
In a sleepy English village, the solitary figure of Dan’l Coombe haunts the narrow lane outside his modest tailor shop. By day he works in quiet concentration, his eyes fixed on the cloth while the townsfolk whisper about the strange habits that set him apart. His routine is oddly precise—shaving only on Saturdays, closing the shutters at night, and extinguishing the lamplight as if a secret were hidden behind the darkened panes.
The villagers’ curiosity soon turns to speculation. Rumors spread that the reticent tailor possesses a strange gift: the ability to soothe ailments, halt bleeding, and even reverse unlucky fortunes. Yet Dan’l shrugs off such legends, insisting any good that comes is not his own doing but the work of a higher power. His modest wife, ever‑grumbling, remains oblivious to the growing myth, while the parish priest watches his nightly vigil with uneasy fascination.
Through gentle humor and vivid description, the story paints a portrait of rural life, superstition, and the quiet power of mystery, inviting listeners to wonder what truly lies behind those shuttered windows.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (344K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2018-02-08
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1834–1924
A Victorian clergyman with a gift for storytelling, he wrote across an astonishing range of subjects, from novels and folklore to hymn texts and travel writing. He is still especially remembered as the writer of “Onward, Christian Soldiers” and as a vivid collector of local legends and odd histories.
View all books