Page:Notes on the folk-lore of the northern counties of England and the borders.djvu/236

214 the sale of linsey-woolsey. The following story exhibits her in the darkest point of view:

The infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. though born a healthy child, began to pine away, and no medical advice was of any avail. The mother thought she was bewitched, and proposed to her husband that they should consult a certain doctor in a neighbouring village, a Quaker, who was noted for his skill in such cases. Mr. H. only laughed at his wife’s superstition, but the child wasting away more and more he yielded at last, and all set out one morning to consult the Quaker.

On arriving at his house Mrs. H. took the little girl in, while her husband went with the horse to the inn. She told the doctor’s assistant that her child was unwell and that she wished to know what was the matter, but she made no mention of her own suspicions. After examining the child and putting several questions, he went into another room to his master, returned to ask some more questions, and went back again. Then the old gentleman came out and examined the child, and just as Mr. H. came in from the inn he said, “The child’s hurt done,” i. e. bewitched. “Do yo think soa,” asked the father. “Nay,” replied the doctor, “om sure soa.” “Can ye do hur onny good?” pursued he. “If thah’ll do as oi tell thee oi can,” was the reply. “Oh, we’ll do onny thing yo tell uz,” exclaimed the mother. “Well, then,” said the doctor, “tack some o’thyh hair, the wife’s, and some o’t child’s; some o’th cuttings o’th fingernails and toe-nails, and some o’th water o’ all yo three, put all into this bottle, cork it up an’ seal it, an’ when thah rakes t’ fire at neet put t’bottle under t’ stuff thah rakes wi’; an’ tack care thah dosen’t let a woman come into t’ house first in t’ morning.” With these directions Mr. and Mrs. H. returned home.

The child having for some time been very restless at night, the parents had brought their bed downstairs and placed it in a corner near the fire, which they kept in by “raking” for the sake of their little patient. So this night, after fulfilling so far the doctor’s directions, they went to bed as usual, but to their surprise the little one was soon fast asleep and did not once disturb them in the night. About 4 o’clock in the morning the