Newspaper Page Text
THE COUNTRYMAN.
19
son in pain. It was distinct, and repeated
at intervals of a few seconds. It seemed
to be under the sill of the window, and be
tween the clapboards and the ceiling.
They paid very little attention to it, and in
a short time it ceased. But afterwards it
returned in the same way, sometimes every
night, sometimes not so frequently, and al
ways in the same place, and of the same
character. It continued for some months.
He said it excited their curiosity, and an
noyed them, but they were not alarmed by
it. During its continuance they had the
ceiling and casing removed from the place
where it appeared to he, but found nothing
to account for it, and the sound continued
the same.
He consulted his friends, especially some
of his ministerial brethren, about it. I
think he said it was never heard by any
one except himself: but it was heard bv
them when he was absent from home. Mrs.
Leland said that often, when she was alone
of mind, and he resumed his usual position
in bed. Then, he said, it uttered a groan
too loud and startling to be imitated by the
human voice. The next groan was not so
loud, and it receded a step or two from the
front of the bed, near his face. It contin
ued to recede in the direction from which
it came, and grew less, until it reached its
old station, when it died away to the faint
est sound, and entirely and foi-ever ceased.
No explanation was ever found. * 1 have
given you’ said he, ‘ a simple and true his
tory of the facts, and you car. form your
own opinion. I have none.’ His wife con
firmed all he said. I think I can say I
never knew a person less given to the mar
velous than Elder Leland.”—The Country
man thinks there must have been some mis
take somewhere.
Fit and Unfit,
There are some things fit and proper for
the columns of a newspaper, and some
, . things are not fit anil proper for the col-
witli the children, and while they were ^ of a newspaper .
playing about the room, and nothing being
said, it would come, and they would leave
their play and gathei about her person.
They had a place 50 or 60 rods from
the house, by the side of a brook, where
the family did their washing. One day,
while She was at that place, it met her there
precisely as it had done in the house.
After the noise had been heard at biiet
intervals for, I think, 6 .or 8 months,
they removed their lodgings to quite an op
posite and distant part of the house*, but it
continued as usual for some time in its old
locality'. One ii'ght, after they had retir
ed, they observed, by the sound, that it had
left the spot whence it had previous
ly proceeded, and seemed to be advancing
in a direct line towards their bed, and was
becoming constantly louder and more dis
tinct.
At each interval it advanced toward
them, and gathered strength and fullness
until it entered the room where they were,
and approached the bed, when the groan
became deep and appalling. * Then,’ said
lie, ‘ for the first time since it began, T felt
the emot ion of fear.' I turned upon my face,
and if ever 1 prayed in my life, I prayed
then. I asked the Lord to deliver me and
my family from that annoyance, and that
if it were a message from Heaven, it might
be explained to us, and depart ; that if it,
were an evil spirit, permitted to disquiet me
and my family, it might be rebuked and
sent away f or, if there was anything for
me to do to make it depart, I might be
instructed what it was, so that I could do
I dont claim that this aphorism is very
profound, or very novel : but it will an
swer as an introduction to a few remarks
I have to make touching certain queries
which sometimes find their way into the
public journals.
My young friends who write queries tor
the “ Gossip” column of the F. & F. will
pardon me for saying that many of their
questions had better never be written,
much less published. I present a few of
them. In the number of the above journal
for Sept. 18th, Jennie of Mountain Home
Ga., writes:
“ I wish to know if a young lady who
has been very well raised, used to the best
society, and who is now dependent on her
own exertions for her support, can obtain a
situation in some respectable business in
your city. She is competent to fill a situ
ation in an office of any kind suitable for a
lady, and will be under lasting obligations
to the editor of the Field & Fireside if he
can aid her in obtaining one. She is of a
lespectable family, and can give the very
best of reference.”
If all that Jennie says of herself be true,
she is so much the more to blame for the
indelicacy of this public parade of her good
qualities and desires, instead of getting her
friends to go to work privately, and with
becoming delicacy, to cbtaiu for her the po
sition which she seeks.
In the. same number of the F. & F., Ju
lia says :
“ I was at. a party the other night, and
it.’ The exercise restored his tranquility I the hostess was dressed very plain indeed
—so much so that some of the rude and
gossipping young ladies made remaks about
it. I told them it was in good taste for the
lady of the bouse to dress plainly on such
occasions. Don’t you think I was right 1”
Miss Julia should know that there is
an unwritten code which governs the inter
course of ladies and gentlemen, in good so
ciety, whose regulations are suggested by
instinct, good taste, good breeding, and ob
servation, and whose requirements should
not be referred to the “ Gossip” column of
a newspaper.—That Petite Jane should
have enquired in a literary journal, for a
“ remedy for the itch”—oh ! horror of
horrors !
Julia appears again in the F. & F. for
Sept. 27th, and writes “can you tell me any
recipe promotive of beauty 1” And M. T. V.»
Rose Cottage, Ala., writes as follows :
1—“I have fallen completely in love
with the character of the brave and gallant
Col. Jack Morgan. I want to set my cap
for him, to “catch” him, as we. girls say.
Never having seen him, I.dont know how
to commence. Please tell me what, you
think will be the best plan 1—2—A girl en
gages herself to a young man wwo Won
leaves on business. He is absent a long
time, months, but does not write' What
should she do and think?—3—When a
young gentleman calls on a lady, should
she, when he leaves, ask him to call again ?”
Oh! Julia, and M. T. V. of Rose Cot
tage, Ala., if you must ask such silly ques
tions, propound them to your friends at
home, and don’t send them to a newspaper.
In the F. & F. .of Oct. 4th, someone
writes as follows :— “ I am in love with a
young lady in this town, but have not the
courage or resolution to tell her so. She is
about leaving town in a few days and will
be absent for a month or two. What do
jou think would be the best to do, w rite a
proposal or declaration to her, or declare
my love in person ?”
And in the same number some one else
writes as follows:—“ Is it unconstitutional
to address a young lady twice ? I love a
young lady with all the devotion of my na
ture—have told her so and been rejected.
What is your advice to a poor fellow V*
I make the same objection to the last two
questions that I have made to the balance.
It is decidedly indelicate to parade such
matters before the public. That it is al
most universally done in Northern papers
is no excuse for the same thing in Southern
papers. Our society is different. Do let
it remain so.