sation over his pipe always made him a welcome guest. He also took his father's horse, and rode over to visit his friend Scoper, and renewed the scenes which Rutler had described, in going round with him among the farmers and villagers. He prevailed on Scoper to return with him to Landham.

CHAPTER XXX.

THE YOUNG FEMALE DEMONIACS-REV. T. SCOTT'S OPINION.

WHEN they were advanced in their return a few miles, Mr. Scoper said, "Charles, the common report of the country is, that there are two girls at Chinton, who are possessed with the devil. They say, that if a clergyman in black approach, they are immediately thrown into convulsions, and that even if you name the name of Jesus, they are agitated. If you like to see them, we will turn our horses, and take a ride round and visit them."

should like it much," said Charles; "I have heard many a wonderful tale of ghosts and demoniacal possession, but have never believed them; and I suppose that this is one of the silly figments of the day to make old women wonder and children stare-or some sectarian trick to excite the belief of miracles from their pretended power of exorcism."

The friends now turned their horses, and riding a quick trot for about five miles, they ascended a hill, on which stood a farm house amid green fields, in a beautiful situation, commanding a lovely view over a vale twenty miles in extent, bounded with mountainous hills, and varied with twinkling streams, groves, and corn-fields. The sun cast a beauty and loveliness over every object; the people were all busy in the green lawn-like grounds surrounding the

house, making hay, while the horses and waggons were conveying it home. Under some lofty elms, which shaded the grounds, the friends fastened their horses, and contemplated with delight a scene calculated to inspire nothing but sentiments of peace, gratitude, and joy, as it angels would delight to come down and visit such an earthly Eden. "How unlikely," said Scoper, "that in a scene so lovely in this abode of peace, any thing should be found of so sombre a cast as that which report gives it-for this, Charles, would you think it ?—this beautifully situated farm-house is the abode of these female demoniacs; and there they are, the farmer himself, their father, has them in the field working with him, and he attempts to beguile them of their horrible delusion amid the calm employments and the rustic glee of the hay-field.""What a contrast of scenes," said Charles, "if this be true? I am filled with anxious curiosity; let us advance into the field to meet them." They went forward and met the sisters, who, immediately they saw them, were surprisingly convulsed, and one of them fell down: they seemed exhausted with agitation. Charles was astonished! To see two little girls, the one about twelve, and the other about fourteen years of age, thus horribly agitated by no visible definite cause, appeared to him a problem which he could not solve. "Is it," he said, "some painful association of ideas, called up by persons in black, that thus agitates these young damsels, or are they practising this part in some scheme of deception for some secret sinister purpose? I am determined to question them, and observe their motions very narrowly. I am much concerned for you," said Charles, "and pity your convulsive agitation, which I fear gives you considerable pain." "Yes, sir, indeed," said the eldest," it does; we are sorry it is so, and wish we could help it. Some people blame us, as if

"Who

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we could help it; we wish we could, we only desire to be like other folks." 66 Why were you so agitated," said Charles," at first beholding us?" "at "Because we were told one was a clergyman, and both good men!" told you so?" said Charles; "Our Curly," said the youngest. "Your Curly! who is he?" "Do you not know our Curly? If you were under his power, as we are, you would know enough of him."-Another convulsion! "Why, what sort of a person is this Curly?" He appears to us sometimes with a long curly tail," said the eldest," and from that we gave him the name of Curly." "Why do you not pray to God to deliver you from his power?" "My Curly says he has got the better of God, and shut him up in prison." "It is false," said Charles, "Jesus Christ (another convulsion!) has conquered the devil. Christ (another convulsion!) has by his death overcome him and cast him out; he cast him out of the bodies of men when on earth, and he can eject him from you, if you pray to Christ." (Another convulsion!) "We wish," said the eldest, "that Christ (another convulsion!) would cast him out from us, and subdue his power!" They were then much convulsed. "You see," said the eldest, recovering from the agitation, but much exhausted, "how cruelly he torments us." "And why are you convulsed," said Scoper, "at the name of Jesus (another convulsion!) Is not that a proof that the devil who torments you is under the power of Christ?" (Another convulsion!) "We cannot but think so, and hope so at times, or why does he convulse us when his name is uttered? Oh! we wish it were true." Again they were convulsed. "If I might be permitted, without presumption," said Scoper, "I would say as the apostles, In the name of Christ Jesus, the Lord of heaven and earth, (another convulsion!) I command thee, thcu unclean spirit, to come

out of these maidens, and injure them no more! (Another convulsion!) Shall we pray with you?" said Scoper, (another sore convulsion!) "No! no!" they both said; we have often had persons to pray with us-ministersbut our Curly so tormented us, that we hope they will not expose us to his torment by praying again." "Does he often torment you," said Charles. "We can scarcely take our champum champum, or our suction suction in peace, he torments us so when we try to take them!" " What do you mean," said Charles, "by champum and suction?" "Why, champum food, and suction liquor." "What, eating and drinking is your meaning? why, your very ideas and language are so confused," said Charles," that you give new names to your very food and drink, taken from the exercise of your powers of eating and drinking." "We are in all respects both dark and miserable," they said, Suppose a bad man came to you," said Charles, “would you be convulsed then?" "No! we should shake hands with him as a brothers; but if good men come, we are convulsed, and approach them with fear!" "Then, to deliver you from uneasiness, we had better leave you," said Charles. "Yes," they both said; " you are friendly; you would help us, if you could; but you cannot, and we shall not be easy till you are gone!"

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The friends were exceedingly puzzled and perplexed at this wonderful case, of which there is not written one word more than actually was heard, and said, and done! The friends took their leave with many expressions of compassion; they asked them if they would accept some money, but they declined it. Then, exhorting them not to despond, but to pray to God for deliverance, and promising to remember them in their prayers, they took a melancholy farewell. Hearing that the Rev. Thomas Scott, the commentator, was in the neighbourhood upon a