_To the Editor._
_Witherslack, near Milnthorpe,
Westmoreland._
Sir,--I think you have not celebrated in the _Every-Day Book_ the
virtues of the mountain ash, or as it is called in the northern
counties, the _Wiggen Tree_.--Its _anti-witching_ properties are there
held in very high esteem. No witch will come near it; and it is believed
that the smallest twig, which might cross the path of one of these
communers with the powers of darkness, would as effectually stop her
career, however wild it might be, or however intent she might be on the
business of evil, as did the “key-stane” of the bridge of Doon stop the
fiendish crew, that pursued poor Tam O’Shanter and his luckless mare
Maggie.
You are well aware that there are few places, especially in the country,
in which one of these agents of the devil, ycleped “witches,” does not
reside. She may always be known by her extreme penury and ugliness.
There is generally also a protuberance of flesh on some part of the neck
or jaw, by which it is known that she has sold herself to the father of
lies. She has usually a large black cat, of which she is prodigiously
fond, and takes special care. Some shrewdly suspect this to be the “old
gentleman” himself. She is very envious, and frequently makes malicious
prognostications of evil, which subsequent events but too faithfully
verify. She must therefore, with all these qualifications, be the
authoress of every mishap, which cannot more reasonably be accounted
for. For example, should the “auld witch” call at any farmhouse during
the operation of churning, and be suffered to depart without a sop being
thrown to her, in the shape of a small print of butter, you will be sure
to have many a weary hour of labour the next time you churn, before
butter can be obtained. And, therefore, to prevent the old beldam
introducing herself into the churn, the churn-staff must be made of the
“_Wiggen_ Tree,” and you will be effectually freed from her further
interference in that case. The cattle in the stables and cow-houses, if
she takes a spite against you, are frequently found, or dreaded to be
found, (for many an instance of such things is recorded on undoubted
testimony,) in a morning, tied together, standing on their heads, the
cows milked, and every other mischievous prank played, which a malicious
fiend could invent: and therefore to prevent all these dire ills, the
shafts of the forks, and all other utensils used in those places, must
be made of the all-powerful “Wiggen.” She frequently does the same
mischief in places far remote on the same night; and although old and
crippled, and showing “all the variety of wretchedness” by day, at night
she mounts her broomstick, and wings her airy course to the moon, if
need be. All honest people, who have a due regard to undisturbed
slumbers during the night, when all the world knows that
Church-yards yawn,
And hell itself breathes forth contagion to the world,
take special care to have a branch of this never-failing antidote to
witchery at their bed heads. This has been the practice of my mother
ever since I can remember; she also carries a hare’s foot in her pocket,
to guard against all attacks in that quarter by day. You will think that
these precautions are very uncalled for, perhaps, at this time of day,
but such we have been in our generations, and such to a considerable
extent we _now are_, and therefore pray do record us.