Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-01-22
THE LAM BirON WORM,

lutte and evil course Of Life, equally regard.
less OF che cbitgations of his high estate
and the sacred duties Of religion Accord
ing to his profane custom, he generally
amused himself on Sundays augltns ia
the river Wear. ~ -
One Sunday he felt something ext.aor
binary tugging at the end of his lire. and
in the hope Of hooking large fish he OK
erted his utmost skill and care Yet it
required all his strength to bring the ex-
pected hsh to land. But instead of q fish he
FOUND that no had only caught q wor,n, of
most unseeinly and disgusting appearance
and he hastily tore it from his nook and
flung 1t into q well hard by
he again threw his line into the stream.
when stranger of venerable appearance
passing by, asked, "What sport2'' To
which he replied, ''Why, truly, I think 1
have caught tho demon" and directed tho
inquirer to look into the we'll
The stranger saw the worm and ~
marked that he had never seen "the like
OF IT. before; that it was like an eft, but
That it had nine holes on each side of Its
mouth. and that it .'tokened no good
The worm remained UNDECIDED in tho
well, but soon grew so large shat it be-
came necessary to seek another abode. 1t
usually lay In the day time coilcd round n
rock In the middle Of the river and ut
night frcqnented a ncighhoring hill, twin
ing itself around the base, and it CON
tinned to increase in length until it could
lap" itself three times around the hill
The dreaded worm now became the terror
OF the whole countryside" dcvouring
lambs, sucking the cows milk and com
uniting every species of injury on the cat,
tie OF the afrighted peasantry, and many
knight sought in vain to destroy it.
AT length after seven long years tho gal
liant heir OF Lalnbton returned from tho
wars and found the broad lands of his
sncestors waste and desolate, He heard
the walltngs of the people-for their hearts
were TILED with fear and alarm He has.
tened to tho hall OF his ancestors and re-
oe,ved the embraces OF his aged father,
VINO, worn out with grief and SORROW both
for the absence of his son. whom he had
long considered dcad, and for the dreadful
waste inflicted on his fair domain by the
oevastations of the worm, was rapidly de-
sending to the grave.
The heir Of Lambton "took no rcst,'
Until he crossed the river to examine the
worm as it lay coilcd around the base OF
the hill. and after hearing the fate of all
those who had fallen in the deadly strife,
being knight of tried valor and sound
discretion, he consulted sibyl on the sur.
est means to destroy the monster She told
all the misery which afflicted the country,
which increased his grief and strengthened
bis resolution; that he must have his best
suit Of mail studded with spear blades and
SAKE dis stand on the rock in the middle of
the river, trusting to his own valor and
the might of his good sword, making q
solemn VOW that, if successful no would
STAY the first living thing he met, but if
nc failed to so, tho lords of Lamhton
Tor nine generations would never die in
their beds
He made the VOW in the chapel of his
forefathers, and caused his urmor to be
studded with tho blades of the sharpcst
spears He took his stand on the rock in
tho middle OF the river, and unsheathine
his trusty sword, which had never failed
him In time OF need, he commended him
self 20 the protection and to tho will of
Providence.
at tho accustomed hour the worm un.
coiled it's heightened folds, and leaving
the hill took its usual course toward Lam b.
ton Hall and approached the rock where
the knight stood ready and eager for the
combat.
The strength Of the worm diminished
with Its incessant efforts to DESTROY tho
knight, who, seizing favorable op,or.
tanity, made such good use of his trusty
sword that. he cut the monster in two The
severed part was Immediately CARRIED
away by the force of the current, and the
worm, being thus unable to rcuniue itself,
was after u long and desperate conflict
finally destroyed by the gallantry AMI
courage of the knight of Lalnbton.
The afflicted household were devoutly
engaged IN prayer during this mortal en-.
counter, but on the happy issue of the
combat the knight, according to promise,
a pcf rp, III;
thcr of his safety and that he might let
loose his favorite hound, which, according
to prcconcerted agreement, was to be thu
sacrifice, but tho aged parent, forgetting
everything but his parental feelings, rushed
forward to embrace his son.
When the knight beheld his father, he
was ovcrw hellned with grief He could
not raise his arm against his parent; vet,
vainly hoping that the vow might be accom-.
plished and the curse averted by destroy.
ing the next living thing he met, he blew
another blast on his bugle when his fa-
vorite hound broke loose and bounded for
ward to receive his caresses. The gallant
knight, with grief and reluctance, once
more drew his sword, still rocking with
the blood OF the monster, and plunged it
into the heart of his faithful companion.
BUT IN vain--the prediction was fulfilled,
and the sibyi's curse pressed heavily on
the house Of Lambton tfor nine genera
tions."
We must add to this how the prediction
was triditionally confirmed
Sir William Lambton, who WINS colonel
OF regiment OF foot in the service of
Charles !, was slain at the bloody battle of
Marston Moor, and his son William, his
eldest son by his second wife, inheriting
tho loyalty and gaiiantry of his father,
received his death wound at Wakefield"
at the head of % troop of dragons in 1913
Tho Tulfilllnent Of the curse was inherent
in the ninth of descent, as above stated,
and great anxiety prevailed during his
lifetime among che hereditary depositarics
Of the traditions of tho county to know if
the curse would hold good TO the cnd.''
DE died in his chariot crossing the New
bridge, thus giving the last connecting
LINK to the chain of circumstantial tradi-
ton connected with the history of the
"Worme OF l4ambton. New York News.
Don't Taharcn Snia and amnra Y..nr r.,Ea a.za..