The Sun.
London, England, 1827-01-23 00:00:00

IAYING THE DEVIL.

In one of the small interior towns of New England,
where the superstition of our ancestors still possesses a
strong hold on the minds of the people, the facts oc-
curred a few years since on which the following tale is
founded :

An honest farmer and his family, preparing to celebrate
thanksgiving at his wife's father's, in an adjacent town,
were hurried and confused extremely on the day preceding
that festival, by the multiplicity of things which must be
done before they could leave Home with safety. The house
was to he banked up, and the gleaning of the harvest, cab-
bages, turnips, &c. put into the cellar, that the external
entrance thereto might be closed for, the season. Having
carried in the vegetables, the boys were despatched to the
barn for straw to fill the passage way, while the good man
himself was busied on the opposite side of the house. An
old ram, the horned patriarch of a large flock of sheep kept
on the farm, having got a taste of some of the scattered
leaves of the cabbages, unobserved entered the cellar, and
silently continued his feast. The avenue through which
he had entered was immediately closed up, and all the
necessary work and arrangements being completed the
larger boys and girls set off on foot in high glee, the dog
turning and barking before them, apparently as well pleased
with going to grandpapa's as any of the happy group.
In the afternoon of the day following the festival, which
had been kept under the paternal roof with many devout
and jovial exercises, the family returned home, accom-
panied by some of their young cousins. Some of their
youthful neighbours of both sexes were invited in, and a
merry thanksgiving carousal was in the full tide of succes-
ful operation, when one of the boys who had been sent into
the cellar with a little two wick'd candle, which gave just
light enough to make darkness visible, to draw cider, run
back into the room, with eyes glaring wildly, uttering a
half-sutfocated exclamation, " the Devil is in the cellar!"
't Pooh," said the father, " you have only been frightened
by your own shadow; give me the light." On which he
seized the candle, leaving the candlestick clenched fast in
theahaking hand ot the boy, and boldly rushed into the
cellar stairs., but ere he had descended half the steps, the
large saucer eyes and enormous horns of the beast, caused
him to retreat as much terrified as his son. " Sure enough
the Devil is in the cellar !" The utmost confusion and
Uproar now prevailed in the house. The good man seized
the great Bible, and attempted to read, but the candle
",sputtered," burnt blue, and threw so feeble a light -on
the saered:page, and 'the book trembled so much in the
hands of the reader, that he could not distinguish one
word from another: 'The little children cried, and clung
to their mother—the lasses nestled to their favourite
swains—and the whole house shook with the agitation of
its half demented inhabitants. One bright thought, how-
ever, occurred; a messenger was despatched for the mini-
ster to " lay the DeVil."
The parson, a man more celebrated for good nature,
piety, and credulity, than for talents or heroism, slipped the
small Bible into his pocket, put on his band and surplice,
that he right appear as formidable to his great adversary
as possible, and hastened to the relief of his distressed
• pens If toners.
On coming to the house, the reverend man was hailed
as a deliverer, and implored by at least a dozen voices to
" drive the devil away." But a few moments were lost
in asking questions which no one could answer, before the
parson was pushed forward as a leader, lighted by the same
pentirioas candle, into the cellar, the most courageous of
the company keeping close behind him. When ho reached
the foot of the stairs, the eyes of fire, and the :hadowy,
outline of enormous -horns, magnified tenfold at least-
by the terrors of those who beheld them, removed
az doubt, if
,any had previously existed -his mind,
as to the. infernal nature-of the being with whom he
had to contend.. The divine instantly fell on his knees,.
and with uplifted hinds begin to pray in the most, fervimt I
manner. The ram, not understanding the good man's mo,
tiVes, bait supposing by the motions of his hands.that be
was daring him to a butting contest, made a pass with all
his might at his supposed adversary; but, deceived by the
swelling dimensions of his drapery, missed the slender
body of the priest, and drawing hastily back to renew the
assault, hooked one of his horns into the belt of, his aur-
plice, and pulled the parson with
,him into, the. cellar !
While thus in the power: of his victorious foe, lost to hope
as it regarded himself, the • natural benevolence of his dis-
position burst forth in the exclamation, "Brethren, take
care of yourselves, the devil has got me." This exhorta-
tion was better obeyed than any that he had ever delivered
frorn the pulpit ; his friends fled, and left him to his fate.
Among the company was a shrewd young farmer, who
had from the first supposed the fiend .to be nothing more
than some domestic animal ; but being a lover of fun, and
willing to see a comedy, he. kept his thoughts to himself,-
and pretended to sympathise with the others in their fears. -
He now thought it time to interfere, and snatching a pitch
pine knot blazing from the fire, expressed his determination
to rescue the priest, or perish in the attempt. 'A lovely
young damsel laid hold of the skirts of his coatc--ao4 the ,
cry of " don't" proceeded from every part of the room.
into Unheeding this kind concern for his safety, he rushed into
time
ee vsetllialgr,glsienigzeadntiihnealraump by one
calling toor horns,
theo
and
as draggedtns h
e d
parson, " follow me." The -,horned Devil was led in
triumph, followed by
the
evanqnishe
silence-
dePclesia
and
d hanging
midst of the company-
A momentary
down the heads ensued. The past scene, how.
ver, was
too ludicrous to admit of sober reflection, and 1011(1 peals'
of laughter burst from every side, (hiring which the rain
was turned out of the door, the parson absented himself
without ceremony, and the sports of the evening were re-
sumed with better spirits than before.—Grecnock Advertiser.'

A woman was found dead on the road-side near
anzheen nu Monday.—Waterford Chronicle.

The last number of the Carlisle Patriot relates be-
tween twenty and thirty eases of robbery in that City and neigh-
bourhood.

The New Club House for the United Service is to
be erected upon the ground which at present forma the East wing
of Carlton Palace ; and it is to enable the architect to commence
his building with the least possible delay, that thatend of Carlton-
house is to be taken down first.

MRS. TAGG'S CHRISTMAS Pi E.—The following
we believe to be a correct analysis of a Pie made at Christmas, at
the King's Arms Inn, Eccleshall. It contained a goose, a-turkey,
a hare, a brace of pheasants, a brace of partridges, a couple of rab-
bits, a couple of pigeons, and two tongues ! These articles wete
all prepared after Dr. Kitchener's best style of the culinary art,
and without a single bone to interrupt the process of mastication.
This unrivalled pie, when completed, was two yards long, seven-
eighths of a yard wide,' and five-eighths of a yard in depth.—
Staffordshire Advertiser.

On Saturday last, at the Bell Inn at Ranskill, near
Bawtry, Yorkshire, two valuable horses, belonging to Mr. Mason,
of Stilton, had stopped, and being suppered up for the night,
were left by Mr. Mason's servant, as well as- by Mr. Palian's
hostler, perfectly safe to all '• appearance ;, but the hostler,
some time afterwards, having occasion-to pass by the stable, and
observing a great smoke issuing from it to was induced to open
the door, when he found both tke horeei dead, they having
been suffocated with the smoke.' -Hew to account for the acci-
dent the landlord And his servants are at a loss, as Mr. Mason's
man, as well as the hostler, left the stable (as they thought) per-
fectly safe. The horses were immediately got out, but life was
quite extinct in both. Mr. Palian had in the same stable a va-
luable stallion, which shared the same fate,
STRATHEA RN - HIGHLAND SOCIETY. The
Strathearn Highland Society held their third annual hall and
supper, at Muthill, on the evening of the 25th ult. in celebration
of the birth of Albrick, son and heir of the 'Right Hon. Lord and
Lady Gwydyr. On this happy occasion the company was nu-
merous, and fully, equipt in the Highland garb, generally in the
Drummond of Perth tartan, which rendered the tout ensemble
lively and Interesting: At the proper boar there was a cessation
of the merry reel and the life-inspiring notes of the pipe, when the
whole party sat down to supper—Mr. R. Menzies, Crieff, in the
chair, Mr. C. Campbell, croupier. After many loyal and pa-
triotic toasts were drank, among which were the healths of Mr.
Canning anti Mr. Brougham, the evening was spent -in the full
spirit of Highland hospitality,—Fife Herald,

Printed and Published hy'lll. YOUNG, at ohs SUN-ODIUM,
Nu, 112, STRAND.