Year: 1869

one of which was a wayside tavern
where the coach stopped to change
horses, but at the time referred to the
hamlet was deserted and the tavern
gone to decay. The stage no longer
changed horses. but passed through
without stopping except 10 water the
horses at a beautiful clear spring, sur
rounded by yerdure, and from which,
strangely enough, no rill issued. On
one occasion while travelling was
struck with the ruinous and deserted
aspect Of the place, which reminded
me strongly of the desolate and dreary
cities of Argob in Palestine. The
driver, with whom l sat on the box,
merry, talkative fellow, as stage driv-
ers usually are, seemed depressed by
the drearines8 of the place, and for a
while was almost silenced. On en-
quiry what could be the cause of so
singular desertion in so popular
country as England, and the driver
gave the following account:


Many years ago when | first began
to drive a team on this road, this was
thriving little country village, and
like most Of the little country hamlets,
depended principally for its support
upon the tavern, and the tavern was
kept bv widow woman and her three
sons.


In those days there was great
deal of travelling 10y private convey
ance, the rich in their own vehicles ;
the middle classes on horse back, and
the country poorer sort on foot, so
that country tavern with a stage
stopping there daily was quite able to
support a small hamlet.


For sometime things went on well
and the tavern was a source Of some
considerable income to its owners !:
but from some cause-'tis hard to say
what-the travel gradually fell off ;
other taverns became popular, and at
last the stage ceased to stop there
This, Of course, involved the desertion
of the hamlet.


At various times there had been
reports of the disappearance of tray
elers on that road and on one occa-
sion a peasant declared that he saw a
traveller enter the tavern at late
hour of the night and on his incident
ally inquiring for him the next day he
was assured that no one had stop
ped there the preceding night.


The disappearance OF the traveller
who was known to have taken that
road caused enquiry to be made, and
the assertion Of the peasant caused
the tavern to be searched, but nothing
whatever was elected to throw Sus-
picion on the keepers, nor did they
manifest the slightest unwillingness to
have the house searched. Strange
tales OF faint, bubling, gurgling cries
Tor help, as of men being drowned,
were rumored as being heard; the vii
layers became afraid to leave their
houses after dark, and the hamlet got
a bad name


Whether these reports had anything
TO do with the falling off of the trav-
el on the road | am unable to say
Dut it did fall off, and as a natural
consequence, the hamlet was desert
ed. The keepers, especially the old


woman, were loud III bewailmg the
poverty which compelled them to re-
main III place accurSed of heaven
but they seemed to live as well as for
merry, and strangely enough kept {
blood hound; but they declared they
had become attached to the anima
while they did good business, anC
the dog was needed, and now they
were unwilling to part with it, thougI
they found it difficult to feed.
Things were in this state when {
: young man of wealthy family, having
finished his collegiate course, starte(
p across the country to reach one of th,
o 8eaports, from which he intended t.
n embark for Paris on a continenta
tour, as was then the custom of younI


men by way of a finish to their educa
o tion.


4 Some miles from this hamlet, tn
p horse of his servant, a boy who ha'
been raised in the village, cast shoe
!. and the BOY was directed to take hin
d to the smithy, have the shoe replaced
# and rejoin his master at the next tav
ern, which was at the village. Tn
3 shoe was replaced, but so carelessl
d that the horse became lame, and tn
a servant reached the tavern some tim
q after dark instead of at noon as th
e master expected.


Il The darkness was increased by th
h approaching thunder storm, and tn
?. means of the rising wind among tn
n deserted cottages was well calculate
o. to enhance the superstitious fears Ell
a gendered Oy the strange, ghOstl
10 tales he had heard when a resident o
d the place, and it was with a feelin
,. of great relief that he saw light i
II the tavern and tethered his lame hors
a at the rack.


y As he passed the window, a glanc
is showed him two of the keepers ca
a. rylng a man, apparently drunk, int
lg another room, and, boy-like, he tal
is ped the window and passed on to tt
" door, which he had scarcely reache
ID before two of the keepers rushed ou


seized him roughly, and angrily il
IN ouired what he wanted.


ID lie called the tavern keeper b
re name, told them who he was, and thu
s. hi; master had told him to join hu
It. there, and then laughingly aske
ne which of them they had put to be


drunk. They replied that his mast,


had been there and had waited som
is. time after dinner, but that he had gor
,e. to the next tavern, and left direction
,e- for the boy to follow him there.