Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-06-23

ing me in accents of despair that whenever
the children seated themselves to eat dish
of rice an invisible hand seized and flung
the dish some three feet off, scattering the
rice all around and that as he and their
mother were beside them they heard the
click, click, of pair Of scissors, and the
children's beautiful silky hair was lying on
the ground, shorn off in jagged, uneven
masses. The two boys were in a great state
of terror, sobbing and trembling, their faith
er the image of misery and wretchedness.
I consoled them as best | could tried to
laugh away their fears, albeit my own were
increasing; and desiring Djuman to bring
me a bunch of bananas fed the little ones
out of my own hand at the window.
In order to be able to confuse my brothers
ideas as to the completely, if not active
agency, of the boys, armed myself with a
large umbrella, and taking the children
with me / repaired to theiro hut-a reg
ular "case"-flthy and malodorous, but the
excitement of my own nervous system was
such that would have gone through good
deal to find out the origin of the. mystery.
1t was day of intense heat but stood
in that baking, reeking hut-where all
there was in the way of beds were some
filthy looking-m mats; where old clothes hung
on the begrimed walls, and where the
only air was admitted by high, narrow
windows-with the two culprits before me,
their only attire little shirts and nankeen
trousers.
1 thought if they threw up the stones by
| ,Ir f,i tn
the motion or their hands; ten minutes, a
quarter of an hour, elapsed, and no sign.
1 was beginning to feel faint from heat and
bad air, when bang went one and another
on the roof, and two stones fell before me,
one narrowly grazing my nose.
I dismissed the children, who evinced
great fear, and recommended sobbing and
shivering, and rushed out of the lease" )"
cannoning in my flight against the coach
man, who was waiting at some distance to
hear the result of my courageous exploit.
"Have you ever heard of this sort of thing
before? ?" mustered up sufficient creole to
say. Isl fait, Ma'amselle; 81 fait" he re-
piled and told me forthwith some ghastly
tales, ending most Indignantly with ''and
| IllCy oO'IS VI ehSh', eiiss' ''i' w N''o
bottom of it,"
"Nonsense," 1 said, and rushed out of
the binding vertical sun-rays on to the COM
paratively cool veranda to encounter Dju-
man, my own servant, who next respectful
ly asked if Ma'amselle had seen or heard
anything.
81 wonder what 1t can ben T said more
to myself than to him.
Gle Diable" promptly responded Dju-
man.
"Nonsense!" said again, this time quite
sharply; for though I had a vague idea in
my own mind that perhaps "le diablc' was
at the bottom of it somehow, my honor and
self-respect required me to keep up an ap-
pearanse of courage l was far from feeling
before these timid Indians, who all looked
to me as rock of defense-an infalible au-
thority as well as most welcome outlet to
their feelings as an audience.
Totheir mistress they did not attempt to
speak, for she was too frightened by the
whole proceeding to listen even to my eX-
periences.
"Si, Maamselle, 81 there is little book"
continued Djuman; "they consult, and it is
some one in the house who is doing it, and
the little book is called "Le Petit Albert
and there is only one copy in the island"
was interested in this relation and noted
the fact, and the reader can judge my sur
surprise when, long after, in reading a
book of p. Hamerton's, called Ground My
House." came upon the following pass
age: "In one part of France the peasants
have the fullest belief in sorcery. The be-
lief that the secrets of sorcerV are contained
in mysterious volume called 'Albert,' and
they are convinced that certain persons
possess the book, though | never could see
copy of it nor ascertain if it really existed"
Had / known the TACT at the time my in
terest would have been doubled, as Mr..
Hamerton's testimony shows that a book
of divination or demology, called LIE Petit
Albert, does exist in other countries, though
whence it derives it's peculiar and some
what modern name / have never found out.
Next day, Manuel, his wife and children
took French leave, and went off for the day
without our having any clue to their where
abouts. The place was quiet during the
day, but we were at dinner, between 8
and o'clock, servent came to say that
Manuel had returned and sent in a mes
sage to "tell mass;l he was drunk" Dark
though it was, the instant he and his fam
lily turned from the high road into the ave-
nue. the stones ratified around them in the
path.
Next morning, as sat in the storc-room,
giving out rice, flour, curry-all the articles
necessary for the days consumption, began
to speak to Manuel thus:
"Cook, am very sorry indeed to think
that, after being trusted servant here for
nine years, you should come home in such
state as you were in last night. | assure
you that if it ever happens again your mas
ter will not pass it over, but you will have
to CO."
Manuel, who, like most Madrasses, spoke
little broken English, REPLIED:
"What me do, Missy? Me no eat, me
children, wife miserable; they no eat, no
sleep, no nothing. There is nothing to do
but to get drunk"
remember that | read him a moral, lee
ture, and said by adding the effects of drink
to his present misery he was not doing
much to improve his condition, but all the
time felt deeply for the poor man.
Slightly infected with my brothers reit-
Grated suspicious Of his two children, who
bore a name for mischief, | asked him earn
nestly if he thought they had really any
thing to do with it, and seeing the success
of their trials in the general terror and
mystlication, were induced to keep it up.