The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-25
AN ENGLISH SUPERSTITION.
Christmas story Written by the
Late Eugene Field.

vain 10 ana ITO upon We earth having m
ms mind full evil cogitatlons how that he
might do despight. for Of soche nature is
We dwell and ever hath been that contin-
uauy doth he so about among men. being
so dispositioned that it sufflceth him not
mat men sholde of their own frowardness
ana by cause of the guile born in them
turn unto his wickedness but rather tnat
he sholde by his own crewel artinces and
olabollcal Vaccinations tempt them at alt
Tunes and upon every hand 60 do his iiend-
" plaisaunce
But 1t so fortuned that this time where
IN We dwell SO walked upon We earth was
We Chrystmass time, and wit We well that
how evin soever We harte Of man ben at
other seasons, it is tohled at We Chryst-
mass time with charity and love. like as
IL 1t ben sanctified by We exceeding holi-
ness of that feast; leastwise this moche
we know that whereas at other times envy
ana wordliness do prevail, for a verify
our natures are toched at We Chrystmass
time as by ye hand of divinity and condl-
TONED Tor mereiful deeds unto our fellow
KIND. Right wroth was We dwell, there
Tore, when that he knew this ben We
ChrystmasS time, and as rage doth often
confirm In We human harte an eVll pur-
pose, so was We dwell now more diabolie-
ally minded to work his unclean will, and
full hejeously fell he 10 roar and lash his
rlpald legs with his poyson taile. But We
dwell did presently conceive that naught
might he accomplish by this means. since
that men affrighted by his roaring and
astoned by We fumes of birthstone and We
sulphur flames issuing from his mouth
would flee therefrom, whereas by subtle
craft and by words of specious guile 1t
more frequently befalls that We dwell Sc
duceth men and lureth them into his tolls
So then the dwell did in a little season
feign to be in a full plaisaunt mind and
of sweet purpose, and when that he mad
grit him about with hermits cloak, so
that none might see his cloven feet and
his poyson taile, right briskly did he fare
him on his journey and he did sing We
while a plaisaunt tune like he had ben
full of joyous condemnation
Now il befell that presently in his jour
ney he did meet with a frere, Daa Dem
nyss an holy man that Jared him to a
neighboring town for deeds of charity and
goodness. Unto him spake We DWELL full
courteysely and required of him that he
might bear him company, to which We
frere gave answer in seemly wise that II
so be that he ben of friendly disposition
he would make him joy of his companion
ship and conversation. Then, whites that
they journeyed together, began We dwell
to discourse of theologies and hidden mys-
teries and of COMPUTATIONS and Of negro
NANCY and of magick and of Chaidec and
of astrology and of CHEMISTRY and Of other
occult and forbidden sciences where in We
dwell and all that ply his damnable acts
are nightly learned and practiced Now
wit We well that this frere, being an holy
man and a simple and having an eye sim
gle to We blessed works of his calling, was
presently nightly troubled in his mind by
We articles of We dwell and his harte be-
gan to waver and TO be filled with misera-
BILE doubtings, for knowing nothing OF We
things whereof ye dwell spake he colde
not make answer thereto, nor, being OF
godly cogltatlon and practice, had he We
combinations wherewith to meet We alb
hominable argumentations of We fiend
Yes land now shall tell you of spe-
cial providence it did fortune whites yet
we dwell discoursed in this profane wise,
there was vouchsafed unto ye frere GER
tain power to resist We evll that environ
ed him. for of a sodaine he did cast his
doubtings and his misgivings 10 We winds
and did fan upon ye dwell and did buffet
him fun sore, crying: Thou art We dwell!
Get thee gonel' And We frere plucked We
cloake from We dwell and saw We cioyen
feet and We poyson tale, and stralghtway
We dwell ran roaring away. But We frere
Jared upon his journey for that he had
had a successful issue from this grevious
temptation with thanksgiving and prayse
Next came We DEVIL into a town where
in were many people going to and fro up
on works of charity and doing righteous
practices, and sorely did ii repent yet
DEVIL when that he saw We people bent
upon We giving of aims and We doing OF
charitable deeds. Therefore, with
mighty diligence did ye devin apply him
self to poyson We minds Of we people,
showing unto them in artful wise how that
by idleness or by righteous dispensation
had We poore become poore and that soche
being we will of God 1t was an evil and
rebellious thing against God to seeke TO
minister consolation unto these poore peo>
pies. Soche like specious argumentations
did We DEVIL use to gain his diabolical
ends but by means Of greace, whereof
none then knew We source, these men
and these women unto whom We DEVIL
spake his hejeous heresies presently dis,
covered force TO Withstand these hendly
temptations and to continue in then
Chrysfianly practices to ye glory Of
their faith and to We benefite of We needy,
but to We exceeding discontinue of We
DEVIL. for We which discontinue do give
hearty thanks and SO also shall oil of you
If soche that your hartes within you be
of rightful disposition.
All that day long Jared we DEVIL TO and
from among we people OF We Town, Dut
none colde he bring into his hellish way
OF cogitation. Nor do 1 count this to be
a marvellous thing, for, as l myself have
herein shewn and as eehe OF us doth truly
know, how can there be a place for We
DEVIL upon earth during this Chrystmass
time when in We very air that we breath
abideth a certain love and concord sent
of heaven for the controul and edificatioh
of mankind, filling human hartes with
peace and inclining human hands to We
delectable and blessed employments of
charity? Nay, but you shall know that
all this very season whereof l speak We
holy Chrystchilde himself did follow ye
DEVIL upon earth, forefendng the crewei
evils which ye DEVIL fain wolde DO and
girdine with confidence and love We else
frail natures of men. Soothly II is known
OF common report among you that when
We Chrystmass season comes upon ye earth
there cometh with IL also the spirit of our
Chryst himself, that in We similitude of a
little childe descendeth from heaven and
walketh among men. And If so be that
by any chance We DEVIL is minded to issue
from his foul pit at soche a time
wit We well that wheresoever We fiend far
eth to do his diabolical plaisaunce there
also close at hand followeth we gentle
Chrystchilde; so that We DEVIL, try how
hard soever he may, hath no power at
soche a time over the hartes of men,
Nav but YOU shall know furthermore