The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-10-25
THE FAMILY
|, HONOR
BY J. M. Barrie.

! H0NOR,,, !
IL BY J. M. Barrie. I.
Observation-Disclosures
Much of the story Of the Glendowi
monster, now on the tongues Of all in tn,
north who are not afraid to speak. ha
been born Of ugly fancies since the nigh
Of Sept. 4, 1890. when that happenet
which sent the country to bed with Ion;
candles for the rest Of the month. wa.
at Glendowie castle that night, and
heard the scream that made nigh 200 peo
pie suddenly stand still in the dance, blu
Of what is now being said take no stock
thinking 1t damning to a noble house, ant
of what was said before that night l vii
repeat only the native gossip and the
story OF the children. which take to bt
human, rather than the worst horror OF
all, as some would have it.
There are those In Glcndowie who hole
that this Thing has been In the castle ant
there held down by chains since the yeal
1900. when the wild Lady Mildred gave
i
tho daylight (but never before wine) they
will speak the name OF her lover and 81
account for 1900 A. ID. being known in
the annals of that house not as a year oil
| our Lord. but as the year of the Devil.
am not sufficiently old fashioned for suct
a story aud rather believe that the Thing
was never in the castle until the coming
home from Africa of him who was known
| fIx, 7 NJ HoplaI Elnpl xuhinh "a n.
pcned q matter of seventy years ago
| The secret manner Of his coming and the
oddness IT his attendants. with a wild
story Of his clearing the house Of all other
servants fer fifteen Gays. during which he
| was not Idle. raised Il crop of scandal that
| has not yet been cut level with the earth
To be plan. il Is said by those who be
lieve witchcrAft to Gc done with. that thc
| Left Handed Earl brought the Thing
from Africa and In fifteen Days had q
home made for 1t in the castle-a home
that none could find the way to save hin
self and tlack servant, who frequently
disappeared for many days at a time. YET
was known always to be within whistle
| of his master. Men said furtiveiy that
this Thing was the heir, and again there
was the devils shadow In the story, as II
| the devil could be q woman.
Half a century ago the Left Handed
Earl died, and they will tell you Of o
| three days search for q minister brave
enough to pray by the open coffin and
that In the middle Of the prayer the
mourners rose to their feet and ran out OF
| the room because Of something squattinG
on the corpse's chest. There are many
such stories of the Thing, against which
| all who might have seen shut their eyes
so quickly that no two drew the same
likeness. But this Is no great matter, for
what they say they saw ] will not tell,
and would that none had ever told me.
There have been four earis since then.
but, if the tale Of the Thing be true, not
one of them lawful earis Yet until the
4th Of September, 1890, since the time OF
the Left Handed Earl. It has always been
the same black servant who waited on
| the Thing, 80 that many marveled and
called these two one, as they were not.
| OF the earls ! have nothing to tell that
could not be told by others, save this. that
they paced their halls by night and have
ever had an air Of listening. not to what
was being said to them, but as If for
some sudden cry from beyond.
1t Is not a pretty story, except what Is
told Of the monsters love of children.
and though, until the 4th OF September.
1890, l never believed what was told of
the Thing and these children, l believe it
now. What they say Is that 1t was 80
savage that not even the black servant
could have gone within reach Of il and
lived; yet with children scarce strong
enough to walk, save on all fours, II
would play for hours even as they played.
but with mothers care for them. There
are men Of all ages in these parts who
hold that they were with 1t in their child
hood and loved 1t. though now they shud-
der at a picture they recall. think, but
vaguely, and some of them doubtless are
| liars.
1t may be wondered why the lords OF
| Glendewie dared let child into the pow.
er of one that would have broken them
selves across its knee, and two reasons
are given--the first. that il knew when
| there were children in the castle and
| would have broken down walls 10 reach
them had they not been brought to it:
| the other, that compassion induced the
earls to give 1t the only pleasure it knew.
| OF these children some were of the tenant
~ and o hers of guests In the castle, and
| l have not heard of one who dreaded the
monster. If half Of the stories be true.
they would let 1t toss them sportively in
the air. and they would sit with thciI
arms around Its neck while it made toys
| for them Of splinters Of wood or music
| by rattling its chains.
need not say that care was taken to
| keep these meetings from the parents OF
the children. In which conspiracy the chill
dren unconsciously Joined. for the pleas
ant prattle Of their new friends aliayed
| suspicion rather than reused 1t. Never
| theless queer rumors arose In recent times
| which. dare say, few believed who came
| from a distance yet were they sufficiently
| disquieting to make guests leave their
children at home. and. as l understand,
on the 4th Of September, 1890, several
years had passed since a child had slept
in the castle. On that night there were
many guests and one child. who hud been
In bed for some hours when the Thing
broke loose.
The occasion was the coming Of age OF
the heir. and seldom. suppose. has there
Seen such q company in a house renowned
for hospitality. There were many per
sons from distant parts, which means
London, and all the great folk Of our
country, with others not so great, In that
gathering, though capable Of making
show at most. After the dancing begins
no man is ever a prominent figure in
room to those who are there merely to
look on, as ! was, and l now remember
as the two which my eyes followed with
greatest pleasure our hostess q woman
Of winning manners, yet cold when need
be, and the lady who was shortly to be
come her daughter, languid girl, pretty
to look ut when her lover. the heir, was
by her side.
/ know that nearly all present that
night speak now of a hasgard look on
the earl's face and of quick glances be-
tween him and his wife. l know that
they say that the heir danced much to
keep himself from thinking. and that his
arm chartered on the waists of his part
Ecrs; l know the story that he had
learned of the existence of the Thing
that night. But l was present, and l
nm persuaded that ut the time all
thought as l did, that never was a
gaycr scene even at Glendowie, never a
host and hostess more cordial, never a
merry eyed heir more anxious to be cour-
teens to all and more than courteous to
one. Dance succeeded dance. The hour
was late. but another waltz was begun.
Then suddenly
And at once the music stopped and the
dancers were as still as stone figures. II
k,A hnrrihta iphM