VILLAGE SUPERSTITIONS.
[To THY EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] Six,—The opinion of an old Lancashire gamekeeper who was my instructor in the art of shooting nearly fifty years ago on the subject of ghosts seems to be worth quoting as a parallel to that of the " hardy sceptic " mentioned in your article of January 18th. I cannot now remember whether I heard it direct from him, or whether it was repeated to me, but it was to this effect: " Folk talk a deal o' them boggarts, but I dunnot believe in them. I've been aboot o' neets mair nor maist folk, an' if there wor any boggarts agait I mun ha' leet o' one, for sure." One superstition connected with children is omitted from your article, viz., that it is unlucky to wash the palm of the hand,—as it is expressed, it will " wesh t' luck oot." (Perhaps this may be North Country.) The nurse of my own child was reproached by the villagers for washing the palms of her hands, and my wife says that among the village children, though they are otherwise " clean as a new pin," the palms of the hands are always left unwashed, at
least till they are a year old.—I am, Sir, &c., T. H. H.
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