said he, 'as we have already lost
more than half an hour; but the next best thing we can do is to stop at
the first house we come to, and see if we can find out anything
concerning the apparition which appeared to you in the church.'"

"We soon stopped before the door of a small log house, and at our
summons a pleasant-looking woman appeared. To the inquiries of the old
clergyman as to the appearance by which I had been so much alarmed, she
replied:"

"'Oh, it's the crazy minister, sir. He used to preach in that old
church; but he's been crazy for a long time, and often he dresses
himself in a long white robe, and goes and sits in the pulpit of that
old church all day. He's very gentle, she added, turning to me, 'and
wouldn't hurt anybody for the world; but I don't wonder you got a good
fright.' So ends my ghost story; and now, if you are ready for more
horrors, I will tell you my other adventure."

"Our detention near the old church, and the state of the roads, rendered
heavy by late rains, made it impossible for us to reach the town at
which we had hoped to spend the night; and we had made up our minds that
we would stop at the first _promising_-looking establishment we should
see, when the coming up of a sudden storm left us no option, but made us
hail gladly the first human dwelling we came to, though that was but a
rough, rambling old hut, built of unhewn logs."

"There was only an old woman at home when we stopped at the door, and I
fancied she looked rather _too well pleased_ when we asked if she could
accommodate us for the night. I must confess to you, my dear children, I
felt rather nervous after the fright of that afternoon; I, who used to
boast that I was ignorant of the fact of possessing such a thing as
nerves; but I do think I must have been nervous, for very little things
troubled me that evening, and my imagination had never been so busy
before. In a very few moments, an old man, and three strapping,
rough-looking youths, entered, with their axes over their shoulders, and
dripping with rain; and now I began to imagine that I saw suspicious
glances passing between these young men, and I certainly heard a long
whispered conversation pass between two of them and the old woman in the
next room. I looked towards my old friend the clergyman; but he, good,
unsuspicious old soul, was nodding in his chair by the log fire. I grew
more and more uncomfortable, and heartily wished we had jogged on in the
pelting