The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-05-17
MISCELLANEOUS.
PRACTICAL JOKES.
WAT ROBINSON.
BY MRS. NOODLE.

WAT ROBINSON.
IIa! dost thou think fear thy spectral crew
Of ghosts and demons? All the host of hell
With thee to back them, giant as thou art
Shall never scare me from my homcward path!
Tho boy of Judah was very dwarf
Match'd with Philstia's giant: but the strength
Of mind, made perfect in the fear of God,
Gave to the shepherd boy the victory
Der him who trusted in the arm of flesh.
S.M
The story am about to tell had from
an old aunt of mine, who, has long been
gathered to her kindred dust. She was "A
woman ofsingular talent. and in her youth
had possessed great personal beauty; at
eighty years of age. her bright black eyes
were undimmed, she had not lost one of
her fine teeth, and her cheeks retained
the bloom Of the rose. What she had
been in her early days might be gathere
from the noble remains that time had
touched SO lightly, that her elastic mind
seemed to lid defiance to decay. In the
glory Of her prime, deus had been fought
tor her, and wise men had We'd with each
other to win from her an approving
smile.
IL the term beautiful could be applied
to an old woman, my aunt was beauty
still. The old lady was perfectly aware,
OF the fact and would recount with great
glee the conquests and triumphs OF her
glilhood. These "reminiscences ofby-gone
vanity, which il would have been wise at
her time Of lite to have buried in oblivion.
listened to with little or no interest but
her ghost stories aud traditionary lore.
her legends Of tie wild, and wonderful,
her long catalogue Of extraordinary
dreams aud mysterious warnings, Away :
afforded me the keencst delight.
Naturally OF ~ strong and vigorous
mind, my aunt did not herself believe in
supernatural agencies; bat they amused
her, aud she told these stories so well. t'a'
she never ticcd her auditors. II is one II
these tales that am about to rclate.-
She had the facts from my grandfather,
who was himself personally acquainted
with MIR. Lethwaite, one OF the actors III
the drama. ....
About II hundred years ago, there lived
in the town OF Kendall, Wes,moreland, "A
man Of gigantic stature and great strength,
who followed the trade of butcher
This person, who was called Wat Robin.
son, was noted for his qmaue'some, ruf.
tianly disposition, which won for tim the
name Of Bully Robinson, the big butcher
of Kendal. Foremost in all scenes of riot
and dissipation, he was universally feared
and hated
This man was very fond Of practical
jokes, but his jokes were like himself,
and originated in the cruelty and malice
of his mind. The pain he inflicted upon
Others afforded him the greatest pleasure.
The grating tones OF his coarse brutal
laugh inflicted a deeper wound than the
most bitter Of his biting jcsts.
1t is impossible for n benevolent minded
person to give any countenance 10 this
species Of amusement for, though the
joke may be harmless in itself, kindly
person will derive no entertainment from
anything that calls forth angry feelings in
another.
There was a very lonely cross country
road in the vicinity Of Lendal, which
formed short cut 10 the beautiful lake
Of Windernere. The path was rocky
and narrow, and seldom frequented by
any but pedestrian or equestrian travel
)ers. For some months previous to the
period Of which am now writing this
!sroad had got the character Of being haun-
ted. A hideops appartion ip the form
of a hairy monster, with horns and hoofs,
.obstructed the passage oftsvcsS through
rshe laue, chasing them back with dread.
,ful bellowings aud other liabolical moi.
ises.
Many persons had been frignlened into
fits by the spectre; and one feeble old
man had lost his reason, by unexpectedly
encountering ,the demon III one OF the most
lonely turnings on JiS rockey road.
This frightful phantom had been seen
by 80 many respectable persons in the
town aud its vicinity, whose ycracity, from
the we'll known integrity Of their cIarac,
tiers, the most sceptical could scarcely
doubt, that the public miud became great.
ly agitated, by the nightly recurrence OF
such starring facts. People were no Ion.
ger laughed at for their credulty. IN be-
,lieving that which 30 many respectable
witnesses declared to be true.
The WindeTpnere ghost becasae che
general theme Of conversation; and the
road was abandoned by all who we're &C
quainted with tho tale, and could reach
the lake by more public thorougl,fare.
One night large party had assembled
10 asDalI public house in the suburbs Of
Kendall, 10 drink their ale, and discuss the
news Of the day. These were chiefly far
gners and shesp-graziers from the moors
and fells, who had dhposed Of the fatlings
mtheir nocks az the market, and were
Teturnipg In Q body to their lonely homes
pnong thchills. Tho centre Of this group
rnd . nlsn Of no small importance among