Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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The Mary Bald ' d ' in Scmiyiary. 9 When Alexander came to the (jld wizard to learn the future of his kingdom, he was told to go at midnight to a neighboring plain and there to fight a spirit in guise of his worst enemy. Although the King conquered in the combat, he received a wound from which he ever afterward suffered on the anniversary of his victory. THE TRANSGRESSION OF DEACON BROWN. It was Saturday, the last day of the hunting season. All day Joe Brown had tramped the woods in hopes of getting one luore buck before the law interposed on behalf of the persecuted animal. But his labor was thrown away. The wil ' deer apparently know that this was their last day of danger and seemed determined to keep in hiding till to-mor- vow, when they might come out to water in safety under the protecting wings of the law. When Joe. weary and dispirited with his fruitless hunt, placed his gun behind his door, it contained the same load it had carried in the morning when he started out. As the tall Dutch clock in the corner struck the hour of nine on Sunday morning. Deacon Brown — for Joseph like his ancestors of the last ten generations, was a deacon in the neighboring church — stood before his mirror putting the finish- ing touches to his toilet preparatory to .setting out for service. Suddenly a shadow falling across the door-way attracted his his attention. For an instant his heart stopped beating — he shook himself to see if he was dreaming. No, it was really true ! There, not five yards from him stood a splendid buck, lightly poised on three legs, while with head high in air he sniffed the morning breeze. It was but the work of an instant to seize the loaded rifle from behind the door, and level it at the breast of the unsus- pecting animal, but, in the excitement of the moment, Joseph ' s usuall} ' steady nerves failed him and the bullet buried itself in

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8 The Annual of it is in the form of an old woman with blue mantle and stream- ing hair A superstition of the same kind is, I believe, uni- versally received by the inferior ranks of the native Irish. Death was often announced to certain families by sounds ' In the Highland family of M ' Lean of Lochbuy, the spirit of an ancestor slain in battle was heard to gallop along a stony bank and then to ride three times around the family residence ring- ing his fairy bridle and thus intimating the approaching ca- lamity. That the eye as well as the ear may be deceived very easily is evident from many stories of armies in the air and oth- er remarkable sights with which history abounds, Such an apparition was once witnessed on the side of Southfell moun- tain, between Penrith and Keswich. The apparition consisted of several troops of horses, moving in regular order steadily and rapidly. They made a wide sweep around the fell and seemed to the spectators to disappear over the ridge of the mountain. Many persons witnessed the supposed phenome- non, and observed the last of the supposed troops leave the ranks and gallop to the front where he resumed the same pace. This like most such visions may be accounted for by optical deception. There were malicious spirits, too, as well as friendly ones. Among these was the River Demon. He frequented most Highland lakes and rivers, and one of his most memorable ex- ploits was the distruction of a funeral procession. The forest of Glenmore in the North Highlands is believed to be haunted by a spirit called ' Lham-dearg, ' ' dressed as an ancient war- rior, having a bloody hand whence comes his name. He in- sists upon all who meet him doing battle with him, and the clergyman who makes up an account of the district, gravely as- sures us that in his time Lham-dearg fought with three broth- ers, none of whom long survived the ghostly combat. The tale of the host in ' Marmion is .similar to this. As the story goes, Sir Hugo of Gilford Castle was a wizard and the founder of Goblin-Hall, On this There never toiled a mortal arm. It all was wrought by word and charm.

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lo The Anmial of the deer ' s shoulder instead of in the vital part at which it had been aimed. With a o:reat bound the wounded buck shot off across the field, hotly pursued by Deacon Brown whose Sun- day coat-tails flapped madly in the wind. On and on they flew, the Deacon trying at every step to get another shot. At last Joseph saw his prey disappear behind a high stone fence, and knew that it must have fallen. As he drew near, he saw a man standing over the dead deer, then the enormity of his deed rushed upon him. He, a deacon in the church of Mount Horeb, to be caught chasing a deer on Sunday! His rifle dropped from his nerveless grasp and discharged its load into the ground, For a moment Joe wished it had gone into his own heart. As his startled imag- ination presented before him the terrible consequences of his sin, he saw himself an object of scorn to his fellew churchmen whose greatest respect he had heretofore enjoyed. Then re- membering his own severity on a similar case, there aro.se be- fore his mind a court-room scene in which he stood as pri.son- er charged with breaking the laws of God and man. The oak tree in front of him was suddenly converted into a gallows from whose great arm a man ' s body swung, and oh, sicken- ing thought, it was his own ! As he closed his eyes to shut out the terrible sight, a familiar voice addressed him. He looked up. The man by the fence was his own brother. John. His heart gave a great bound of relief — maybe he was not lost after all. ' ' Joe, did you shoot this deer ? ' ' ■ ' Yes, John, I did, but for God ' s sake don ' t tell on me. Tell on you ! I ain ' t goin ' to tell on you. But you won ' t need anybody to tell on you if people come by to church and see him lying here dead. Come let ' s drag him over the hill out of sight. The two men fell to work and .soon had the dead deer on the other side of the hill, well out of the way of church-goers. The worldly minded John surveyed their work with evi- dent satisfaction. I tell you he ' s a dandy, he exclaimed. How did you get him?