A REMARKABLE STORY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1057, 21 July 1882, Page 4

A REMARKABLE STORY.

The wife of Plugiueer Mellville, tlie gallant officer of the luckless Arctic explorin'; steamer Jeannette, tells the following story :—“ Although it has been more than three years since George left ns all here and went out on that ill-fated voyage, and although oceans of cruel waters and leagues of land have separated him from us, I have seen him twice within a vear. I retired to my room late at night. I)a s of anxious waiting for some news of the Jeanne-te without bringing a ray of hope had a'most caused me to despair of ever again seeing mv husband I had fallen into an uneasy sleep, from which one of the children moused me. It was, perhaps, more than an hour after this, and while I was wide awake, that I became aware of a strange presence in the room, and you may well imagine with what mingled feelings of joy and fear I heard George’s voice, and, looking up, saw him standing bv the bedside ; him as plainly as 1 now see von. He was saying ‘Count the beds! Count tlie bells!’ and, as he spoke, I distinct'y heard the hell of a ship striking two by two the stroke of the hour. * Count them ’ them continued, my husband, and I said ‘ Ves, George.’ [ remember that when the seventh stroke sounded I thought that if it was a ship’s bell there could he but one more, and, as the last sound died aw'ay, my husband said ‘ Eight bells; Jeannette is lost!’ and vanished from the room At that moment the sitting-room clock struck the hour of four, and it was the morning of the 11th of June. At that very hour, on th it very morning the Jeannette went down into the fathomless depths of the Arctic Ocean, and the ice floe closed over her grave. I’m no spiritulist.” continued Mrs. Mellville, “nor dolhelievein spirits. I do not attempt to explain what I have just told you, but it is, everv word of it, true. I never expected after that to hear of the safety of the crew of the Jeannette A few weeks after the occurrence which I have narrated, and at the same hour in the moring, T had risen for the day. and was in the hall which 'on see there. Again I saw my husband—nay, I even felt his breath in mv face. I was dreadfully startled, but had sufficient courage to call nut ‘ George, is that you 1’ when the figure disappeared as if swallowed up in the air.”

“ Dili von speak of this before 1’ said the astonished reporter. “Frequently," said Mrs Mellville, “ frequently to our little housemaid, and once to Mrs De Lons?, the unfortunate wife of the poor commander of the Jeannette Last summer, in the early fall. I met her at Philadelphia. She was hopeful, even confident, of the ultimate return of her hushand. I was east, down, and finally told her 'dinll have just related to you. She was disposed to laugh at me, but I told her that the Jeannette had been lost on ihe IHi of June. Alas'! for poor Mrs De Long, my prophecy was too true Here is a letter from her to my little girl on the "very day the nows came that Captfdn De Long’s dead body had been found.