Page:Notes on the folk-lore of the northern counties of England and the borders.djvu/359

Rh the bottom of it, just because of the alterations in the house he had lived in so many years. “He never could abide changes,” pursued the farmer, “but he’s had his day, and you should have yours now. He must be laid, that’s certain; and, if you’ll go away next week to your missis and the young ladies, I’ll see to it.”

And see to it he did. A jury of seven parsons was convoked, and each sat for half-an-hour with a candle in his hand, and it burned out its time with each, showing plainly that none of them could lay the ghost. Nor was this any wonder, for were they not all old acquaintances of his, so that he knew all their tricks? The spirit could afford to defy them; it was not worth his while to blow their candles out. But the seventh parson was a stranger, and a scholar fresh from Oxford. In his hand the light went out at once. He was clearly the man to lay the ghost, and he did not shrink from his task; he laid it at once, and in a beer-barrel.

But now a fresh difficulty arose. What was to be done with the beer-barrel and its mysterious tenant? Where could it be placed secure from the touch of any curious hand, which might be tempted to broach the barrel, and set free the ghost? Nothing occurred to the assembled company but to roll the thing into one corner, and send for the mason to inclose it with stones and mortar. This done, the room looked very odd with one corner cut off. Uniformity would be attained if the other three were filled up as well; and besides, the ghost would be safer if no one knew the very spot in which he was reposing. So the other corners were blocked up, and with success. What matters it if the room be smaller!—the parsonage has never been haunted since.

I will only add one more story, which is well authenticated, at least as far as the laying of the ghost. About fifty years ago the beautiful avenue of C—— Place, Sussex, was haunted by the spirit of Madam S——. There was much excitement in the neighbourhood in consequence, and the vicar of the parish was applied to to lay the ghost. He with two of the neighbouring clergy met in C—— church at midnight, and used some form