The Haunters & The Haunted eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 422 pages of information about The Haunters & The Haunted.

The Haunters & The Haunted eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 422 pages of information about The Haunters & The Haunted.

It had been for some time reported in the neighbourhood that a poor unmarried woman, who was a member of the Methodist society; and had become serious under their ministry, had seen and conversed with the apparition of a gentleman, who had made a strange discovery to her.  Mr Hampson, being desirous to ascertain if there was any truth in the story, sent for the woman, and desired her to give an exact relation of the whole affair from her own mouth, and as near the truth as she possibly could.  She said she was a poor woman who got her living by spinning hemp and line; that it was customary for the farmers and gentlemen of that neighbourhood to grow a little hemp or line in the corner of their fields, for their own home consumption, and as she had a good hand at spinning the materials she used to go from house to house to inquire for work; that her method was, where they employed her, during her stay to have meat and lodging (if she had occasion to sleep with them) for her work, and what they pleased to give her besides.  That, among other places, she happened to call in one day at the Welsh Earl Powis’s country seat, called Redcastle, to inquire for work, as she usually had done before.  The quality were at this time in London, and had left the steward and his wife, with other servants, as usual, to take care of their country residence in their absence.  The steward’s wife set her to work, and in the evening told her that she must stay all night with them, as they had more work for her to do next day.  When bed-time arrived, two or three of the servants in company, with each a lighted candle in her hand, conducted her to her lodging.  They led her to a grand room, with a boarded floor and two sash windows.  The room was grandly furnished, and had a genteel bed in one corner of it.  They had made her a good fire, and had placed her a chair and a table before it, and a large lighted candle upon the table.  They told her that was her bedroom, and she might go to sleep when she pleased, they then wished a good night and withdrew all together, pulling the door quickly after them, so as to hasp the springsneck in the brass lock that was upon it.  When they were gone she gazed a while at the fine furniture, under no small astonishment that they should put such a poor person as her in so grand a room and bed, with all the apparatus of fire, chair, table, and candle.  She was also surprised at the circumstance of the servants coming so many together, with each of them a candle; however, after gazing about her some little time, she sat down and took out of her pocket a small Welsh Bible which she always carried about with her, and in which she usually read a chapter—­chiefly in the New Testament—­before she said her prayers and went to bed.  While she was reading she heard the room door open, and, turning her head, saw a gentleman enter in a gold-laced hat and waistcoat, and the rest of his dress corresponding therewith. (I think she was very particular in describing

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The Haunters & The Haunted from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.