The Portland daily press., 1863-02-02
MISCELLANY.
CURIOUS CASE OF SUPERSTITION.

A widow lady in Paris, aged about So, who
lodged on two-pair-oi-stairs floor in the Rue
de Ia Ferroniere, with only maid servent, was
accustomed TO spend several hours every day
before the altar dedicated to ST. Paul, in a
neighboring church. Some villains, observing
her extreme weakness, resolved, as she was
known to be rich, to share her wealth. One
of them accordingly took the opportunity to
hide behind the carved work of the altar and
when no person but the old lady was there, on
the dusk of the evening, he contrived TO throw
letter right before her. She took it up, and
not perce,ving any one near, supposed it came
by miracle. In this she was more confirmed
when she saw it signed "Paul, the Apostle"
expressing the satisfaction he received by her
prayers addressed to him, when so many new
ly canonized saints engrossed the devotion of
the world, and robbed the primitive saints of
their wonted alteration; and TO show his re-
gard for the devotion, he promised to come
from heaven with the angel Gabriel, and sup
with her at eight in the evening. 1t seems
scarcely credible that any one could be deceiv-
ed by so gross fraud yet to what length of
credulty will not superstition carry a weak
mind! The infatuated lady believed the whole;
and rose from her knees in transport, TO pre-
pare an entertainment for her heavenly guests.
The supper being bespoken and the side
board set out to the best advantage, she
thought that her own plate, worth about e400,
did not make SO elegant an appearance as
might be wished; and therefore sent to her
brother, a counsellor in the Parliament ofPar-
Is, TO borrow all his plate. The maid, howev-
er, was charged not to disclose the occasion,
but only to say that she had company to sup
per, and would be obliged to him il he would
lend his plate for the evening. The counsel
lor, surprized at the application, well knowing
his sisters frugal life, began to suspect that
she was enanored OF some fortune hunter,
who might marry her, and thus deprive his
family of what he expected at his sisters
death. He therefore positively refused to
send the plate, unless the maid told him what
guests were expected. The girl, alarmed for
her mistress's honor, declared that her pions
lady had no thoughts Of husband, that St.
Paul having sent her letter from heaven,
promised that he and the angel Gabriel would
sup with her, and she wanted to make the en-
tertainment as elegant AS possible.
The Counsellor Immediately suspected that
some Williams had imposed on her; and send
Ing the maid with the plate, proceeded direct
~ to the commissary Of that quarter. On the
magistrates going with him to a house adj
ioining, they saw, just before eight o'clock, a
tall man, dressed In long vestments, with a
white beard, and young man in white, with
large wings on his shoulders, alght from a
hackney coach, a. go up to his sisters apart
ments.
The commissarv ordered twelve ofthe police
guard tn post themselves on the stairs, while
he knocked at the door and demanded admit
lance. The lady replied that she had company
and could not speak to any one But the COM
missary answered that he must come in, for he
was St. Peter and had come to ask st. Paul
and the angel Gabriel how they came out of
heaven without his knowledge. The divine
visitors were astonished at this, not expecting
any more saints TO join them; but the lady,
overjoyed at having so great an apostle with
hxnr
sary, her brother, and the police guards rushed
In, presented their muskets seized her guests,
and conducted them to prison.
On searching the criminals, two cords, raz-
or and pistol were found In St. Paul's pocket
and q gag in that OF the angel Gabriel. Three
days after. the trial came OIL, when they plead
ed in their defence that one was soldier i'm
the French infantry, and the other BARRIERS
apprentice-thai they had no other design than
to procure good supper at the widows ex-
pense-that it being carnival time, they had
borrowed these dresses, and the soldier having
picked up the two cords, put them in his pock-
et-that the razor was that with which he con-
stantly shaved himself-that the pistol was to
defend themselves from any insult to which
their strange habits might expose them in GO
ing homeland that the apprentice. whose
master was a tooth-drawer, merely had the gag
which they sometimes use In their business.
These excuses, frivolous as they were, proved
of some avail; as they had manifested no evil
design by any overt act, they were both ac-
Quilted
But the Counsellor, who foresaw what might
happen through the defect of evidence had
provided another stroke for them. No soon
er, therefore, were they discharged from civil
power, than they were Immediately seized by
the apparitor of the Archbishop of Paris, and
conveyed to the ecclesiastical prison. In three
days more they were tried and convicted of
most scandalous proclamation by assuming to
themselves the name, characters and appear
ances of a holy apostle and blessed angel, with
an intent to deceive pious and wel-meanng
woman, and to the scandal of religion. They
were accordingly publicly condemned to be
whipped, burnt on the shoulder with red-hot
iron, and sent to the galeys for fourteen years,
sentence which was in a few days faithfully
put into execution.