HACHTED HOUSE. 169 



by the existence of ghosts, of spooks impalpable, in- 

 tangible things infusing her blood in the system of a 

 frail being, it was unnatural, monstrous! In a few 

 weeks the child was dwindling to nothing, when my 

 wife began to be impressed with my idea and said : 

 we must bring her home, but did not think she would 

 ever get any better, that the nursing bottle would not 

 be any better, but in a few days the progress of the 

 child regaining her health was so manifest that she 

 got almost convinced, not quite, that was natural. . . . 

 Subsequently in the course of multiplication .she 



tried again herself. . but in vain and hereafter aU 



the children we have had were raised by the artificial 

 breast and all have done well, never been sick except 

 as ordinary children illnesses.= Now that my hob- 

 goblin digressions are over, let us return to those be- 

 lieving in the existence of such vagaries. During the 

 four years we remained amongst those harmless im- 

 aginary beings we had the visits of three or four 

 parties from Albany and Troy, two especially I remem- 

 ber well, one a gentleman from Albany whose name 

 was Mr. Mitch el or such name. I think he kept the 

 Congress Hotel where the Capitol is now. The place 

 was advertised for sale and he had an idea to buy it 

 After a few words of introduction he asked me about 

 the location, the quality of the land, etc., to all these 

 informations I answered categorically, minutely to 

 15 



