The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-07-08

and reprimanded him before the Woe
court
"What is this we hear, Lord Abbot"
he inquired rs it our wedding OF
thine that We must needs turn the
guests away from us?"
Sire" answered the abbot, making
his obeisance with a sour visage'
dancing is a lure of the Evil One, and
it belts not these poor people to be lea
astray by such a Device
by st. Andrews bones, Lord Alb
botv' cried the king, there is no harm
in dancing and We did wrong to gain
say me in this. Hearken now" lie
continued, ito what / here ordain. Let
all the walkers. and wabsters and SOU
tars, and merchants, and millers ana
cedgers frac the kintra round that are
so minded set to at once and dance
reel to celebrate our waddin. ANA
every landward lassie that so likes can
come the nicht-the bonnie lassie fresh
frae putin lint III be as we'll received
by Us as ony naughty baron'S dochtar.
And tax tent that nae monk inter
| feres."
"Naught good can come of displeas-
ing Holy Church." said the aDbot'
turning away with long lip; and the
courtiers were reminded of his words
later on that night.
| So the town-crier belied the kings
proclamation through the town, and
the whole of the populace, from the
| town-foot to the abbey, were soon gone
dancing mad-all dancing to the we'll
being of the king.
| The scene at the marriage feast that
night was something the burghers dld
not forget in q hurry. The tables
stretched from one end of the hall
straight out into the caller air, and
groaned beneath the generous fare pro-
yided from the private stores OF loyal
rgesses-bannocks and cheese, bag
els and tripe, apples and pears, flsh
and flesh, and every other dainty usu-
ally provided for royal marriage
with drink to match. Then when they
they had feasted to their hearts con-
tent. like q hailstOrm through the Tor
est the dance began; and lords and
ladies, with laughing eyes vowed, tired
or not. to keep it going till morning
The fiddles went. and harpers played,
while guitars twanged accompaniment
to song from throats of bonnie lassles.
All took part in the entertainments
and even bow-legged Tam the Tin
man. who could neither dance nor
play nor sing, contributed to the din,
if not the music, by shouting at the
pitch Of his leathern lungs "Ho Jed
darts here!p the burg rallyinG cry.
When. 10! a change came DER the
scene. and dancers broke off, awe
stricken. musicians ceased their play
ing. and singing girls became dumb.
A spell hung DER them all. but still
the patter of q pair of brogues could
be heard carrying on the broken-olL
dance though no one could be seen,
while the vail of an invisible baSpipe
playing the accompaniment was PLAIN
ly audible. The lad with the lang bas-
soon tainted, the kettle-drummers ana
ffers followed suit. while the harpers
glowered qualing with terror through
the strings Of their silent instruments
and shut their eyes-on such sight
that now appeared.
1t was no human being, yet there Il
was. dancing through the hall, cutting
such capers and performing such an
) tics that it nearly tumbled over the
Z Provost, worthy man, who stood III Its
! way. Then it linked in the kings oil
: rection, and even jostled him with it
: elbows. to the no small dismay OF the
; maskers of both sexes who het
7 screaming to the other end Of the hall
: It had a plume of feathers on III
: head. as if it had been Daron, while
7 it's attenuated form was attired III
, kilt all embroidered with gold bro
:, cade. with dainty doublet adorned
: with silver lacing to match. But yet
t as I have said, it was only thing o
e bones-an atomy, a skeleton, sigh
alike grotesque and ludicrous-a ghos
d in kits! 1t lightly trod an airy mlnue'
- cracking it's fieshless thumbs, and pre-
G tending to link with unseen partner
, down the floor. It danced that nigh
|, as surely never before had countr
d dance been danced, grinning and bow
l, ing at the same time to the Quee
n and her ladies on the dais, who wer
.e speechless with terror; and then, s
o. lent as it had come, it fitted from tn
d palace. and the spell was broken. The
n by degrees came courage back to I'll
n hearts of those assembled there.
is Such is the legend of the ghost tbs
danced at Jeddart, a legend that
y historically true.-Glasgow Herald.
le
. eo..,s LII Iror. Gale.