The Epworth Phenomena | Page 8

as of a man going up and downstairs at all hours of the night; sounds like that of dancing in an empty room, the door of which was locked; gobbling like a turkey-cock; but most frequently a knocking about the beds at night and in different parts of the house. Mrs. Wesley would at first have persuaded the children and servants that it was occasioned by rats within doors and mischievous persons without, and her husband had recourse to the same ready solution; or some of his daughters, he supposed, sat up late and made a noise; and a hint that their lovers might have something to do with the mystery made the young ladies heartily hope he might soon be convinced that there was more in the matter than he was disposed to believe. In this they were not disappointed, for on the next night, a little after midnight, he was awakened by nine loud and distinct knocks, which seemed to be in the next room, with a pause at every third stroke.
He rose and went to see if he could discover the cause, but could perceive nothing; still he thought it might be some person out of doors, and relied upon a stout mastiff to rid them of this nuisance. But the dog, which upon the first disturbance had barked violently, was ever afterwards cowed by it, and, seeming more terrified than any of the children, came whining himself to his master and mistress, as if to seek protection in a human presence. And when the man-servant, Robin Brown, took the mastiff at night into his room, to be at once a guard and a companion, as soon as the latch began to jar as usual the dog crept into bed and barked and howled so as to alarm the house.
"The fears of the family for Mr. Wesley's life being removed as soon as he had heard the mysterious noises, they began to apprehend that one of the sons had met with a violent death, and more particularly Samuel, the eldest. The father, therefore, one night, after several deep groans had been heard, adjured it to speak, if it had power, and tell him why it troubled the house; and upon this, three distinct knockings were made. He then questioned if it were Samuel his son; bidding it, if it were, and could not speak, to knock again. But to their great comfort there was no further knocking that night; and when they heard that Samuel and the two boys were safe and well, the visitations of the goblin became rather a matter of curiosity and amusement than alarm. Emilia gave it the name of Old Jeffery, and by this name it was now known as a harmless, though by no means agreeable, inmate of the parsonage. Jeffery was not a malicious goblin, but he was easily offended. Before Mrs. Wesley was satisfied that there was something supernatural in the noises, she recollected that one of her neighbours had frightened the rats from his dwelling by blowing a born there; the horn, therefore, was borrowed, and blown stoutly about the house for half a day, greatly against the judgment of one of the sisters, who maintained that if it was anything supernatural, it would certainly be very angry and more troublesome. Her opinion was verified by the event: Jeffery had never till then begun his operations during the day: from that time he came by day as well as by night, and was louder than before. And he never entered Mr. Wesley's study till the owner one day rebuked him sharply, called him a deaf and dumb devil, and bade him cease to disturb the innocent children, and come to him in his study if he had anything to say. This was a sort of defiance, and Jeffery, therefore, took him at his word. No other person in the family ever felt the goblin, but Mr. Wesley was thrice pushed by it with considerable force.
"So he himself relates, and his evidence is clear and distinct. He says also, that once or twice, when he spoke to it, he heard two or three feeble squeaks, a little louder than the chirping of a bird, but not like the noise of rats. What is said of an actual appearance is not so well confirmed. Mrs. Wesley thought she saw something run from under the bed, and thought it most like a badger, but she could not well say of what shape; and the man saw something like a white rabbit, which came from behind the oven, with its ears flat upon the neck, and its little scut standing straight up. A shadow may possibly explain the first of these appearances; the other may be imputed to that proneness which ignorant