The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-08-19

LIFE.
DRAT is the name of country demon
still believed in by many French PrOvin-
cials, "tricksy spirit" sort of Puck,
minus Puck's good qualities.
Within what geographical limits belle
i'm the Drat is confined, am unable to say
There are no traces of it in George Sands
Breton legends, or in the German myths
of Alsacc and Lorraine on the other side
of France doubt if any can be found
i'm Narseilles literature The local super
stition is probably confined to the South
west. that territory which was once Ma
yarre, or which formed Il dcbatahle land
between the Kings Of France and Navarro
1t is said to be very strong in what is now
the Department of Lot, and was formerly
the district of Quercy in Guienne, the
chief town Of which is Cahors.
The Drn is mischiefmaker. Old
people use him as a kind of bOgey, to
frighten truant boys and giddy girls. He
plays his pranks chiefly by night, and the
especial objects of his malice are those who
disbelieve i'm his existence or deny his
power.
When the following events are supposed
10 have occurred, it is not very easy to say
the old woman, who was my infOrmant's
authority, not being particularly accurate
in her chronology Internal evidence,
however, seems to refer them to the third
quarter of the last century. The hero Ol
the tale is just the sort Of man, in small
way, to- have been precursor OF the first
great French Revolution.
1t was fine. sunshiny afternoon in Au-
gust. Ramounet, butcher of the town OF
Figeac, having closed his shop at the usual
hour, sauntered out apparently for his
usual evening stroll. Short and stout, vel
we'll built, with an active, healthy, good
humored look, he was just the stuff to
make village beaux or bully, or both.
was not, however, his physical qualitie
that had rendered him the wonder an,
scandal Of the ncighbOrhOOd. Having re
ceived the rudiments Of a liberal education
from his uncle, the canon, I've was proud O
his intellectual superiority over most o
his fellow -townsmen. His learning (fO
so it might be called, considering his time
place and condtiOn) had made him skepti
cal, sOphistical and disputatiOus Not dAr
ing openly to deny the existence OF God
he did the next thing to it, by deny
ing the existence of the Drat. III
stiginatized the pOpular belief AS al
Old woman superstition, and declared tina
he, Cor his part, would believe in the Ora
when lie saw him, and not before "Ant
if | do see him" he would add, II prom
ise YOU he shan't get away in hurry"
Unfortunately, our learned and skeptica
butcher had not the reputation of bein,
proportionately honest his customers ha,
more than once complained of short weight
and there were several dubious report
about him. Still, he had not AS yet com
10 grief in any way; or the contrary, hi
business was as flOurishing as his health
it seemed as if the Drat had forgotten hin
or was afraid OF him. But as he wake,
along at his ease that afternoon, the oil,
women, sitting on their doorstepS, shOOl
their heads and muttered, We shall see
if we live long enough" From an indi
vduIal of the other sex he received diff
fereut greeting
HUM. Raymounet! you're just the maj
4 want"
w hats wanted brother Ivernet?"
!vernet ana kamounet composed TIN
guiid or corporation OF master butchers il
the town of Figeac. 1t was not so bio
place as to need larger allowance a
them Ivernet seemed very anx;ons /,
speak with RamOunet; and the latter wh
had his own reasons, as will be seen, G,
desiring an interview with his fellow
tradesman, did not require to be asked i
twice
al am right curious to know what 20
will say thi, time" began Ivernet.
Whats in the wind nowy"
Somebody who will do You a ba
turn, if you don't look out; depend upo
it."
"The Drat?"
"Hush. Just So"
What you're not cured of that yet
thOught-"
Just listen to what happened tn
morning in the village"
Bah some story invented 10 deceiv
thosx stupid peasants"
Bm all the villagers who came TO m
shop this morning told me the story, an
wen, let's lear IT,"
ou must Know that this morning
daybreak, at the place where the wOmc
wash Their linen, suddenly a horse al
peared- No one eould tell where he car.
from"
"Goodl he came out &C the mud of n
pool, that fellow did, as they s,v that n
-crOcOdiles ale born Of the sIi,ne of m
Nile, after 81 inundation."
"The Me, what's that"
."Tll tell you another time. But abo,
his horse. Handsome, was her"