Abouttenyearsafterwards,Londonwasagainalarmedbythestoryofahauntedhouse。Stockwell,nearVauxhall,thesceneoftheanticsofthisnewghost,becamealmostascelebratedintheannalsofsuperstitionasCockLane。Mrs。Golding,anelderlylady,whoresidedalonewithherservant,AnneRobinson,wassorelysurprisedontheeveningofTwelfth-Day,1772,toobserveamostextraordinarycommotionamonghercrockery。Cupsandsaucersrattleddownthechimney——potsandpanswerewhirleddownstairs,orthroughthewindows;andhams,cheeses,andloavesofbreaddisportedthemselvesuponthefloorasifthedevilwereinthem。This,atleast,wastheconclusionthatMrs。Goldingcameto;andbeinggreatlyalarmed,sheinvitedsomeofherneighbourstostaywithher,andprotectherfromtheevilone。Theirpresence,however,didnotputastoptotheinsurrectionofchina,andeveryroominthehousewasinashorttimestrewedwiththefragments。Thechairsandtablesjoined,atlast,inthetumults,andthingslookedaltogethersoseriousandinexplicable,thattheneighbours,dreadingthatthehouseitselfwouldnextbeseizedwithafitofmotion,andtumbleabouttheirears,leftpoorMrs。Goldingtobearthebruntofitbyherself。Theghostinthiscasewassolemnlyremonstratedwith,andurgedtotakeitsdeparture;
butthedemolitioncontinuingasgreatasbefore,Mrs。Goldingfinallymadeuphermindtoquitthehousealtogether。ShetookrefugewithAnneRobinsoninthehouseofaneighbour;buthisglassandcrockerybeingimmediatelysubjectedtothesamepersecution,hewasreluctantlycompelledtogivehernoticetoquit。Theoldladythusforcedbacktoherownhouse,enduredthedisturbanceforsomedayslonger,whensuspectingthatAnneRobinsonwasthecauseofallthemischief,shedismissedherfromherservice。Theextraordinaryappearancesimmediatelyceased,andwereneverafterwardsrenewed;afactwhichisofitselfsufficienttopointouttherealdisturber。A
longtimeafterwards,AnneRobinsonconfessedthewholemattertotheReverendMr。Brayfield。ThisgentlemanconfidedthestorytoMr。
Hone,whohaspublishedanexplanationofthemystery。Anne,itappears,wasanxioustohaveaclearhouse,tocarryonanintriguewithherlover,andresortedtothistricktoeffectherpurpose。Sheplacedthechinaontheshelvesinsuchamannerthatitfellontheslightestmotion,andattachedhorse-hairstootherarticles,sothatshecouldjerkthemdownfromanadjoiningroomwithoutbeingperceivedbyanyone。Shewasexceedinglydexterousatthissortofwork,andwouldhaveprovedaformidablerivaltomanyajugglerbyprofession。Afullexplanationofthewholeaffairmaybefoundinthe“Every-dayBook。“
Thelatestinstanceofthepopularpanicoccasionedbyahousesupposedtobehaunted,occurredinScotland,inthewinteroftheyear1838。Onthe5thofDecember,theinmatesofthefarm-houseofBaldarroch,inthedistrictofBanchory,Aberdeenshire,werealarmedbyobservingagreatnumberofsticks,pebble-stones,andclodsofearthflyingabouttheiryardandpremises。Theyendeavoured,butinvain,todiscoverwhowasthedelinquent;andtheshowerofstonescontinuingforfivedaysinsuccession,theycameatlasttotheconclusionthatthedevilandhisimpswerealonethecauseofit。Therumoursoonspreadoverallthatpartofthecountry,andhundredsofpersonscamefromfarandneartowitnesstheanticsofthedevilsofBaldarroch。Afterthefifthday,theshowerofclodsandstonesceasedontheoutsideofthepremises,andthesceneshiftedtotheinterior。
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