The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-26

wife concerns himself alone, and even
the church claims no authority over
such privileged communications. In a
little space Sir James came within the
chamber and partook of supper with
me. speaking clear and soberly as was
his wont upon certain books of SER
mons which he loved to read. such be-
ing his taste But of his family, or
of the sorrow concerning his son, he
spalSe no further word.
Then, so soon as the clock had
chapped 10, he rose and called in the
servants to worship, which at his re-
quest l took, praying about the space
of three-quarters of an hour, and never
better in my life, as is great comfort to
me now to think upon. After this,
without a word spoken, he rose.
would have returned to speak of other
things, but he checked me with SOL
emn movement, strange in one that
hitherto had been so merry withal.
after the Bulk on Saturday night"
he said, at is our custom TO take our
candles and get to bed"
So. with a dignifed and gracious mien,
he lighted me to my room, with gravity
and affection shook me by the hand. and
so departed, taking leave of me without
word. As all may believe, it was with
some fear upon me because of the say
ing of Renwick and the power Of the
evil spirits that I laid me down. Fo~
strange as it may appear, so long as
shared the fanatic opinions and lay
abroad in the fields, I was not feared of
the devil himself; but would have
wrestIed with him had he called upon
me in the heather where oft 1t was my
hap to lie alone. Yet since / drew in,
and set my feet in mi,der courses and
easier ways, I have been none so set in
my mind; but as it were, more easily
feared and less assured of my interest.
Nevertheless, l laid me down, and
what with the tiredness Of long days
travel and our so recently having well
supped, I was asleep before I knew it.
Yet 1t was a troubled and unstable rest,
with many startings and much uneas-
ness, for I felt that there was that
about the house that night which was
more than canny I knew not how long
I slept; but it must have been well into
the deep silence of the night that / was
walked out of sleep by cry so wild, So
strange and so loud that it shook my
reasonable soul within me. Yet il
seemed that I must have heard 1t in my
drea m, for only the echoes of it fingered
in my ears when I sat up in bed, trem
bling, and with my night-gear dam
about me with the affrightment.
Never had I heard so great and fear
full a crying 1t seemed to me Ike til
crying of demon from whom or
strong ger has snatched prey. But wit
the perturbation in mine own head an
the dashing of my spirits by the III
earthly cry which awoke me, | cou
not tell whether the noise was in mir
own Imagination or whether / real
had heard it. But it was soon clea
to me that the confused din about tn
house which went and came like fitfu
wind was no imagination, but pro
ceeded from the Vaccinations of the
evil spirits which Mr.. Renwick har
presaged would follow me. Then in
deed, / was in terror to which al
that had gone before as nothing.
Sometimes the noise seemed like th'
confused sound Of many personos walk
ing and struggling together. Whereai
/ knew that the fiends strove to be at
me, but were restrained by some One
that for the moment was stronger-ae
1t might be, my good guardian angel.
So I endeavored to fall to the pray
ing. But such was the power of Satan
and such the tremor of my spirit that
all the prayers / knew had departed
from me. No words came to my mind
save some old babbles of the mathe-
maftics I had learned long ago when
was at the Edinburgh college, which
now stood me in no stead at all, for the
least little imping devil cares no jot for
all the mathematics of Euclid.
Then there came again the din of
voices louder than before. the trampllng
of many feet in the rooms above me,
and along the transe. At last l heard
them come through the passage, as 1t
had been to enter at my door, which
may well seem a daft-like thing to do.
For what would evil spirits care for
bolts. whose ordinary way of entering
chamber Is through the keyhole.
When had locked the door / fell on
my knees and, mine eyes being oppo-
site ito the latchet-hole, I Hooked
through, and saw what seemed to me
very terrible--the form of man, all
black. stand with a light behind him,
and with bare shining sword in his