matter to the Reverend Mr. Brayfield. This gentleman confided the story to
Mr. Hone, who has published an explanation of the mystery. Anne, it
appears, was anxious to have a clear house, to carry on an intrigue with
her lover, and resorted to this trick to effect her purpose. She placed
the china on the shelves in such a manner that it fell on the slightest
motion, and attached horse-hairs to other articles, so that she could jerk
them down from an adjoining room without being perceived by any one. She
was exceedingly dexterous at this sort of work, and would have proved a
formidable rival to many a juggler by profession. A full explanation of
the whole affair may be found in the _Every-day Book_.

The latest instance of the popular panic occasioned by a house supposed to
be haunted, occurred in Scotland, in the winter of the year 1838. On the
5th of December, the inmates of the farm-house of Baldarroch, in the
district of Banchory, Aberdeenshire, were alarmed by observing a great
number of sticks, pebble-stones, and clods of earth flying about their
yard and premises. They endeavoured, but in vain, to discover who was the
delinquent; and the shower of stones continuing for five days in
succession, they came at last to the conclusion that the devil and his
imps were alone the cause of it. The rumour soon spread over all that part
of the country, and hundreds of persons came from far and near to witness
the antics of the devils of Baldarroch. After the fifth day, the shower of
clods and stones ceased on the outside of the premises, and the scene
shifted to the interior. Spoons, knives, plates, mustard-pots,
rolling-pins, and flat-irons appeared suddenly endued with the power of
self-motion, and were whirled from room to room, and rattled down the
chimneys in a manner which nobody could account for. The lid of a
mustard-pot was put into a cupboard by the servant-girl in the presence of
scores of people, and in a few minutes afterwards came bouncing down the
chimney, to the consternation of every body. There was also a tremendous
knocking at the doors and on the roof, and pieces of stick and
pebble-stones rattled against the windows and broke them. The whole
neighbourhood was a scene of alarm; and not only the vulgar, but persons
of education, respectable farmers, within a circle of twenty miles,
expressed their belief in the supernatural character of these events, and
offered up devout prayers to be preserved from the mach