Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/117

 MISCELLANEA.

Dorset Folklore.

(Continued from vol. x., p. 4S9. )

23. The Rev. J. Woodman, incumbent of Wootton Granville, near Buckland Newton, visited a dying parishioner of evil reputa- tion. " Didn't want no reading," said Mullet, the sick man. But the parson persevered. After Mullet's death, Mr. Woodman twice reproved the sexton for not having turfed the grave. " What's the use ? " answered the sexton. " ' Have doned it twice, and he do kick it off every night." "Do it again," said the parson angrily, " and I'll stand by and see you do it." And so it was. And early on the morrow, parson went down to inspect, but lo ! all the sods were thrown off. " ' Told ee zo," said the sexton, coming in at the gate, " ' knowed how it it ud be ! "

Mrs. Astell adds that the Mullets are still living, and all have the name of wizards and of the Evil Eye.

The following stories are from Portesham, where the writer resides : —

24. Mrs. Thomas Pitman, aged 64, says : " In the middle of February, 1870, my daughter Elizabeth, then seven years old, but now married to Robert Stoney, and living in Dorchester, began to be disturbed at nights. This was at Hilton, near Abbey Milton. She screamed, and cried out that she saw someone who came to her. I had to fetch her down-stairs, and had a terrible job to satisfy her. Often we had to get up out of bed, she would screech so. My children had always been good about going to bed, and had never complained at being left alone. Our bedrooms were in the garret, and she used to see a woman come down the chimney and make faces at her and hold up her hands. One night, when I had gone to her, she declared that this woman was close beside me. This went on for about a month, and she had gone quite