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024 - The Witch Hare - Bewitched Butter Queen's County · Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty three of Varian folk Tales of Irish Peasantry.
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  Speaker 1: This is LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings and public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer this busy LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Fairy and Folk Tales of Irish Peasantry, edited and selected
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  Speaker 1: by W. B. Yates. Section twenty three. The Witch here,
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  Speaker 1: mister and missus s C. Hall. I was out checking
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  Speaker 1: here myself, and I seen a fine puss of a
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  Speaker 1: thing hopping hopping in the moonlight and waking her ears
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  Speaker 1: about now up, now down, and waking her great eyes.
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  Speaker 1: And here goes, says I. And the thing was so
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  Speaker 1: close to me that she turned round and looked at me,
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  Speaker 1: and then bounced back, as well as to say dear worst.
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  Speaker 1: So I had the least screening life of pleas sid
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  Speaker 1: powder left, and I put it in the gun and
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  Speaker 1: banged at her my jewel. The screech she gave would
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  Speaker 1: fighting a rigment, and a miastig came it TwixT me
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  Speaker 1: and her, and I seen her no more. But when
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  Speaker 1: the mist will talk. I saw blood on the spot
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  Speaker 1: where she had been, and I followed its track, and
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  Speaker 1: at last it let me whilst whisper right up to
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  Speaker 1: Katy mcshane's door. And when I was at at the threshold,
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  Speaker 1: I heard a mourning within, a great mourning, and a
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  Speaker 1: groanin And I opened the door, and there she was herself,
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  Speaker 1: sitting quite content in the shape of a woman. And
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  Speaker 1: the black cat that was sitting by her rose up
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  Speaker 1: its back and spit at me. But I went on,
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  Speaker 1: never hidden, and asked the old how she was and
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  Speaker 1: what ailed her? Nothing, says she. What's that on the floor,
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  Speaker 1: says I, Oh, she says. I was cutting a billet
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  Speaker 1: of wood, she says, with a ripe, she says. And
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  Speaker 1: I wounded myself in the leg, she says. And that
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  Speaker 1: stops my precious blood, she says. And of which hair
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  Speaker 1: be which it butter Queen's County footnote, Dublin University Magazine,
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  Speaker 1: eighteen thirty nine, and the footnote about the commencement of
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  Speaker 1: the last century. There lived in the vicinity of the
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  Speaker 1: once famous village of Echabo footnote. The Field of Kine
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  Speaker 1: a beautiful aromantic village near Boris in Osory in the
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  Speaker 1: Queen's County. It was once a place of considerable importance,
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  Speaker 1: and for centuries the Biscopal seat of the Diocese of Osury.
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  Speaker 1: But for ages Beckett has gone to decay, and is
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  Speaker 1: now remarkable for nothing but the magnificent ruins of a
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  Speaker 1: priory of the Dominicans erected here at an early period
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  Speaker 1: by Saint Kennis, the patron said of Osary, and a
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  Speaker 1: footnote a wealthy farmer named Brian Castigan. This man kept
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  Speaker 1: an extensive dairy and a great many milk cows, and
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  Speaker 1: every year were considerable sums by the sale of milk
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  Speaker 1: and butter. The luxuriance of the pasture lands in this
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  Speaker 1: neighborhood has always been proverbial, and consequently Brian's scows were
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  Speaker 1: the finest and most productive in the country, and his
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  Speaker 1: milk and butter the richest and sweetest, and brought the
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  Speaker 1: highest price at every market at which he offered these
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  Speaker 1: articles for sale. Things continued to go on thus prosperously
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  Speaker 1: with Brian Castigan, when one season, all at once he
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  Speaker 1: found his cattle declining in appearance and his dairy almost
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  Speaker 1: entirely profitless. Brian at first attributed this change to the
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  Speaker 1: weather or some such case, but some found or fancied
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  Speaker 1: reasons to asside it to a four different source. The
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  Speaker 1: cows without any visible disorder daily declined and were scarcely
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  Speaker 1: able to crawl about on their pasture. Many of them,
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  Speaker 1: instead of milk, game nothing but blood, and the scanty
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  Speaker 1: quantity of milk which some of them continued to supply
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  Speaker 1: was so bitter that even the pigs would not drink it,
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  Speaker 1: whilst the butter which it produced was of such a
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  Speaker 1: bad quality and stung so horribly that the very dogs
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  Speaker 1: would not eat it. Priane applied for remedies to all
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  Speaker 1: the quax and fairy woman in the country, but in vain.
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  Speaker 1: Many of the impostors declared that the mysterious melody in
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  Speaker 1: this kettle went beyond their skill, as others, although they
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  Speaker 1: owned no difficulty interesting it to a superhuman agency, declared
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  Speaker 1: that they had no control in the matter, as the
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  Speaker 1: charm under the influence of which his property was made
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  Speaker 1: away with was too powerful to be dissolved by anything
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  Speaker 1: less than the special interposition of divine providence. The poor
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  Speaker 1: farmer became almost distracted. He saw roounds staring him in
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  Speaker 1: the face, and what was he to do? Sell his
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  Speaker 1: cattle and purchase others know that was out of the question,
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  Speaker 1: as they looked so miserable and emaciated, that no one
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  Speaker 1: would even take them as a present, whilst it was
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  Speaker 1: also impossible to sell to a butcher, as the flash
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  Speaker 1: of one, which he killed for his own family was
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  Speaker 1: as black as a coal and stunk like any future carrion.
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  Speaker 1: The unfortunate man was thus completely bewildered. He knew not
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  Speaker 1: what to do. He became moody and stupid. His sleep
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  Speaker 1: forsook him by night, and all day he wondered about
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  Speaker 1: the fields amongst his fairy stricken kettle like a maniac.
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  Speaker 1: Affairs continued in this plight. When one very salt evening
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  Speaker 1: in the latter days of July bying, Cosikon's wife was
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  Speaker 1: sitting at her own door, spinning at her wheel in
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  Speaker 1: a very gloomy and agitated state of mind. Happening to
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  Speaker 1: look down the narrow green lane which led from the
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  Speaker 1: high road to her cabin, she spied a little old woman,
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  Speaker 1: barefoot and enveloped in an old scarlet cloak, approaching slowly
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  Speaker 1: with the aid of a crutch, which she carried in
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  Speaker 1: one hand and a gain or walking stick in the other.
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  Speaker 1: The farmer's wife felt goad at seeing the odd looking stranger.
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  Speaker 1: She smiled, and yet she knew not why. As she
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  Speaker 1: neared the house, a vague and indefinable feeling of pleasure
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  Speaker 1: crowded on her imagination, and as the old woman gained
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  Speaker 1: the threshold, she bade her welcome with a warmth, which
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  Speaker 1: plainly told that her lips gave utterance but to the
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  Speaker 1: genuine feelings of her heart. God bless this good house,
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  Speaker 1: and though belonging to it, said the stranger, as she entered.
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  Speaker 1: God save you kindly, and you are welcome, whoever you are,
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  Speaker 1: replied Missus Costigan. Hand I thought so, said the old woman,
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  Speaker 1: with a significant grin. I thought so, or I wouldn't
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  Speaker 1: trouble you. The farmer's wife friend and placed a chair
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  Speaker 1: near the fire for the stranger, but she refused and
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  Speaker 1: sat on the ground where Missus c had been spinning.
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  Speaker 1: Missus Costigan had no time to survey the old hag's person. Minutely,
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  Speaker 1: she appeared of great age. Her countenance was extremely ugly
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  Speaker 1: and repulsive. Her skin was rough and deeply embrowned, as
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  Speaker 1: if from long exposure to the effects of some tropical climate.
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  Speaker 1: Her forehead was low, narrow, and intended with a thousand wrinkles.
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  Speaker 1: Her long gray hair fell in matted and flocks from
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  Speaker 1: beneath a white linen skull cap. Her eyes were blared,
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  Speaker 1: blood shortened, and a weakly set in their sockets, and
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  Speaker 1: her voice was croaking, tremulous, and at times partially articulate.
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  Speaker 1: As she squatted on the floor, she looked round the
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  Speaker 1: house with an inquisitive gaze. She peered primely from corner
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  Speaker 1: to corner, with an earnestness of look, as if she
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  Speaker 1: had the faculty like the orgulaut of old, to sit
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  Speaker 1: through the very depths of the earth, whilst Missus c
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  Speaker 1: kept watching her motions with mingled feelings of curiosity, all
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  Speaker 1: and pleasure, Missus said the old woman, at length, breaking silence.
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  Speaker 1: I am dry with the heat of the day. Can
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  Speaker 1: you give me a drink? Alas cried the farmer's wife,
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  Speaker 1: I have no drink to offer you except water, else
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  Speaker 1: you would have no occasion to ask me for it.
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  Speaker 1: Are you not the owner of the catile I see yonder,
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  Speaker 1: said the old hag, with a tone of voice and
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  Speaker 1: manner of gesticulation, which plainly indicated her for knowledge of
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  Speaker 1: the fact. Missus Costika replied in the affirmative and briefly
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  Speaker 1: related to her every circumstance connected with the affair, whilst
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  Speaker 1: old woman still remained silent, but shook her gray head repeatedly,
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  Speaker 1: and still continued gazing round the house with an air
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  Speaker 1: of importance and self sufficiency. When missus c had ended,
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  Speaker 1: the old hag remained a while, as if in a
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  Speaker 1: deep reverie. At length, she said, have you any of
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  Speaker 1: the milk in the house? I have replied the other,
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  Speaker 1: Show me some of it. She filled a jug from
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  Speaker 1: a vessel and handed it to the old Sybil, whose melted,
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  Speaker 1: then tasted it and spet out what she had taken
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  Speaker 1: on the floor. Where is your husband, she asked? Out
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  Speaker 1: in the fields was the reply, I must see him.
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  Speaker 1: A messenger was dispatched for Brian. Shortly after made his appearance.
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  Speaker 1: Neighbor said the stranger, your wife inforced me that your
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  Speaker 1: cattle are going against due this season. She informs you, right,
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  Speaker 1: said Brian, and why have you not sought a cure?
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  Speaker 1: A cure? Reacculed the man. We woman. I have sought
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  Speaker 1: cures until I was heartbroken, and all in vain. They
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  Speaker 1: get worse every day. What will you give me if
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  Speaker 1: I cure them? For you? Anything in our power, replied
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  Speaker 1: Brian and his wife, all speaking joyfully and with a breath.
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  Speaker 1: All I will ask from you is a silver sixpence,
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  Speaker 1: and that you will do everything which I will bid you,
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  Speaker 1: said she. The farmer and his wife seemed astonished at
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  Speaker 1: the moderation of her demand. They offered her a large
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  Speaker 1: sum of money. No, said she, I don't want your money.
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  Speaker 1: I'm not cheat, and I would not even take sixpence,
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  Speaker 1: but that I can do nothing til I handle some
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  Speaker 1: of your silver. The sixpence was immediately given her, and
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  Speaker 1: the most implicit obedience promised to her injunctions by both
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  Speaker 1: Brian and his wife, who already began to regard the
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  Speaker 1: old Beldam as their tutelary angel. The hag pulled off
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  Speaker 1: a black silk ribbon or felid, which encircled her head
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  Speaker 1: inside her cap, and gave it to Brian, saying, go now,
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  Speaker 1: and the first cow you touch with this ribbon turn
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  Speaker 1: her into the yard. But be sure don't touch the second,
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  Speaker 1: nor speak a word until you return. Be all so
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  Speaker 1: careful not to let the ribbon touch the ground, for
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  Speaker 1: if you do, all is over. Brian took the taismatic ribbon,
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  Speaker 1: and soon returned, driving a red cow before him. The
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  Speaker 1: old hag went out, and, approaching the cow, commenced pull
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  Speaker 1: hairs of her tail at the same time singing some
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  Speaker 1: verses in the Irish language in a low, wild and
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  Speaker 1: unconnected strain. The cow appeared restive and uneasy, but the
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  Speaker 1: old witch still continued her mysterious chant until she had
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  Speaker 1: the ninth hair extracted. She then ordered the cow to
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  Speaker 1: be drove back to her pasture and again enter the house.
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  Speaker 1: Go now, said she to the woman, and bring me
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  Speaker 1: some milk from every cow in your possession. She went,
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  Speaker 1: and soon returned with a large pail filled with a
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  Speaker 1: frightful looking mixture of blood, milk and corrupt matter. The
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  Speaker 1: old woman got it into the churn and made preparations
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  Speaker 1: for churning. Now, she said, you both must churn. Made
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  Speaker 1: fast the door and windows, and let there be no
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  Speaker 1: light but from the fire. Do not open your lips
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  Speaker 1: until I desire you, And by observing my directions I
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  Speaker 1: make no doubt. But ere the sun goes down, we
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  Speaker 1: will find out the infernal bill is rubbing you. By
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  Speaker 1: secure the doors and windows, and commenced churning. The old
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  Speaker 1: sorceress sat down by a blazing fire, which had been
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  Speaker 1: especially lighted for the occasion, and commenced singing the same
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  Speaker 1: wild song which she had sung at the palling of
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  Speaker 1: the cow hairs, And after a little time she cast
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  Speaker 1: one of the nine hairs into the fire, still singing
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  Speaker 1: her mysterious strain, and watching with intense interest the reaching process.
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  Speaker 1: A loud cry, as if from a female in distress,
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  Speaker 1: was now heard approaching the house the old which discontinued
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  Speaker 1: her incantations and listened attentively the cryang voice approached the door,
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  Speaker 1: opened the door quickly, shouted the charmer, ban and bar
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  Speaker 1: the door, and all three rushed out in the yard
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  Speaker 1: when they heard the same cry down the boreheim, but
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  Speaker 1: could see nothing. It's all over, shouted the old witch.
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  Speaker 1: Something has gone amiss, and our charm for the present
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  Speaker 1: is ineffectual. They now turned back, quite crostfallen, when as
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  Speaker 1: they were entering their door, the Cybil cast her eyes downwards,
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  Speaker 1: and perceiving a piece of horseshoe nailed on the threshold,
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  Speaker 1: would note it was once a common practice in Ireland
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  Speaker 1: to nail a piece of horseshoe on the threshold of
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  Speaker 1: the door as a preservative against the influence of the fairies,
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  Speaker 1: who it is thought, dare not enter any house thus guarded.
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  Speaker 1: This custom, however, is much on the wane, but still
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  Speaker 1: it is prevalent in some of the more uncivilized districts
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  Speaker 1: of the country. And the footnote she was separated here,
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  Speaker 1: I have it no wonder our charm was boarded. The
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  Speaker 1: person that was crying abroad is the villain who has
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  Speaker 1: your cattle bewitched. I brought her to the house, but
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  Speaker 1: she was not able to come to the door on
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  Speaker 1: account of that horseshoe. Remove it instantly, and we will
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  Speaker 1: try our luck again. Prior removed the horse shoe from
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  Speaker 1: the doorway, and, by the hag's directions, placed it on
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  Speaker 1: the floor under the churn, having previously reddened it in
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  Speaker 1: the fire. They again resumed their manual operations. Bran and
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  Speaker 1: his wife began to churn, and the witch again to
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  Speaker 1: seek her strange verses, and casting her cow hairs into
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  Speaker 1: the fire until she had them all nearly exhausted. Her
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  Speaker 1: countenance now began to exhibit evident traces of vexation and disappointment.
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  Speaker 1: She got quite pale, her feet gnashed, her hand trembled,
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  Speaker 1: and as she cast a knight and last her into
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  Speaker 1: the fire. Her person exhibited more to the appearance of
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  Speaker 1: a female demon than of a human being. Once more,
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  Speaker 1: the cry was heard, and an anti redhaired woman footnote.
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  Speaker 1: Red haired people are thought to possess magic power, and
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  Speaker 1: a footnote was in approaching the house. Quickly, Ho Ho
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  Speaker 1: roared the sorceress. I knew it would be so. My
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  Speaker 1: charm had succeeded. Expectations are realized, and here she comes,
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  Speaker 1: the villain who has destroyed you. What are we to
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  Speaker 1: do now, asked Brian. Say nothing to her, said Hank.
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  Speaker 1: Give her whatever she demands and leave the rest to me.
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  Speaker 1: The woman passed, creeching vehemently, and Brian went out to
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  Speaker 1: meet her. She was a neighbor, and she said that
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  Speaker 1: one of her best cows was drowning in a pool
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  Speaker 1: of water, that there was no one at home but herself,
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  Speaker 1: and she implored Brian to go rescue the cow from destruction.
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  Speaker 1: Brian accompanied her without hesitation, and having rescued the cow
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  Speaker 1: from her perilous situation, was back again. In a quarter
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  Speaker 1: of an hour. It was now sunset and Missus Costigan
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  Speaker 1: set about preparing supper. During supper, they reverted to the
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  Speaker 1: singular transactions of the day. The old witch uttered many
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  Speaker 1: a findish law at the success of her incantations, and
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  Speaker 1: inquired who was the woman whom they had so curiously discovered.
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  Speaker 1: Prance satisfied her in every particular. She was the wife
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  Speaker 1: of a neighboring farmer. Her name was Rachel Higgins, and
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  Speaker 1: she had been long suspected to be on familiar terms
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  Speaker 1: with the spirit of darkness. She had five or six cows,
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  Speaker 1: but it was observed by her sapien neighbors that she
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  Speaker 1: sold more butter every year than other farmers wives who
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  Speaker 1: had twenty Brian had, from the commencement of the dekine
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  Speaker 1: in his cattle suspected her for being the aggressor, but
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  Speaker 1: as he had no proof, he held his peace well,
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  Speaker 1: said duel Bill Dawn, with a green smile. It is
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  Speaker 1: not enough that we have merely discovered the robber. All
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  Speaker 1: is in vain if we do not take steps to
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  Speaker 1: punish her for the past, as well as to prevent
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  Speaker 1: her in roads for the future. And how will that
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  Speaker 1: be done? Said Bryan. I will tell you. As soon
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  Speaker 1: as the hour of twelve o'clock arrives to night, do
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  Speaker 1: you go to the pasture, and take a couple of
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  Speaker 1: sweet running dogs with you. Conceal yourself in some place
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  Speaker 1: convenient to the cattle. Watched them carefully, and if you
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  Speaker 1: see anything, whether man or beasts, approach the cows, set
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  Speaker 1: on the dogs, and if possible, make them draw the
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  Speaker 1: blood of the intruder, then all will be accomplished. If
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  Speaker 1: nothing approachased before sunrise, we may return and we will
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  Speaker 1: try something else convenient. There live the cow heard of
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  Speaker 1: a neighboring squire. He was a hearty, courageous young man,
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  Speaker 1: and always kept a pair of very ferocious bulldogs to
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  Speaker 1: him pride and pride for assistance, and he cheerfully agreed
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  Speaker 1: to accompany him, and moreover proposed to fetch a couple
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  Speaker 1: of his master's best greyhounds as his own dogs, although
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  Speaker 1: extremely fierce and bloodthirsty, would not be relied on for sweetness.
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  Speaker 1: He promised Brian to be with him before twelve o'clock
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  Speaker 1: and departed. Pran did not seek sleep that night. He
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  Speaker 1: set up anxiously awaiting the midnight hour. He arrived at last,
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  Speaker 1: and his friend, the hertsman, true to his promise, came
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  Speaker 1: at the time appointed. After some further admonitions, from the
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  Speaker 1: fu law they departed. Having arrived at the field, they
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  Speaker 1: consulted as to the best position they could choose for concealment.
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  Speaker 1: At last they pitched on a small break of fern
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  Speaker 1: situated at the extremity of the field, adhation to the
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  Speaker 1: boundary ditch, which was thickly studed with the large old
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  Speaker 1: whitethorn brushes. Here they crushed themselves and made the dogs
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  Speaker 1: for a number lie down beside them, eagerly expecting the
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  Speaker 1: appearance of their as yet unknown and mysterious visitor. Here,
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  Speaker 1: Brian and his comrade continued and considerable time in nervous anxiety.
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  Speaker 1: Still nothing approached, and it became manifest that morning was
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  Speaker 1: at hand. They were beginning to grow impatient and were
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  Speaker 1: talking of returning home, when on a sudden they heard
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  Speaker 1: a rushing sound behind them, as if proceeding from something
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  Speaker 1: endeavoring to force a passage through the thick hedge in
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  Speaker 1: their rear. They looked in them direction and judged their
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  Speaker 1: astonishment when there perceived a large hair in the act
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  Speaker 1: of springing from the ditch and leaping on the ground
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  Speaker 1: quite near them. They were now convinced that this was
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  Speaker 1: doubject Whittey had so impatiently expected, and they were resolved
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  Speaker 1: to watch her motions narrowly. After arriving to the ground,
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  Speaker 1: she remained motionless for a few moments, looking around her sharply.
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  Speaker 1: She then began to skip and jump in a playful manner,
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  Speaker 1: now advancing at the smart pace towards the cows, and
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  Speaker 1: again retreating precipitately, but still drawing nearer and nearer at
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  Speaker 1: each sally. At length, she advanced up to the next
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  Speaker 1: cow and sucked her for a moment, then on to
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  Speaker 1: the next, and so respectively to every cow on the field.
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  Speaker 1: The cows, all the time blowing loudly and appearing extremely
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  Speaker 1: frightened and agitated. Brian from the moment the hair commenced sucking,
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  Speaker 1: the first was with difficulty restrained from attacking her, but
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  Speaker 1: his more sagacious companion suggested to him that it was
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: better to wait until she would have done, as she
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: would then be much heavier and more unable to effect
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: her escape than at present. And although she proved for
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: being now done sucking them all, her belly appeared enormously distanted,
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: and she made her exit slowly and apparently with difficulty.
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: She advanced towards the hedge where she had entered, and
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: as she arrived just at the clump of ferns where
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: her foes were couched, they started up with a fierce
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: yell and hallued the dogs upon her path. The hare
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: started off at the pisk pace, squatting up the milk
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: she had sucked from her mouth and nostrils, and the
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: dogs making after her rapidly. Rachel higgins cabin appeared through
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: the gray of the morning twilight at a little distance,
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: and it was evident that Puss seemed bent on gaining it,
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: although she made a considerable circuit through the fields in
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: the rear. Brian and discomrade, however, had their thoughts and
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: made towards the cabin by the shortest route, and had
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: just arrived as the hare came up, panting and almost exhausted,
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: and the dogs at her very scut She ran round
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: the house, evidently confused and disappointed at the presence of
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: the man, but at length made for the door. In
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: the bottom of the door was a small semi circular aperture,
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: resembling those cut in full house doors for the ingress
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: and egress of poultry. To gain this hole, Puss was
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: now made a lass and desperate effort, and had succeeded
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: in forcing her head and shoulders through it, when the
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: foremost of the dogs made a spring and seized her
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: violently by the haunch. She uttered a loud and piercing
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: scream and struggled desperately to free herself from his scrip,
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: and at last succeeded, but not until she left a
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: piece of rump in his teeth. The man now burst
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: open the door, a brighter fire placed on the hearth,
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: and the whole floor was streaming with blood. No hair, however,
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: could be found, and the men were more than ever
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: convinced that it was old Rachel, who had, by the
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: assistance of some demon, assumed the form of the hair,
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: and they now determined to have her if she were
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: over the earth. They entered the bedroom and heard some
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: smoother groaning, as if proceeding from someone in extreme agony.
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: They went to the corner of the room, from whence
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: the monks proceeded, and there, beneath a bundle of freshly
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: cut rushes, found the form of Rachel Higgins, breathing in
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: the most excruciating agony, and almost smothered in a pool
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: of blood. The men were stunning. They addressed a wretched
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: old woman, but she either could not or would not
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: answer them. Her wound still bled copiously. Her tortures appeared
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: to increase, and it was evident that she was dying.
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: The aroused family thronged around her with cries and lamentations.
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: She did not seem to heed them. She got worse
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: and worse, and her piercing yells fell awfully on the
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: ears of the bystanders. At length, she expired, and her
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: corpse exhibited almost a feeling spectacle. Even before the spirit
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: had well departed, Penn and his friend returned home. The
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: old hag had done previously aware of the fate of
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: Rachel Higgins, but it was not known by what means
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: she acquired her supernatural knowledge. She was delighted at the
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: issue of her mysterious operations. Prank plassed her much to
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: accept of some remuneration for her services, but she utterly
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: rejected such proposals. She remained a few days at his house,
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: and at length took her leave and departed. No one
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: knew whither Old Rachel's remains were. Intense heard that night
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: in the neighboring churchyard. Her faith soon became generally known,
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: and her family, ashamed to remain in their native village,
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: disposed of their property and quitted the country forever. The story, however,
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: still freshened the memory of the surrounding villages and offering.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: It is said amid the great haste of a summer
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: of twilight made the ghost of Rachel Higgins, in the
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: form of a hair, be seen scuttling over her favorite
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: and well remembered haunts and of Section twenty three