Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-11
THE FREAKS OF A FAIRY.

The simple faith of the Irish peasantry
in the existence and power OF what Is
reverentially known among them as the
good people" seems to be as strong in
these days as it was IN those primitive
times "when fairies were In fashion and
when the world was in It's prime" a very
strange story Illustrative OF this was told
by farmers wife at the Assi8es for the
| County of Sligo. How the good woman
| came TO tell this strange story in open
Court to the Judge and gentlemen of the
! jury happened in this way: One fine day
this spring Mrs. Eliza Redington, the wife
OF small farmer" was visited by dark
! faced young woman, who introduced her
self as one of the "good people, other
wise the fairies, with whom she said she
resided on terms of the closest intimacy in
an old fort close by; that she had been
commissioned by them on certain terms to
prevent the loss of Mrs. Redington's hus-
band, which was imminent, likewise the
loss of some of her four-footed beasts
Poor Mrs. Redington, with many humble
courtesies, received her mysterious visitor
in fear and trembling.
THE FAIRY WORE HAT,
With a pated-looking feather in it
she was young and fat, and. altogether.
| quite a substantial person for fairy. But
the farmers wife had no doubt whatever
| that she was in fact what she represented
| herself to be. How could she doubt it,
when the "good woman" mentioned the
names of some deceased Redingtons, and
told her that she had had long interview
with their spirits in reference to Mrs. Red
ington's worldly affairs, which they con.
! sidered required immediate looking after by
the ''good people" Proceeding to bust
ness, she surveyed the exterior OF the Red
ington cabin, and gave it as her opinion
| that it was built in o very unlucky place.
Mrs. Redington's countenance fell upon
hearing this, but the fairies confidant
cheered her up by promising to keep spe-
cial eye on the premises. Where's John
Redington?" asked the visitor, taking off
the hat with the dissipated- looking feather
as she re-entered the house. Mrs Reding-
ton, awe. stricken by the supernatural
knowledge that enabled the woman to call
her husband by his baptismal name, though
she had "never laid eyes on hin, replied
that John was not at home he was at the
fair of Ballinafad, trying to sell two or
three pigs to pay the rent. Then the Wis
itor three times demanded to be provided
with handkerchief. Bridget, the servant
girl, who was gaping in the corner sup
piled handkerchief, in which
THE WEIRD WOMAN
Tied three knots, and giving one end Of
the handkerchief to the farmers wife COM
handed her to pull with all her might.
Mrs Redington pulled then the woman
broe+ ba1 Jbpaa Fipaau on %Lo bopd trarabi af
and placed it behind her saying that Mrs.
Redington's troubles would not be of long
duration if the knots disappeared. When
the handkerchief was again exhibited to
mortal eyes the three knots were gone !!
Whereupon the farmers wife said her
prayers, and Bridget, the servant, turned
her face to the wall and made the sign
of the Cross on her forehead. Then the
woman, extending her hand, demanded
that her palm should be crossed" three
times with gold or silver, gold if possible.
The farmers wife said she had neither gold
nor silver and suggested half dozen Of
eggs. The weird woman grew angry, as
any respectable fairy might reasonably be-
come at such an unworthy proposition.
g know you have paper money, ma'am, 4"
observed the fairy III a tone of severity,
which appalled, Mrs. Redington, who, in
telling the story, said she {" felt she had
nothing for it but to give the money :" SO
she went into her, bedroom and took from
under the tick pound note IA part Of the
little store which John had put up to pay
some taxes, and gave it to the woman,
which modified her much. She performed
THE HANDKERCHIEF TRICK
~, .uj then osix ed for ouothe- ,1o1,rd
note. Mrs Redington pleaded that she
was very poor, and said that John would
be enraged if his money was all taken.
reproved her solemnly for, as she said,
flying in the face of the good people for
the sake of couple of paltry pounds. :"
Mrs Redington handed over the second
pound, and was assured by her mysterious
visitor that it was the bestspent money
she ever paid away, for that if it had rot
been given Mr.. Redington and all the
four-footed stock would inevitably have
come to serious harm. Biddy, the servant,
with staring eyes and mouth agape, wit
messed all this, and her the woman warned
to ''keep a silent tongue in her head, for
that the penalty served out by the good
people to those who spoke of such mat
tiers was of the most direful kind in
Biddy' case, the punishment for blabbing,
she said, most likely would be her instant
transformation into a four-footed beast.
Then she directed Mrs Redington to take
special note of the date of the month, the
day of the week, and the hour of the day,
for that on that day three weeks precisely
at that hour, 'wee woman in a red
cloak would call and hand her red purse
containing ten sovereigus, three notes and
one shilling. She was 70 give away the
shilling and keep the rest for herself. She
next announced that she had
'.THREE WISHES
In her gift, and that it gave her much
qualification to dispose of them for the ben
eft of the farmers wife. They were good
ones, and cheap at 60, viz. " Heaven and
Salvation, Happy Death, and Favora-
bic judgment" She said she had nearly
forgotten to mention a small matter of de.
tail, namely, that under a certain tree near
the house Mrs. Redington was to dig in
the twilight in three weeks time until She
found gold cup filled with gold. Then,
resuming her rakish head.dress, she
scratched three crosses on the wall with a
thimble, breathed three times on the head
Of Mrs Redington, and with the invoca-
ton, ''God be with all in tits house of man
until we sec them again" trotted away,
presumably en- route to fairyland. Mrs.
Remington and Bridget stared in stupefed
silence at one another for long time
Then Mrs. Redington began to cry, and
Bridget blubbered through sympathy !;
then tney both said all the prayers they
had ever learned, and Mrs. Redington
sprinkled holy water all over the house
While the women were at these exercises
John came home from the fair When he
learned from his weeping wife that fairy
from the fort had called,
TAKEN ALI HIS MONEY,
And left her blessing, there was a good
deal that didn't sound like prayer heard
under that humble roof Not having the
fear Of the fairies before his mind John
fetched a policeman, who arrested Mrs.
RediDgton's visitor in a neighboring cabin,
where she was engaged in propitiating the
fates by further incantations. The lawyer,
looking up the authorities on the matter,
found that it had been laid down once upon