The Eastern Window

Edmund Gill Swain (1861-1938) was an English cleric and author of ghost stories. He was a longtime friend of M. R. James, and his ghost stories show James' influence. 'The Eastern Window' is the peculiar tale of a vicar who sees something very odd one night in his church. It appears that a stained-glass window with the image of St. John the Baptist moves and points to the ruins of the old manor house nearby.

The vicar, Mr. Batchel, goes outside to investigate and sees a strange ghostly figure, who again indicates that he should go to the ruins. That night, with the intermittent moonlight, he can do little, but the next day he sets out to investigate....