Halloween Countdown, Day 17

[eldritchhobbit]

Text of the Day: Today's story is an eerie one: "The Little Room" by Madelene Yale Wynne (1847–1918).

Excerpt: "My mother was in the front hall still talking with Aunt Hannah. She didn't hear me at first but I ran out there and dragged her through the front room, saying, 'The room is here -- it is all right.'

"It seemed for a minute as if my mother would faint. She clung to me in terror. I can remember now how strained her eyes looked and how pale she was.

"I called out to Aunt Hannah and asked her when they had had the closet taken away and the little room built; for in my excitement I thought that that was what had been done.

"'That little room has always been there,' said Aunt Hannah, 'ever since the house was built.'

"'But mamma said there wasn't any little room here, only a china-closet, when she was here with papa,' said I.

"'No, there has never been any china-closet there; it has always been just as it is now,' said Aunt Hannah.

"Then mother spoke; her voice sounded weak and far off. She said, slowly, and with an effort, 'Maria, don't you remember that you told me that there had never been any little room here? and Hannah said so too, and then I said I must have dreamed it?'

"'No, I don't remember anything of the kind,' said Maria, without the slightest emotion."

Read the Complete Story: Here.

Comments

[ankh-hpl.livejournal.com]

LOVE the graveyard pic today! Where was it taken?

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

It gave me such a chill! I'm glad to hear you love it, too. I was so grateful that the photographer, Jeff Corwin, made it available for blog posting. It's from Monumental Cemetery in Milan, Italy.

[rhi]

Man. You always find the most *gorgeous* photos for Halloween. Thank you!!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I'm so pleased you enjoy them! Thank you. I have ridiculous fun searching them out. I'm really grateful that so many terrific photographers are willing to make their pictures available for blog posting.

[homespunheart.livejournal.com]

Love the picture! Thank you for the eerie and beautiful graveyard pictures this year...they set a perfect mood. And this is quite a story!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so pleased you're enjoying the graveyard pictures! Some of the sculptures are wonderfully chilling, I think. Thank you so much for reading the countdown. *hugs*

Has anyone read stories by Elia Wilkinson Peattie ?

[rossart1.livejournal.com]

Professor Amy, As I read the story “The Little Room” again, I was reminded of some ghostly stories by
Elia Wilkinson Peattie 1862 – 1935, here are some links to some of her writings.
Her Ghost stories, one in particular goes with the same vain as the story today. It is titled “The House that Was Not”
http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/peattie/gs_links.html

Read an essay about, “The Invisible World: Elia Peattie's Ghost Stories” http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/peattie/gs.html

Thanks for so many great short stories each October season, I know it is a lot of web work, I think that you seem to love doing this.
Thanks again, Robert

Re: Has anyone read stories by Elia Wilkinson Peattie ?

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is fantastic! Thank you so much for these links. I think now, thanks to you, Elia Wilkinson Peattie needs to make an appearance on the countdown soon...

[i-llbedammned.livejournal.com]

What is that a picture of?

The room part of the story reminds me a lot of House of Leaves.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

It's a sculpture on a grave from Monumental Cemetery in Milan, Italy - death, presumably, carrying off the woman.

Oh, I see what you mean! Good catch! :)