The record-union., 1894-08-11

cretly to Crowan, to Helston and to st.
Hilary and there, night after night, prac-
ticed with the ringers and trained his
own ringers on the tuneful numbers OF
"Hark that News" "Hark the Herald
and Hail Smiling Morn," while hag-
gard old woman always sat shiverlng
and mute but radiant in the dark shad-
owS of the towers, and when the ringers
were done the same trembling old form
trudged beside Joe Davy over the dreary
roads or through the ghoStly lanes back
to dark old Stithney hamlet.
Three days before Christmas OLD Joe
had ''set up'' the bells of Stithney, and,
after locking fast the church tower, so
that no envIous hands should endanger
his great triumph at midnight of Christ
mas Eve, he hastened back to the shore
and his boat for another short cruise for
fish, the proceeds OF which were to be eX-
pended upon his ringers for their pay
ment and cheer, SO that Stithney should
assuredly hear the bravest change-ring-
ing that Cornwall had ever known.
This setting up' the bells, as may not
be generally known, is common GUS
tom among the peal-ringers of England,
when, as at midnight of Christmas or New
Years Eve, or on the occasion of great
weddings or general Quotations, sud-
den melodious and tremendous clamor
of the bells is desired.
For this purpose upright oaken or iron
"slays'' are fitted into the stocks or beams
upon which the bells are hung. When
the bell is reversed, mouth upward, this
stay strikes ''slider' and moves against
it gently, permitting the bell at last TO re-
main stationary in this position, but so
triflingly overbalanced that babe's hand
upon the ropes will bring bells of tons
weight whirling madly in their thunder
Gus throbs, and full peal of from five to
eleven bells set off, In this impetnous
manner in the silence of the night, pro-
duces one of the most thrilling and SOL
emn effects with which the human ear
can be greeted.
This afternoon before Christmas was a
wild one in the English channel. Great
banks of fog pounded along the southern
Cornish downs. Driving rain and sleet
cut sharply the faces of all who braved
the blast, and the thunderings along the
coast were fearsome to hear.
1t was so dark, but an hour after mid
day, in the single struggling street OF
Stithney, that huge miners candles
fiared in the dingy windows of the ding
ier shops, and other lights flashed cheer
lily out of few of the better habitations
and from the latticed windows of the
rectory.
Little for Christmas cheer was prepar-
ing in the scrimped homes of this old
NOTnlSu Adil1l0l, duO Lu6 Only ODl6CLS Ol
animation or life in the storm beaten
village street were Poll Treenoodle with
her donkey and cat. and greedy rabble
of children following after, as Poll passed
from door to door, her usual load OF
growder now exchanged for 'sprigs oi
holly, wreaths of mistletoe, and that
greatest treat to Cornish little folk, the
currant-hlled, ,Saffron-Smothered Christ
mas bun.
But old Poll was in surprising spirits,
and even in more surprising attire. Over
her poor, bent frame was strange white
gown. She had twined about this
scraggy garlands of mistletoe, interlaced
with gaudy ribbons, and on her palsied
head hung an outlandish Cornish gowk,
wide bonnet whose flap covers the
shoulders, and from this the mist and
sleet trickled upon her gown, sadly dis
coloring it with the tiimsy, fading ribbon
shades.
Some came to doors and windows and
looked pityingly upon her, with such
sayings as "See the poor maZed pattiC
(simpleton)p' or "Awd rat it! 'Tis pity
on th' readlin' j. th' skew (pelting storm)v'
or ''OP Poll's streeved Qabored) o'erlong
thar's down souse Chats plain)v' and the
like; but the lonely soul smiled and
gurgled to compassionate or railing face
alike, and sold her Christmas wares be.
times, unheeding all the folk and storm.
ish church with her stores nearly gone
She looked up to the beltry with a grand
and knowing air. Some who were near
heard her mutter:
when our beels best once wrang thi
!, baans'll be caa'd oot, an then Joe an
PolPll be just onei"
Those who heard this, also saw heI
suddenly grow pale and totter against
the cart. They saw, too, that her eyes
were almost starting from their sockets
and were fixed in an agony of terror
upon a corner of the church tower battle.
ment.
Peering through the mist they saw 8
! single raven perched upon the stone. The
, bird Of i'll omen bobbed and ducked and
craned its cunning head, first toward the
belfry and then down toward old Pol
and her cart. Then it settled its head
back between it's shoulders, opened its
!, uncanny throat and uttered a mourniul,
'CaW-caw-caw!n
With an unearthly cry of "Joe, Joel
ye're korph marc dead body corb' L
, dumping on th' shorep' she leaped into
, her cart, shriekingly urged the donkey
into a mad pace and disappeared in the
thickening fog in the direction of the
sea.
They tell at Stithney to this day how
the miner, ''fatchin' hoam," from the
pits; the fisher folk, trailing into the will
age from their boats and their nets; the
, laborers fastening back to their cottages
in the early evening hours; and all the
lowly folk that gather there from lowly
. work and toll, watched In little groups
, in shops and the smithy, or in open cot.
tage doors discussing the grewsome sigr
, and peering with eager eyes Tar down the
highway toward the sea, for sight of re-
|, turning Poll and Joe.
! They tell, too, that it was the dreariesi
Christmas Eve that old Stithney ever
; knew; that as the storm changed from
fog TO sleet and from sleet TO peltine
snow, it drove the villagers indoors
! early; that but few were bold or strong
enough to loiter and wait; and that
finally, but two old miners, nerved by
, brave tales and gin and treacle, were the
last ones left beside the village smithy
door, where the t1ickering light from the
forge played fantastic conjurings with
the strange snow shapes along the hedges
and the roads.
But here the two old miners waited
until nearly midnight, and at last, stupid
! from waiting and from grog, were just
about closing the smithy door to plunge
through the snow-drifts to their cottage
homes. One more look they would
take down the swirling, snow-pelted
road. They stepped from the door to-
gether. They tell upon and over some
suddenly upraised obstacle. One of the
old men plunged headlong over snow
whitened donkey into drift, and the other
sprawled strugglingly within a snow
. filled cart.
What his hands touched and his body
met besides the snow, sent him bound
ing and tounderiBg into the highway.