Produced by Scott Pfenninger Juliet Sutherland Charles Franksand the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamHALFHOURSWITHGREAT STORY TELLERS_ARTEMUS WARD GEORGE MACDONALDMAX ADELER SAMUEL LOVERAND OTHERS_1891CONTENTSGREY DOLPHIN _Richard Harris Barham_MOSES THE SASSY _Artemus Ward_MR COLUMBUS CORIANDERS GORILLATHE FATE OF YOUNG CHUBB _Max Adeler_BOOTS AT THE HOLLYTREE INN _Charles Dickens_THE ENTHUSIAST IN ANATOMY _John Oxenford_THE LIGHT PRINCESS _George Macdonald_LEGEND OF THE LITTLE WEAVER _Samuel Lover_GREY DOLPHINHe wontwont he Then bring me my boots said the BaronConsternation was at its height in the castle of Shurlanda catiff haddared to disobey the Baron andthe Baron had called for his bootsA thunderbolt in the great hall had been a _bagatelle_ to itA few days before a notable miracle had been wrought in theneighborhood and in those times miracles were not so common as theyare now no royal balloons no steam no railroadswhile the fewsaints who took the trouble to walk with their heads under their armsor to pull the Devil by the nose scarcely appeared above once in acenturyso the affair made the greatest sensationThe clock had done striking twelve and the Clerk of Chatham wasuntrussing his points preparatory to seeking his trucklebed a halfemptied tankard of mild ale stood at his elbow the roasted crab yetfloating on its surface Midnight had surprised the worthy functionarywhile occupied in discussing it and with his task yet unaccomplishedHe meditated a mighty draft one hand was fumbling with his tags whilethe other was extended in the act of grasping the jorum when a knockon the portal solemn and sonorous arrested his fingers It wasrepeated thrice ere Emmanuel Saddleton had presence of mind sufficientto inquire who sought admittance at that untimeous hourOpen open good Clerk of St Bridgets said a female voice smallyet distinct and sweetan excellent thing in womanThe Clerk arose crossed to the doorway and undid the latchetOn the threshold stood a lady of surpassing beauty her robes wererich and large and full and a diadem sparkling with gems that sheda halo around crowned her brow she beckoned the Clerk as he stood inastonishment before herEmmanuel said the lady and her tones sounded like those of a silverflute Emmanuel Saddleton truss up your points and follow meThe worthy Clerk stated aghast at the vision the purple robe thecymar the coronetabove all the smile no there was no mistakingher it was the blessed St Bridget herselfAnd what could have brought the sainted lady out of her warm shrine atsuch a time of night and on such a night for it was dark as pitchand metaphorically speaking rained cats and dogsEmmanuel could not speak so he looked the questionNo matter for that said the saint answering to his thought Nomatter for that Emmanuel Saddleton only follow me and youll seeThe Clerk turned a wistful eye at the corner cupboardOh never mind the lantern Emmanuel youll not want it but you maybring a mattock and a shovel As she spoke the beautiful apparitionheld up her delicate hand From the tip of each of her long taperfingers issued a lambent flame of such surpassing brilliancy as wouldhave plunged a whole gas company into despairit was a Hand ofGlory Footnote One of the uses to which this mystic chandelier wasput was the protection of secreted treasure Blow out all the fingersat one puff and you had the money such a one as tradition tells usyet burns in Rochester Castle every St Marks Eve Many are the daringindividuals who have watched in Gundulphs Tower hoping to find itand the treasure it guards but none of them ever didThis way Emmanuel and a flame of peculiar radiance streamed fromher little finger as it pointed to the pathway leading to thechurchyardSaddleton shouldered his tools and followed in silenceThe cemetery of St Bridgets was some halfmile distant from theClerks domicile and adjoined a chapel dedicated to that illustriouslady who after leading but a soso life had died in the odor ofsanctity Emmanuel Saddleton was fat and scant of breath the mattockwas heavy and the Saint walked too fast for him he paused to takesecond wind at the end of the first furlongEmmanuel said the holy lady goodhumoredly for she heard himpuffing rest awhile Emmanuel and Ill tell you what I want withyouHer auditor wiped his brow with the back of his hand and looked allattention and obedienceEmmanuel continued she what did you and Father Fothergill and therest of you mean yesterday by burying that drowned man so close to meHe died in mortal sin Emmanuel no shrift no unction no absolutionwhy he might as well have been excommunicated He plagues me with hisgrinning and I cant have any peace in my shrine You must howk him upagain EmmanuelTo be sure madamemy ladythat is your holiness stammeredSaddleton trembling at the thought of the task assigned him To besure your ladyship onlythat isEmmanuel said the saint youll do my bidding or it would bebetter you had and her eye changed from a doves eye to that of ahawk and a flash came from it as bright as the one from her littlefinger The Clerk shook in his shoes and again dashing the coldperspiration from his brow followed the footsteps of his mysteriousguideThe next morning all Chatham was in an uproar The Clerk of StBridgets had found himself at home at daybreak seated in his ownarmchair the fire outandthe tankard of ale out too Who had drunkitwhere had he beenhow had he got homeall was mysteryheremembered a mass of things but nothing distinctly all was fog andfantasy What he could clearly recollect was that he had dug up theGrinning Sailor and that the Saint had helped to throw him into theriver again All was thenceforth wonderment and devotion Masses weresung tapers were kindled bells were tolled the monks of St Romualdhad a solemn procession the abbot at their head the sacristan attheir tail and the holy breeches of St Thomas a Becket in the centreFather Fothergill brewed a XXX puncheon of holy water The Rood ofGillingham was deserted the chapel of Rainham forsaken every one whohad a soul to be saved flocked