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Border Ghost Stories
CONTENTS
PAGE
IN THE BLACKFRIARS WYND 1
BY PEDEN'S CLEUCH 23
'ILL-STEEKIT' EPHRAIM 31
THE COCK-CROW 49
BY THE SHRINE OF SAINT CUTHBERT 59
*'MEENISTER' MACHIAVELLI 67
ELDER 'MACHIAVELLI-ER' 83
REPENTANCE TOWER 99
*THE LORD WARDEN'S TOMB 109
CASTLE ICHABOD 121
THE MUNIMENT ROOM 137
IN THE CLIFF LAND OF THE DANE 153
*THE DOPPEL-GANGER 171
*IN MY LADY'S BEDCHAMBER 179
*THE WARLOCK OF GLORORUM 189
'MUCKLE-MOUTHED MEG' 203
*THE PRIOR OF TYNEMOUTH 223
THE HAUNTED ALE-HOUSE 233
THE CRY OF THE PEACOCK 245
KITTY'S BOWER 255
THE TALE OF THE THREE ANTIQUARIES 271
APUD CORSTOPITUM 283
IN THE BLACKFRIARS WYND
''Twill be a black day for auld Scotland when she ceases to believe in the muckle Deil,' commented 'the Meenister' of the Tron Kirk, when I had explained to him my troubles and sought his 'ghostly counsel and advice,' as the English service has it, 'to the quieting of my conscience, and avoiding of all scruple and doubtfulness.' My father had been English, but my mother was Scotch, and she had sent me to my uncle, Deacon Abercrombie, to be entered as apprentice to his craft of the goldsmiths. He was a widower, lived alone, and was reputed to be eccentric, but as far as worldly gear was concerned the Deacon was a highly responsible citizen; as burgess, guild brother, and deacon of his craft he could hold his head as high on the causeway as any other, be he who he might, in the city.
Not even the 'stairhead critics,' who, as Auld Reekie's poet writes,
'wi' glowering eye Their neighbours' sma'est faults descry,'
could point at any speck in his general repute.
The Reverend Andrew Geddes was somewhat stricken in years; his beard was white as snow, his thrapple loose below his chin, and the flesh had ebbed from his bones, but his mind was as alert as ever, and his goodness stood manifest in his face.
We were sitting in his lodging, situate in a high 'timberland' in the Canongate, just without the Nether Bow, on the same side as the Tron Kirk, and from his little tourelle we could survey as from an eyrie the coming and going of the citizens upon the street.
'Ay,' said he again, 'it will be a gey evil day for Scotland when she ceases to believe i' the muckle black Deil. Whatten temptations he can offer is oft forgot. Ye'll hae heard tell o' Major Weir--the whilom "Bowhead Saint," as they callit him--ye'll hae heard tell o' him, laddie? I mind my
PAGE
IN THE BLACKFRIARS WYND 1
BY PEDEN'S CLEUCH 23
'ILL-STEEKIT' EPHRAIM 31
THE COCK-CROW 49
BY THE SHRINE OF SAINT CUTHBERT 59
*'MEENISTER' MACHIAVELLI 67
ELDER 'MACHIAVELLI-ER' 83
REPENTANCE TOWER 99
*THE LORD WARDEN'S TOMB 109
CASTLE ICHABOD 121
THE MUNIMENT ROOM 137
IN THE CLIFF LAND OF THE DANE 153
*THE DOPPEL-GANGER 171
*IN MY LADY'S BEDCHAMBER 179
*THE WARLOCK OF GLORORUM 189
'MUCKLE-MOUTHED MEG' 203
*THE PRIOR OF TYNEMOUTH 223
THE HAUNTED ALE-HOUSE 233
THE CRY OF THE PEACOCK 245
KITTY'S BOWER 255
THE TALE OF THE THREE ANTIQUARIES 271
APUD CORSTOPITUM 283
IN THE BLACKFRIARS WYND
''Twill be a black day for auld Scotland when she ceases to believe in the muckle Deil,' commented 'the Meenister' of the Tron Kirk, when I had explained to him my troubles and sought his 'ghostly counsel and advice,' as the English service has it, 'to the quieting of my conscience, and avoiding of all scruple and doubtfulness.' My father had been English, but my mother was Scotch, and she had sent me to my uncle, Deacon Abercrombie, to be entered as apprentice to his craft of the goldsmiths. He was a widower, lived alone, and was reputed to be eccentric, but as far as worldly gear was concerned the Deacon was a highly responsible citizen; as burgess, guild brother, and deacon of his craft he could hold his head as high on the causeway as any other, be he who he might, in the city.
Not even the 'stairhead critics,' who, as Auld Reekie's poet writes,
'wi' glowering eye Their neighbours' sma'est faults descry,'
could point at any speck in his general repute.
The Reverend Andrew Geddes was somewhat stricken in years; his beard was white as snow, his thrapple loose below his chin, and the flesh had ebbed from his bones, but his mind was as alert as ever, and his goodness stood manifest in his face.
We were sitting in his lodging, situate in a high 'timberland' in the Canongate, just without the Nether Bow, on the same side as the Tron Kirk, and from his little tourelle we could survey as from an eyrie the coming and going of the citizens upon the street.
'Ay,' said he again, 'it will be a gey evil day for Scotland when she ceases to believe i' the muckle black Deil. Whatten temptations he can offer is oft forgot. Ye'll hae heard tell o' Major Weir--the whilom "Bowhead Saint," as they callit him--ye'll hae heard tell o' him, laddie? I mind my
- GenresHorror
106 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1919
23 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Howard Pease
17 books8 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Howard Pease (1863-1928) was a British writer and editor.
His family had interests in the railway business, and he was a landowner and magistrate in Northumberland and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. In 1900-1901 he was the editor of the Northern Counties Magazine, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Howard Pease (1863-1928) was a British writer and editor.
His family had interests in the railway business, and he was a landowner and magistrate in Northumberland and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. In 1900-1901 he was the editor of the Northern Counties Magazine, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 5, 2011
The book shows it's age. It was a very difficult read with overly complicated language and often written to reflect the Scottish dialect of those telling the story. It made sure any fun to the stories was destroyed in the method of telling.
January 15, 2011
A mostly unsatisfying collection of ghost stories in which ghosts do not feature. Good thing this was free.
August 1, 2012
Anecdotal stories told in the dialect of the Scottish border. Seem to be meant as true incidents not fiction and therefore not scary or even particularly interesting.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews