Year: 1863

n OAOSI IN a l)ELEH1 - uC luHuUl-
tants Of secluded village of the Montague
Noire, in the department Of the Aude, were
reused from their beds one night recently
by the sound of the tocsin' for such is
the pompous phrase used by local writer
to describe the ringing Of the single bell of
the small parish church The idea of a
fire first suggested itself to the minds of
the villagers, but as no fire was to be seen
they focked to the church to see what vas
the matter. TO their great astonishment,
however, the church door was locked no
voice responded from within to their loud
shouts of inquiry; and yet the bell con-
tinued to ring loudly and hurdedly The
cure was called up and brought the church
key With trembling hearts the crowd
folio we'd their pastor into the sacred build
ing. They penetrated into the belfry, and
was violently agitated and pulling the bell
Gy itself. The good priest himself was
scared at this fearful phenomenon, and his
followers, pale with terror, dropped down
upon their knee and crossed themselves
1t was midnight, the hour when spirits
walk abroad. The priest armed with his
goapiiLOn, proceeded to exofcse the de-
mon but all the holy water in the church
was soon exhausted, and yet the dreadful
bell continued TO sound. At length peas
ant more intrepid than the rest volunteered
to climb into the steeple and look at the
bell itself AS he mounted the dark, mar
row, winding ladder which led to the abode
of mystery, the terrified Pensioners below
muttered their paternosters with increased
rapidity. In few moments an unearthly
Shrek from the devoted messenger left no
doubt on the minds of the people below
that he had met with the devil himself As
the unhappy man approached the bell, it did
indeed cease to sound, but by the Pickering
pale light of this lantern he saw crouching
down close to the clapper a black, mon
strous, hideous form, with two yellow eyes
which glared full upon him. The poor
man tainted away, and for some minutes an
awful silence reigned in the church. Then
by simultaneous impulse several men
resolved to see hat had become of their
comrade. and, imparting courage to each
other. rushed up the ladder together. On
nearing the bell they found large polocat,
who had got one Of his fore feet entanglcd
in the rope, and which, in his cndeavors to
escape. had been the cause of all this terri
bic commotIon in the Montagnc Noire.


FooLscAP. Everybody knows what
foolscap paper is but few probably know
how it came to bear this singular cogno-
men. When Charles l. found his revenues
short be granted certain privileges with a
view to recruit them, amounting to mon
opolies, and among these was the manufac-
turc Of paper, the exclusive right of which
was sold to certain perties, who grew rich
and enriched the Government also at the
expense Of those who were obliged to use
paper At this time all English paper bore
in water marks the royal arms. The Par
lament under Cromwell made josts Of this
law in every conceivable manner and
among other indignities to the memory Of
King Charles, it was ordered that the royal
arms bcremovod from the paper, and the
fools cap and bells" be substituted
These, in their turn, were also removed
when the Rump Parliament was prorogued,
but paper of the size of the Parliament Jour
nal still bears the name Of "foolscap. -
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