lead ono to suspect i, was a place where ghosts would resort. It was not the place one would select for a murder to be ooinmitted ; and yet thf house was sjdd to be haunted. It stooü empty, and strange noises were heard in it. Sometimea it would Beem to be filled with groans, then again with sighs, and then the patter of little feet would be heard, and the wails of an infant. The neighbors became excited. Some heard noises of all sorts, some only one, and 8ome almost heard them. In the night, when all was stillness and darkness, the noises were the most fearful. Some feit aure that "all was not right there ;" some said ' 'strange secrets lie concealed within these walls ;" some were very sure that a murder had been committed there, and the dead one was haunting the place. They were not exactly sure whether the murdered one was a full-gro'ra man, as the many groans would seem to indioate, or whether it was a little child wiiose feet were pattering on the naked floor. They were almost afraid to go past the "haunted house" in the night, and no one even in the daytime dared to enter it. As I had occupied the house last, and as I had lost my little infant boy there, it was natural that I should hear of it ; and, though I believe no one actually accused me of murder, yet they shook their heads and arched tneir brows, and thought the whole thing wonderfully strange ! At first I paid no attention to it ; but as the hints became louder and the whispers deeper, and the murmurs clearer, I saw it would injure the character of the house and prevent the owner from renting it, even if it did not injure me. I must confess, however, that though I could never hear any noises as I passed by in the evening, yet the testimony of so many st ;s;ered me. I determined, therefore, to investígate it myself , and that very quietly. So I procured the keys, and, strange to say, went towards the house, and was seen to have the hardihood to enter it alone. The neighbors gathered round the front door in the street to watch the result. I said nothing, but went in. A few moments satisfied me about the little feet that pattered on the floor ! There had been many such, for the rata had made the house their headquarters, gnawing the floors, tearing off the paper from the walls, scattering the piaster, and leaving their little foot-prints very abundantly. But those groans ! I could find nothing that cast any light on them. The house was silent as a tomb. The sunlight streamed in the windows, and I had only to think over the hours of joy and sorrow I had passedthere. Thereïhadahappyhome, had rejoiced over my first-born child, and had there seen him breathe out his young spirit to God who gave it. From room to room I wandered, and all was silence till I opened the door of the chamber where my child died. Then instantly there was a sharp groan. What could it mean ? The people about the door heard it, and what an awful feeling of terror went through them. I was not frightened, but I was at a loss to account for it. It evidently had been called out by my opening the door. But the room was perfectly bare, not a thing in it. Soon the groan was repeated. I now went to the ohimney and tore away the nrehoard, and looked up. And there, just in the throat of the flreplace, was - not a ghost, but a shingle that had blown down and lodged in the 'throat so that it could swing backward and forward, and, when the wind blew, it would groan sharp, or shrill, or deep, accordiug to the strength of the wind. Thus it was that, on my opening the door and letting the wind into the room, the shingle swung and nearly filled the throat, and the air ruahed and groaned past it. I took pains to cali up the people, and I verily believe they wished rather to go home than to go in. I put back the fireboard and opened the door, made them hear the groans, took away the fireboard again, showed the shingle and how it rattled and groaned, then took it away, and put things back, and opened the door, and - there were no more groans. A little ratsbane scattered on the floor atopped "the pattering of little f eet," and the house ceased to be haunted ; and yet it was haunted as really as any one ever was, as I verily believe.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus