Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-19
AEorth DeEOnshire Legend.
How FiddIer's Spirit Troubled his
Daughters Household.

A work entitled "The North-Devon
Scenery Book" recently published in
England, furnishes number of North
Devonshire legends, one of which de-
serves a place in Howitt's History of the
Supernatural. We quote:
Not many years ago an old man was
living in the village who possessed fd-
die, and was able to discourse merry
music upon It. There was a large up
stair room in his house which was called
the dancing chamber, and here the boys
and maidens of Combartin used to assem-
Bile once a month, and dance, and talk;
and firt in their honest country fashion,
and otherwise enjoy themselves after
their days work
When the fiddler was dead, his daugh-
ter married, and she and her husband
continued to live in the old mans house.
But as the husband could not play the
fiddle, the dancing chamber was of no
use, and 1t was consequently converted
to the ordinary domestic purposes.
The alteration had scarcely been COM
pleted when the house became suddenly
uninhabited. Every night the most fear
sful noises rang from floor to roof-noises
as though a score of horses were gallop-
ing up and down the dancing-chamber,
to the accompaniment of the loud crack
ing of whips and other similar unnatural
sounds.
So that, as you may suppose, the fam
lily got but scanty rest at night and were
nearly driven to their wits end by fright
and perplexity.
At last the husband betook himself to
the parson of the parish, and asked for
advice and assistance in so disagreeable
a state of affairs.
The parson suggested that such kinds
of alarming noises were frequently
caused by rats, and counselled him to
procure the services of an expert in the
killing of such unpleasant vermin.
In about a week the man again paid
visit to the rectory, evidently wrought
up to pitch of desperation by his bro
ken sleep and troubled dreams.
1T was no rats" he said they had
hunted in vain for such things; it was
a spirit '-whose, he couldn't tell, but
there was no doubt that it was real
spirit; and the only thing to be done was
to have it laid by the parson. If, he add.
ed, it should be too strong for one par
son, he hoped the rector would be good
enough 20 get two other clergymen to
Join him, for he had been assured that
there was no spirit so powerful as to be
able to stand out against the united
strength of two parsons.
The rector, however, declined to re-
vive the old custom of exorcism; anG
consequently his parishioner went home
with troubled and angry heart.
A few days afterwards he came bacl
once more, with a gleeful countenance
and said that the spirit was laid, anC
that he himself had been able to effect
the desired result.
Partly swayed by the absolute necessi
ty of doing something co penetrate tn,
mystery, partly persuaded by the sensi
bic celebrations of the rector, he and hi
wife had instituted another thorough
search N the haunted room, and, after
much ripping up of roof and floor anC
wainscot, they discovered an old sill
WaIstcOat belonging to the deceased fid
de UIIU EIIaECu Iu
mediately above the dancing-chamber
II one of the pockets of this carmen
were two halfcrowns.
1t became, therefore, immediatel,
plain to them that the old man had beef
troubled at the loss which his famil
had sustained through the concealmen
of his hoard and that the above men
toned noises were the unnecessaril
strong means which he had taken t,
draw his daughters attention to the hid
den treasure
In proof of this opinion it happene,
that thenceforward the disturbance total
ly ceased; and to this day, happily 70
the inhabitants of the cottage, the spiri
has remained at rest.